In September 2007, Irish writer Peadar Ó Guilín published his first novel, The Inferior, which the Times Educational Supplement called "a stark, dark tale, written with great energy and confidence and some arresting reflections on human nature." Foreign editors liked it too, and over the following year it was translated into eight languages, including Japanese and Korean. His fantasy and SF short stories have appeared in numerous venues, including Black Gate magazine and an anthology celebrating the best of the iconic Weird Tales. He also writes for George R. R. Martin's Wild Cards series. His latest novel, The Sword Garden, is set to release in April, 2026 from Wizard's Tower Press.
NoaF: Congratulations on the release of your latest book! What was the seed of the idea that led to The Sword Garden?
Peadar: I'm always interested in the idea of two worlds overlapping. It happens quite a lot in Irish legends, and I've enjoyed the cool ways the concept has been dealt with before in works by Jack Vance, China Miéville and others. The Sword Garden is just one of several stories of mine where I've squeezed it for fun and profit.
NoaF: Your YA duology The Call is also making a resurgence. Can you tell us a little about the paths those books have taken? What's the wildest thing that's happened for you as a result of their success?
Peadar: The Call duology was about the biggest success I've ever had at anything in my life.
That book brought me all over the world. I had a small tour of the States. I was flown to Australia. I was a guest in Poland. It was an amazing time.
About the wildest thing that happened, though, was this: a friend of mine loved The Call when it first came out. She brought a copy with her when she was visiting a friend in Australia and she gifted it to his teenaged daughter. The daughter, it turned out, was a very talented screenwriter, who went on to win an award for one of her first scripts. Then, she pitched The Call so enthusiastically that it was picked up by a major streamer. They paid for a writers room. They paid for a season full of scripts… And that's where the adventure came to a halt. But it was very exciting while it lasted.
I'm really thrilled that new people are still finding the book, having never heard of it. That never gets old.
NoaF: You've been published by large presses and small. What have been the differences in the big/small press experience for you?
Peadar: Big presses do everything for you. Shops are way more receptive to the idea of trying to sell your book if it comes from a big publisher, and individual hard copies of the novel cost less, so more people can afford them. Media outlets will take you more seriously if a big-time publicist is standing behind you.
A small press, on the other hand, just feels more personal. You are part of the team, rather than the product. It's cozy.
NoaF: You've also self-published. Do you think it's valuable for an author to experience all three paths?
Peadar: Experience is rarely wasted. However, I do think that most writers just want to write their books, send them off to a team that will do everything else, and move on to the next idea. I would prefer that myself, to be honest.
NoaF: Do you have any talks or convention appearances coming up where people might find you?
Peadar: I'll be at EasterCon in the UK (Birmingham) from 3-6 April. That's where we will be launching The Sword Garden. Two weeks later, I'll be in Luxembourg—always a good time. On 8-9 of May, I'll be in Belfast for NornCon—come and say "how's about ye."
NoaF: What are you reading for fun these days? Who else should Nerds of a Feather readers put on their TBR list?
Peadar: I always love Adrian Tchaikovsky's work, but his recent, ongoing fantasy series, The Tyrant Philosophers, is a thing of real beauty. I also had a great time recently with a book called There Is No Anti-Memetic Division, which is a huge recommendation.
