Kinsella and Fleming to Headline Broken Sleep Books Launch at Irish Writers Centre
Broken Sleep Books, the UK-based independent publisher known for its working-class ethos is set to host the Dublin launch of two anticipated 2025 titles at the Irish Writers Centre on Wednesday, 2nd July from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The launch will introduce The Ethics of Cats, the debut full-length poetry collection by Alice Kinsella and A Brief Inhalation, the second essay collection by Daragh Fleming.
Originally from Mayo, Kinsella has emerged as a prominent figure in contemporary Irish literature. Her prior publications include Sexy Fruit (Broken Sleep, 2018), the critically acclaimed hybrid memoir Milk: On Motherhood and Madness (Picador, 2023), and Wake of the Whale (Mayo Books Press, 2024). Her new collection, The Ethics of Cats, marks a significant expansion of her lyrical voice, interrogating memory, survival, and inheritance with both tenderness and precision.
Daragh Fleming, a writer and mental health advocate based in Cork, returns with A Brief Inhalation, following the success of his 2022 debut essay collection Lonely Boy. An award-winning blogger and performer, Fleming holds academic degrees in linguistics and psychology—disciplines which underpin his sharp, introspective, and human-centred prose. A Brief Inhalation explores identity, dislocation, and introspection through a hybrid form that blurs memoir, personal essay, and poetic observation. With a style that is both wry and deeply empathetic, Fleming examines the absurdities and alienations of modern life—from cityscape wanderings to fragmented conversations and the quiet crises of self-perception.
This launch marks a notable occasion for Broken Sleep Books, bringing together two distinct yet thematically resonant voices in contemporary Irish writing. Poet Alvy Carragher will officially launch Kinsella’s collection, while artist and activist Joe Caslin will introduce Fleming’s latest work. The evening will also feature a special guest reading from Alicia Byrne Keane, author of Pretend Cartoon Strength. Attendance is free and open to the public.
