Max McGuinness
@maxmcguinness.bsky.social
Lecturer in French at Birkbeck, University of London
For the @irishtimes.com, I reviewed Cyclone, ANU's latest dive into Dublin arcana about Billy Warren, an immigrant boxer who became a local character during the first half of the 20c. There are some balletic boxing sequences, but the script lacks muscle. www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Cyclone review: Who was the real Billy Warren? Was he an IRA gunrunner? The picture is still hazy
Dublin Theatre Festival 2026: Anu’s portrait of the boxer has only a patchy historical record to draw on. It might benefit from more dramatic licence
www.irishtimes.com
September 28, 2026 at 4:14 PM
For the @irishtimes.com, I reviewed Cyclone, ANU's latest dive into Dublin arcana about Billy Warren, an immigrant boxer who became a local character during the first half of the 20c. There are some balletic boxing sequences, but the script lacks muscle. www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
For the @irishtimes.com, I reviewed Radio Bette, a quirky adaptation of All About Eve, which opened the @dublintheatrefest.bsky.social last night at the Gaiety.
Featuring a standout performance from Chloe Claudel, the play is even more about Eve than the film.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Featuring a standout performance from Chloe Claudel, the play is even more about Eve than the film.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Radio Bette, minus Ruth Negga, opens Dublin Theatre Festival with deadpan drollery
Dublin Theatre Festival 2026: As Bette Davis in All About Eve, Marcus Amaglo has an air of imperious dignity while also bringing out the ageing star’s vulnerability
www.irishtimes.com
September 25, 2026 at 1:26 PM
For the @irishtimes.com, I reviewed Radio Bette, a quirky adaptation of All About Eve, which opened the @dublintheatrefest.bsky.social last night at the Gaiety.
Featuring a standout performance from Chloe Claudel, the play is even more about Eve than the film.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Featuring a standout performance from Chloe Claudel, the play is even more about Eve than the film.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Proust n'a jamais été censuré sous Vichy, ni en URSS. Bien que ses livres aient été brûlés dans l'Allemagne nazie, rien n'indique qu'ils y aient été formellement interdits. Or, dans le monde démocratique, il y a eu une exception à cette tolérance quelque peu surprenante: l'Irlande.
August 19, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Proust n'a jamais été censuré sous Vichy, ni en URSS. Bien que ses livres aient été brûlés dans l'Allemagne nazie, rien n'indique qu'ils y aient été formellement interdits. Or, dans le monde démocratique, il y a eu une exception à cette tolérance quelque peu surprenante: l'Irlande.
I reviewed Conor McPherson's The Brightening Air at the Gate Theatre for The Irish Times last night. As in his earlier work, there is plenty of engaging offbeat small talk, but the various nods to the supernatural never coalesce into a genuinely haunting spectacle.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
The Brightening Air review: Kate Gilmore gives a standout performance in Conor McPherson’s play
The supernatural lurks during a strained family reunion, but never coalesces into a haunting spectacle
www.irishtimes.com
July 23, 2026 at 11:54 AM
I reviewed Conor McPherson's The Brightening Air at the Gate Theatre for The Irish Times last night. As in his earlier work, there is plenty of engaging offbeat small talk, but the various nods to the supernatural never coalesce into a genuinely haunting spectacle.
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
www.irishtimes.com/culture/stag...
Eamon Maher has written a splendid essay about The Irish Proust for the Dublin Review of Books:
"The Irish Proust is a gem, having unearthed previously unknown links – or crossings, to use the noun employed in the title – between France and Ireland."
drb.ie/article/prou...
"The Irish Proust is a gem, having unearthed previously unknown links – or crossings, to use the noun employed in the title – between France and Ireland."
drb.ie/article/prou...
Proustian Thoughts from Ireland - Dublin Review of Books %
Proustian Thoughts from Ireland - % Dublin Review of Books
drb.ie
June 15, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Eamon Maher has written a splendid essay about The Irish Proust for the Dublin Review of Books:
"The Irish Proust is a gem, having unearthed previously unknown links – or crossings, to use the noun employed in the title – between France and Ireland."
drb.ie/article/prou...
