Courtney Smyth on Irish Book Week, Representation, and Publishing Their Debut Novel, The Undetectables

By Luca Cavallo (Arts & Lit Editor)

Courtney Smyth is a writer from Dublin, currently based in Galway. Their short stories have previously been published in Paper Lanterns Literary Journal and the anthologies The Last Five Minutes of a Storm and Into Chaos. They are a fan of many different styles of stories, and enjoy blending several genres within a world of fantasy. Such is the case for their debut novel, The Undetectables, which was published in September of this year. The novel has already received high praise for its representation of chronic illness, as well as its loveable characters. Courtney is an ambassador for Irish Book Week, and I recently spoke with them about the upcoming event, as well as their exciting new novel.

“One of the first places that published me was a small Irish press called Sans. PRESS. When Irish Book Week reached out to the company, asking who they might nominate to be an ambassador. They knew I had a book coming out, so they were like… ‘Well, let’s put them forward!’

“Honestly, I thought there’d be no way they were going to pick me, because there are just so many incredibly talented people on this island, so why pick me? Becoming an ambassador was a wonderful surprise.

“I have plenty of events to attend as an ambassador. I have one in Chapters Book Shop on the 21st of October, and another is currently under arrangement for the 16th. My role is simply to go to the events of Book Week from the 14th to the 21st. I’ll be talking to as many people as I can! Interacting with other authors and connecting with the world of writers and books. It’s a way to celebrate, or show off, how many great authors and book shops we have in Ireland. It’s about making people aware of how great this country is for writers. When most people think of Irish writing, they probably think of ‘the Greats’, but there’s so much talent in contemporary writing too.”

Like countless other authors, Courtney has been writing since childhood. They are fascinated with contemporary fantasy. “I think around age 10, I think a writer was what I just decided was what I was going to be when I grew up,” they said. “I’ve always loved stories in general. I remember I’d go to the library and—I think it was 10—I'd take the full 10 book limit home, read them in a week, and go back for another 10. It was constant.”

Courtney found that the books they loved most were those that focused on friendship, with deep and wide emotional character arcs. We can see this inspiration in their new book, The Undetectables. Reflecting on the writing process, they were most proud of the work they had put into their characters.

“I’m seriously proud of Mallory, my protagonist, who suffers from fibromyalgia. I suffer from it, too, and I couldn’t help but notice that there were no books with that kind of representation. It was interesting trying to work out how a chronic illness would be received in a world of magic, but what I find so gratifying is the response from readers. Some readers who also suffered from fibromyalgia related on a powerful level to Mallory and were like, ‘You got this right... I see myself in her’. It’s so wonderful for me, and I’m immensely proud of it.

“I don’t write many characters based off of real people, but I think I’m always working on character creation. I’m always listening to what people say, and how they say it. I can’t help but relate it to a character I’m working on. There was one guy, however, who lived under my apartment during lockdown, and he would whistle for hours at a time. It was the weirdest thing. And so he became the villain in my book, known as the Whistler.”

Courtney recognises their novel as a “mash-up” of genres. The Undetectables blends elements of a whimsical, cosy atmosphere with those of a dark and grim mystery.

“I will know if I want my book to feel a certain way... and I’ll always come back to it and make sure that I can find that perfect balance.”