Michelle Dunne: Cobh author on how army life has helped her crime writing
Michelle Dunne, author of The Invisible, in her hometown of Cobh, for the launch of the programme the Spike Island literary festival. Picture: David Keane
When Michelle Dunne joined the army straight from school, she was unsure what path her life would take. Now, as she forges a career as a crime writer, she finds her life experience invaluable. The native of Cobh, Co Cork, says that taking a less than conventional route to writing has stood her in good stead when portraying the darker side of life.
“To this day, I am in awe of any 18-year-old who knows what they want to do with their life. When I was that age, going to college was an alien thing for me because my life was lived outdoors — I loved sport and it was always go go go. It was the lifestyle of the army that really drew me in. It was to give me something to focus on at that time. College wasn’t going to happen and I wanted something that was going to give me experience I wasn’t going to get anywhere else and it certainly did that.”