"The Irish Proust is a gem, having unearthed previously unknown links – or crossings, to use the noun employed in the title – between France and Ireland."
drb.ie/article/prou...
Reposted by Max McGuinness
Traces of Proust can be found in McGahern’s 'Memoir', which highlights the unreliability of memory, something that forcibly struck McGahern when he consulted his sisters about certain experiences they remembered differently from him. Eamon Maher on Proust's Irish connections. drb.ie/article/prou...
June 13, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Traces of Proust can be found in McGahern’s 'Memoir', which highlights the unreliability of memory, something that forcibly struck McGahern when he consulted his sisters about certain experiences they remembered differently from him. Eamon Maher on Proust's Irish connections. drb.ie/article/prou...
I am pleased to announce the publication of the paperback edition of Hustlers in the Ivory: Press and Modernism from Mallarmé to Proust -- currently shortlisted for the @frenchstudies.bsky.social 2025 R. Gapper Prize.
Now available from @livunipress.bsky.social at the approachable price of £27.99.
Now available from @livunipress.bsky.social at the approachable price of £27.99.
April 29, 2026 at 1:59 PM
I am pleased to announce the publication of the paperback edition of Hustlers in the Ivory: Press and Modernism from Mallarmé to Proust -- currently shortlisted for the @frenchstudies.bsky.social 2025 R. Gapper Prize.
Now available from @livunipress.bsky.social at the approachable price of £27.99.
Now available from @livunipress.bsky.social at the approachable price of £27.99.
The Irish Proust is the subject of this week's Talking History podcast on @newstalkfm.bsky.social, with Patrick Geoghegan. @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social @uksdn.bsky.social
www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...
www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...
Proust & His Irish Connections | Newstalk
We discuss the life and work of Marcel Proust and explore his connections with Ireland. Featuring...
www.newstalk.com
April 21, 2026 at 10:28 AM
The Irish Proust is the subject of this week's Talking History podcast on @newstalkfm.bsky.social, with Patrick Geoghegan. @bloomsburyacademic.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social @uksdn.bsky.social
www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...
www.newstalk.com/podcasts/hig...
Praise for The Irish Proust in today's Irish Times:
'The Irish Proust is what Proust would call a “livre de chevet” – a book to keep on a nightstand, to be read slowly and thoughtfully as a strange but enthralling exploration of the unexpected origins of modernism in Ireland.'
'The Irish Proust is what Proust would call a “livre de chevet” – a book to keep on a nightstand, to be read slowly and thoughtfully as a strange but enthralling exploration of the unexpected origins of modernism in Ireland.'
April 18, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Praise for The Irish Proust in today's Irish Times:
'The Irish Proust is what Proust would call a “livre de chevet” – a book to keep on a nightstand, to be read slowly and thoughtfully as a strange but enthralling exploration of the unexpected origins of modernism in Ireland.'
'The Irish Proust is what Proust would call a “livre de chevet” – a book to keep on a nightstand, to be read slowly and thoughtfully as a strange but enthralling exploration of the unexpected origins of modernism in Ireland.'
Reposted by Max McGuinness
Shortlisted 🎉| 'Hustlers in the Ivory Tower: Press and Modernism from Mallarmé to Proust' by Max McGuinness has been shortlisted for the R. Gapper Book Prize 2025. Congratulations, Max!
Learn more about the book here ⬇️
bit.ly/3TQzWJN
Learn more about the book here ⬇️
bit.ly/3TQzWJN
February 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Shortlisted 🎉| 'Hustlers in the Ivory Tower: Press and Modernism from Mallarmé to Proust' by Max McGuinness has been shortlisted for the R. Gapper Book Prize 2025. Congratulations, Max!
Learn more about the book here ⬇️
bit.ly/3TQzWJN
Learn more about the book here ⬇️
bit.ly/3TQzWJN
I wrote about The Irish Proust for @lithub.com.web.brid.gy @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @uksdn.bsky.social
lithub.com/an-enduring-...
lithub.com/an-enduring-...
