Oisín McKenna

Oisín McKenna

Author: Russell Tovey and Robert Diament May 10, 2024 Duration: 55:07

We meet writer Oisín McKenna to discuss his debut novel Evenings and Weekends which is released today!


We discuss Oisín‘s passion for spoken word and performance art and discover his early years inspired by artists like David Hoyle, Penny Arcade, Taylor Mac or Lucy McCormick. We learn how museums like the National Gallery, Dublin improved his life, the impact of his art teacher, and his love of the work of Caravaggio, Doris Salcedo, Oscar Wilde and Wolfgang Tillmans. We explore the relationship between art, class, and sexuality, and how this has inspired his writing.


Oisín makes work about love, money, health and history. He’s interested in the ways that political, economic and social conditions shape how we act, think, and feel at particular places and times. He writes about the mundane details of people’s daily lives in order to tell a bigger story about the world.


“I still don't know that many writers but I know a lot of artists. Most of the conversations I have about artistic processes are with visual artists rather than writers, and I feel my process is more influenced by a visual art approach than by a literary one. The book is very concerned with aesthetics, particularly architectural aesthetics, and it pays a lot of attention to the built landscape of post-war Britain - I would say this attention is informed somewhat by a visual arts approach.”


Oisín McKenna was born in Dublin and lives in London. He was awarded the Next Generation Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to write Evenings and Weekends and it was developed with further funding from Arts Council England. Evenings and Weekends has been awarded a 2022 London Writers Award and in 2017, Oisín was named in the Irish Times as one of the best-spoken word artists in the country. He has written and performed four theatre shows, including ADMIN, an award-winning production at Dublin Fringe 2019, and has written for outlets including the Irish Times on issues such as gentrification and the alienation of Dublin’s youth.


Buy Oisin's new book now https://www.waterstones.com/book/evenings-and-weekends/ois-n-mckenna/9780008604172


 Follow @Ois_McK91 & @4thEstateBooks


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You’re invited into a series of conversations that feel more like hanging out in a gallery after hours than a formal interview. Talk Art brings together actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament, whose shared passion and genuine curiosity create a uniquely accessible doorway into the art world. Each episode unfolds as a relaxed yet insightful chat, pulling back the curtain on creative processes and personal stories. They speak with a wide range of voices-from celebrated artists and influential curators to their own talented friends from fields like music, acting, and journalism-all of whom bring a fresh perspective on why art matters. Tuning into this podcast feels like discovering the stories behind the work, the human connections that fuel creativity, and the simple joy of looking at something familiar in a completely new way. It’s less about art theory and more about the lived experience of art, capturing those moments of wonder that remind us how visual culture shapes and reflects our lives. For a visual companion to the discussions, their Instagram is the perfect place to see the artworks that come up in conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Talk Art
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