Interview with Colm

I caught up with Colm in one of his favorite pubs in Brighton.

What inspired you to write the Tree of Eliza?

Shortly after completing a creative writing course in the University of Sussex I started working on a collection of linked short stories that were based in Ireland. I was interested in how lives are linked through the generations therefore the stories spanned over sixty years. I was inspired to write the novel after visiting a country park and discovering the rich historical background of the families that worked and lived there and in particular after seeing the magnificent yew tree that stands proudly within the church graveyard in the park.

So the book is factual.

No, it is fiction however it is loosely based on fact and personal experience which often is the case in fictional writing.

There are two story lines running through the book one based in the mid 19th century where we meet the Hayne family and the other begins in 2006 when a couple Cal and Ella enter a graveyard in Stonelake Park, the link is the yew tree that you mentioned earlier, is there any particular reason why you chose this yew tree to link these families?

It seemed a natural link, the tree has out lived generation after generation, it is not an inanimate object such as building or a manmade structure therefore I felt it held more intrigue.

Certainly the vivid descriptions of the tree and also the graveyard are extremely well depicted giving you a wonderful sense of place, would you say that the imagery is created from your imagination or from memory?

Well that's a good question, to be honest, it's more from memory however the imagination is the intriguing aspect of writing that can really bring colour and life to a scene or place.

Download The Tree of Eliza