Donal chooses 6 of his favourite songs and poems.  In a candid and open chat with Davie, they explore what it takes to be a writer, the power of writing and the influences that have shaped their work.  Donal Ryan is the author of 7 bestselling novels and a short story collection. He has won numerous awards, among them the European Union Prize for Literature, The Guardian First Book Award and three Irish Book Awards. He was nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2013 for his debut, The Spinning Heart, and again in 2018, for From A Low And Quiet Sea.  His latest book, Strange Flowers, was voted Novel of the Year in the An Post Irish Book Awards for 2020.