Pictured: Anne Losty Byrne.
Anne Losty Byrne, a local of Pearse Street, has published a book on Amazon Kindle which was inspired from a holiday to Rome, entitled ‘That Year in Rome’.
Losty-Byrne is a member of the St. Andrews writers group in Pearse Street which takes place on a Friday afternoon. She has written humorous short stories in the past.
Her chief influences as a writer are the works of Agatha Christie, Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. She has had her stories published privately with the writers group for the Christmas edition over the last three years.
“I never thought I would be a writer. I went to Australia and I spent four years out there at a convent, as a sister in an order. I came back to Ireland and I thought I would never get to a typewriter fast enough. I eventually started to write novels,” she told NewsFour.
Losty-Byrne has written two novels in the past. The first of these was written 10 years ago and was about a detective set in the Edwardian period titled: ‘Sir Charles Crosswaite Du Bedát of Digby Place’.
She was inspired in real life, having seen a headstone in a Huguenot cemetery and from there she got her idea.
“I sent a short story to the BBC and someone from Northern Ireland stated to me that only UK citizens can submit to the BBC, that I should join a writers group and that they would help encourage me with it.
He said he was disappointed with the detective doing nothing, after discovering a murder had taken place in the mansion. So I decided my detective would have to retrace his steps and from there the story turned into a novel.”
Losty-Byrne’s second novel, Raven Island, was inspired by her passion and love for the culture and the life of the Aran Islands. The novel is set in 1980. The aunt in the story leaves Ireland pregnant and it is the niece who wants to help her and follows her over to Rome.
“I got the idea that a middle-aged woman wanted to be a writer and stop working in the civil service, decided to go to Rome and when her niece finds out, she asks can she come along too. The niece, Kate, is fed up with her mother’s restrictions and rules. Two months later in Rome, Antonio has arrived on the scene (looking like a real Romeo) and then they all find out that Eileen the middle-aged aunt has left Ireland pregnant. I did up a press release stating that one left Ireland pregnant and the other person fell in love. But I did not state who was who.”
Kate and Antonio go out of their way to try to get Eileen to keep the baby and in turn offer to adopt Eileen’s child in the midst of confusion and the family drama that breaks out. There are 15 chapters in this novel and it covers various themes such as romance, travel and a blend of humour combined with a drama of identity and family matters.
Losty-Byrne spoke about her “scare with cancer” and how she has had to persevere, overcome and have hope and faith even in the face of such an adversity. She finds that writing has been therapeutic for her.
“Writing is healing for me. Like an animal, you have to go into a quiet place, lick your wounds until they heal and come out again ready to fight your corner.
“I do think laughter is a good medicine. I hope my little novel is a success. I am doing my best!” Losty-Byrne has stated that she is going to further edit and correct it. The book is €2.95 to buy and it is available on Kindle.
By Robert Fullarton
