Aisling Rawle: 'I feel like we’re living in The Truman Show'

Aisling Rawle's debut novel - written in a six week 'fever dream' - has already earned rave reviews on both sides of The Atlantic and been named Good Morning America's book club pick for July. Aoife Barry meets the Leitrim woman behind one of this summer's must-reads.

Aisling Rawle, author. Picture: Moya Nolan

Since the days of Big Brother, reality TV has been a world ripe for extreme behaviour — making it the perfect setting for a thrilling novel about what happens when the experience goes wrong.

Irish author Aisling Rawle describes her debut, The Compound, as “Love Island meets Lord of the Flies” and “Animal Farm — but if everyone was hot and wanted skincare”.