An Enduring Source of Inspiration: In Search of Proust’s Legacy in Ireland
Ireland remained neutral during the Second World War and drew up plans to resist possible attack by Nazi Germany or Britain. The authorities were also preoccupied by a different kind of foreign inv…
lithub.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:27 PM
I wrote about The Irish Proust for @lithub.com.web.brid.gy @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @uksdn.bsky.social
lithub.com/an-enduring-...
lithub.com/an-enduring-...
Praise for The Irish Proust in The Sunday Independent:
"Compelling study of the ‘Irishness’ of a French modernist"
"A bravura piece of analysis"
"The Irish Proust explores these influences with impressive range and intelligence."
@bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
"Compelling study of the ‘Irishness’ of a French modernist"
"A bravura piece of analysis"
"The Irish Proust explores these influences with impressive range and intelligence."
@bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
January 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Praise for The Irish Proust in The Sunday Independent:
"Compelling study of the ‘Irishness’ of a French modernist"
"A bravura piece of analysis"
"The Irish Proust explores these influences with impressive range and intelligence."
@bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
"Compelling study of the ‘Irishness’ of a French modernist"
"A bravura piece of analysis"
"The Irish Proust explores these influences with impressive range and intelligence."
@bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social
The Irish Proust had an extremely jolly launch last Thursday at the Hôtel de Breteuil, which has housed the Irish Embassy since the 1950s. It was built by Henri de Breteuil, who inspired one of Proust's characters, Hannibal de Bréauté. @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social
January 20, 2026 at 12:04 AM
The Irish Proust had an extremely jolly launch last Thursday at the Hôtel de Breteuil, which has housed the Irish Embassy since the 1950s. It was built by Henri de Breteuil, who inspired one of Proust's characters, Hannibal de Bréauté. @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social
My co-editor, Michael Cronin, and I are pleased to announce the publication of The Irish Proust: Cultural Crossings from Beckett to McGahern with @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social. @uksdn.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-pro...
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-pro...
The Irish Proust
This collection of essays is the first book devoted to exploring Marcel Proust's influence on Irish literature and Irish themes within his work. Featuring contr…
www.bloomsbury.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:46 AM
My co-editor, Michael Cronin, and I are pleased to announce the publication of The Irish Proust: Cultural Crossings from Beckett to McGahern with @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social. @uksdn.bsky.social @tcddublin.bsky.social
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-pro...
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/irish-pro...
Liverpool University Press's summer sale is on till 20 July, which means that my (reassuringly?) expensive book is vastly less expensive! Use the discount code 27SUMMER at checkout to get 50% off Hustlers in the Ivory Tower. @livunipress.bsky.social
Hustlers in the Ivory Tower: Press and Modernism from Mallarmé to Proust | Home
Ebook available to libraries as part of
www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
July 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Liverpool University Press's summer sale is on till 20 July, which means that my (reassuringly?) expensive book is vastly less expensive! Use the discount code 27SUMMER at checkout to get 50% off Hustlers in the Ivory Tower. @livunipress.bsky.social
Maya Kulukundis and I recently went in search of the unmarked, dilapidated grave of Proust’s lover Alfred Agostinelli in Nice, and found it after an hour of pacing the cemetery rows. He drowned nearby in the Baie des Anges at the age of 25 after his plane crashed on 30 May 1914.
July 7, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Maya Kulukundis and I recently went in search of the unmarked, dilapidated grave of Proust’s lover Alfred Agostinelli in Nice, and found it after an hour of pacing the cemetery rows. He drowned nearby in the Baie des Anges at the age of 25 after his plane crashed on 30 May 1914.
I will be speaking this weekend at the Dalkey Book Festival
on panels about Dostoevsky (on Saturday, June 14th at 12:30pm) and Proust (on Sunday, June 15th at 3.30pm).
