Annie Mac And Her Second Life

An Irishman Abroad

After 17 years at the BBC Annie MacManus walks away to start a new chapter. For two decades she has devoted her life to music and shining a light on the creativity of others. Her on air and on stage shows have become the stuff of legend, helped a generation form their musical tastes and thousands of artists find their audience. With the release of her stunning debut novel Mother Mother, Annie takes a leap of faith into the unknown to become the creator in the full glare of the spotlight. She spoke to Jarlath this week about what prompted her to start down this dramatically different path. We hear about how a ridiculously busy schedule has taken its toll on her and how spinning multiple plates made the writing process almost impossible. Later we hear about her journey into music from Queens University in Belfast and how the passion for chat and music has always been her fuel. Jarlath explores how she honed her skill as an interviewer, the Alex Turner interview that proved the power of silence and the background to her incredible Irish Times piece on immigrant ache.

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