NEWS ABOUT the elephant of belfast:
• Kirk’s novel is published in Norway (Strawberry Publishing) and Iran (Gooya Publishing), March 2022.
• The Elephant of Belfast is nominated for the longlist of Best Debut Fiction for the 32nd Reading the West Awards.
• Christian Science Monitor names The Elephant of Belfast as one of top reads of 2021.
• Cosmopolitan selects The Elephant of Belfast as apart of its list of Best Historical Fiction of 2021.
• Listen to Kirk’s interview with Mitzi Rapkin, host of the First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing podcast (via Lithub Radio).
• Fourth printing of hardcover ordered by Counterpoint Press. Thank you!
• The Elephant of Belfast is spotlighted in the New & Noteworthy Column of The New York Times Book Review (May 16th, 2021 issue).
• Cosmopolitan chooses The Elephant of Belfast as one of the 18 Best Historical Fiction Books to read in 2021.
• Christian Science Monitor selects The Elephant of Belfast as one of the top 10 best books to read in April.
• Kirk wrote about her elephant research at the Houston Zoo for Texas Monthly. Read essay here.
• For Catapult, Kirk wrote this essay about her literary career and long path to publication.
• Selected for “The Best Historical Fiction Books to Read Right Now,” Barnes & Noble. Read article here.
• Best Debut Novels of Spring/Summer 2021, Library Journal.
• April 2021 Indie Next Selection! See full list here.
• Audiobook of The Elephant of Belfast (Blackstone Publishing) and The Zookeeper of Belfast (Hodder Audio) will be read by Irish actor Charlotte McCurry.
• The Elephant of Belfast selected for Kirkus Reviews’ 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2021.
• Kirkus Reviews includes The Elephant of Belfast in 10 Fiction Books to Look for in 2021.
• The Elephant of Belfast chosen for Goodreads’ 75 Debut Novels to Discover in 2021.
reviews OF the elephant of belfast:
• Another review of praise from critic K. M. Sandrick of the Historical Novel Society (May 4th, 2021).
• A wonderful short review featured in the Briefly Noted column of The New Yorker (April 26 & May 3 double issue).
• A rave review of EOB from Rebekah Denn for The Christian Science Monitor (April 16, 2021).
• Audio review on Stateside (Michigan Public Radio) by the novelist Steve Amick. Listen here (scroll down).
• Praise from Lone Star Literary Life, (March 28, 2021).
• Positive review from the Washington Independent Review of Books (March 26, 2021).
• A lovely review from Publishers Weekly.
• The Elephant of Belfast’s very first review from Kirkus Reviews.
interviews with Kirk about the novel & more:
• Interview with Kirk and her friend Karen Olsson about the writing process, the sustained conversation of novel-writing, and how her own grief shaped The Elephant of Belfast.
• Austin Liti Limits Episode with Scott Semegren: An interview about EOB, the research, and music in the novel. A short reading from the night of the Easter Tuesday bombings (the middle of the novel).
• Watch Kirk’s conversation with Diane Cook via McNally Jackson (with a focus on the animals in the novel, violence and fiction, the language of the novel).
• Interview on Stateside, a daily program on Michigan Public Radio (interview begins at 30-minute mark).
• Rumpus interview with my student and friend Shannon Perri, where we talked about collective trauma and resilience.
• Interview with about my reading life as a child and during the pandemic. Read here.
• You can watch my launch event/conversation with the wonderful Ben Fountain here.
• KUT’s Views & Brews interview with host Rebecca McInroy (March 30, 2021). Listen and watch here.
