The Women's Podcast

The Women's Podcast


Ep 420 Tennis Lessons: Susannah Dickey on periods, sex and friendship

July 23, 2020

In this episode Roisin Ingle talks to Susannah Dickey, the author of a stunning debut novel Tennis Lessons which is set in Northern Ireland and follows a young woman as she struggles to find her place in the world. Dickey is an award-winning poet from Derry but her new novel shows her gift for the longer novel form. She has written a fantastic book containing rich dialogue and a gritty, authentic coming of age story. We follow the unnamed protagonist from the age of 3 right up to her late twenties, as she deals with the break-up of her parents marriage, various sexual encounters and trying to reconcile the life she imagined for herself with the one that is playing out. It's also the story of friendship, the kind that puts you back together when you are lost. Also, in this episode Ingle announces our final Big Night In with special guest Room-author Emma Donoghue.