Beginner’s pluck: Dublin-born author Sharon Guard

'Assembling Ailish' captures a time and a place with authenticity and eloquence

Sat, 08 Mar, 2025 - 01:00

Sue Leonard

Sharon Guard grew up near Shankhill library to a religious mum, and an anti-religious dad.

“My dad was a rigger in Ardmore Studios.”

She did a secretarial course and then worked in Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals.

“I started in admin, and ended up as office manager, doing a lot of writing and website content. I travelled a lot.”

After 22 years, I was made redundant. That’s when I started writing.

She attended a course in Cabinteely Community School, but after three months started working for an Italian pharmaceutical company in Monkstown. But she kept writing, and joined writer Ferdia MacAnna’s group in Dalkey.

“He said I should send my stuff out, and in 2020 I won the Molly Keane Award and got notions! That’s when I applied to Limerick.”

When she had enough short stories for a collection, she contacted a publisher, who loved her writing, but wanted a novel.

“I started by extending a story I’d written about friends on a night out in Dublin.

“That merged with an idea about a mother with secondary infertility dealing with her daughter’s pregnancy.”

Sharon’s work has appeared in New Irish Writing, and last year, her story, 'Artifice', was shortlisted for the RTÉ short story competition.

Who is Sharon Guard?

Date/ place birth: 1968/ Shankhill, Dublin.

Education: Dominican Convent, Dun Laoghaire. University of Limerick, MA in Creative Writing.

Home: Killiney.

Family: Adult children, Alex and Emma. Dogs, Zebo and Lola. “My husband, Jonathan, died two years ago.”

The day job: Quality and compliance manager at Menarini Pharmaceuticals.

In another life: “I’d probably be a singer. (I can’t sing.)”

Favourite writers: Donal Ryan; Joseph O’Connor; Annie Ernaux; Agatha Christie; Claire Keegan; Enid Blyton; James Joyce.

Second book: “I’m working on the first draft.”

Top tip: “Get up early.”

Website: www.sharonguard.com

Instagram: @sharonguardwrites

The debut

Assembling Ailish

Poolbeg, €16.99/ Kindle, €2.99

Ailish McCarthy’s life seems brilliant. She has a great career, and a wealthy husband. Her daughters are flourishing, so why is she crumbling inside?

She’s seeing a therapist to help her cope with her mother’s recent death and must now deal with the secret she’s kept since suffering a trauma back in her teens.

The verdict: I loved this debut. It captures a time and a place with authenticity and eloquence.

Beginner's Pluck: 'I wrote books but I never thought I could be a writer'