We will be doing our best to win the All-Ireland Summarize Proust contest. Tickets available at the links below.
on panels about Dostoevsky (on Saturday, June 14th at 12:30pm) and Proust (on Sunday, June 15th at 3.30pm).
We will be doing our best to win the All-Ireland Summarize Proust contest. Tickets available at the links below.
June 10, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I will be speaking this weekend at the Dalkey Book Festival
on panels about Dostoevsky (on Saturday, June 14th at 12:30pm) and Proust (on Sunday, June 15th at 3.30pm).
We will be doing our best to win the All-Ireland Summarize Proust contest. Tickets available at the links below.
on panels about Dostoevsky (on Saturday, June 14th at 12:30pm) and Proust (on Sunday, June 15th at 3.30pm).
We will be doing our best to win the All-Ireland Summarize Proust contest. Tickets available at the links below.
I will be speaking on Zoom this Friday, May 2nd with Colin Foss at 14:30 EST/19:30 UK about my book Hustlers in the Ivory Tower as part of the Nineteenth-Century French Studies Unbound series. All welcome! Register here:
southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@ncfs.bsky.social @livunipress.bsky.social
southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@ncfs.bsky.social @livunipress.bsky.social
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: NCFS Unbound 5: Episode 5 (rescheduled) Max McGuinness with Colin Foss. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: NCFS Unbound 5: Episode 5 (rescheduled) Max McGuinness with Colin Foss. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
southalabama.zoom.us
April 29, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I will be speaking on Zoom this Friday, May 2nd with Colin Foss at 14:30 EST/19:30 UK about my book Hustlers in the Ivory Tower as part of the Nineteenth-Century French Studies Unbound series. All welcome! Register here:
southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@ncfs.bsky.social @livunipress.bsky.social
southalabama.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
@ncfs.bsky.social @livunipress.bsky.social
The Irish Proust is now in production @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
Coming to (some) good bookshops this October.
#MarcelProust #SamuelBeckett #OscarWilde #ElizabethBowen #MaryDevenportO'Neill #JohnMcGahern #BrendanBehan
Coming to (some) good bookshops this October.
#MarcelProust #SamuelBeckett #OscarWilde #ElizabethBowen #MaryDevenportO'Neill #JohnMcGahern #BrendanBehan
February 27, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The Irish Proust is now in production @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
Coming to (some) good bookshops this October.
#MarcelProust #SamuelBeckett #OscarWilde #ElizabethBowen #MaryDevenportO'Neill #JohnMcGahern #BrendanBehan
Coming to (some) good bookshops this October.
#MarcelProust #SamuelBeckett #OscarWilde #ElizabethBowen #MaryDevenportO'Neill #JohnMcGahern #BrendanBehan
Marianne Faithfull was the last heroine of Sixties subversion. She remained loyal to Baudelairean bohemianism (where others settled into temperature-controlled environments). On lui a donné sa boue et elle en a fait de l’or. 1/
January 31, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Marianne Faithfull was the last heroine of Sixties subversion. She remained loyal to Baudelairean bohemianism (where others settled into temperature-controlled environments). On lui a donné sa boue et elle en a fait de l’or. 1/
I wrote about how Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Apollinaire, and Proust wrestled with the rise of the press for @aeon.co, concluding with a call to reimagine the codex for the digital era. The essay draws on my recent book for @livunipress.bsky.social, Hustlers in the Ivory Tower:
aeon.co/essays/the-f...
aeon.co/essays/the-f...
The French modernists loathed and loved the mass media of their day | Aeon Essays
How French modernists from Proust to Mallarmé were alarmed and inspired by the voracious dynamism of the newspaper world
aeon.co
January 16, 2025 at 12:04 PM
I wrote about how Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Apollinaire, and Proust wrestled with the rise of the press for @aeon.co, concluding with a call to reimagine the codex for the digital era. The essay draws on my recent book for @livunipress.bsky.social, Hustlers in the Ivory Tower:
aeon.co/essays/the-f...
aeon.co/essays/the-f...