In a delicious twist on my ‘Final Page’ series (see previous instalments here), I now present the first page of my war novel ‘Ambush in Saigon’, with the final page to follow tomorrow.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all customers doubt you
But make no allowance for their doubting too,
If you can …

In the second instalment (see previous instalments here) of my ‘Final Page’ series, I now present the last page of my horror novel ‘The Bloodening’.

I’m a lover of eloquent words, a believer in the destructive power of a timely quip, or the restorative properties of a beautifully-turned compliment. But I’m also … of a certain age. And I can’t …

In the fourth instalment (see previous instalments here) of my ‘Final Page’ series, I now present the last page of my period drama ‘Sense and Prejudicability’. First published in 1992, my agent Diane begged me …

I knew I had to be prepared for visiting ye ould breeding grounds this week; County Galway can generate such cumbersome states of mind. Which is why I brought novels with me!

As is traditional at this time every year, the pious devout ordinary peoples of Spain are enjoying the Chasing of the Foreigners in Pamplona during the festival of Saint Fermin, a much-revered individual in these …

Like Jimmy Rabbitte from Roddy Doyle’s “The Commitments”, or the other three from U2, I’ve often fantasised about being interviewed.