Maynooth University welcomes the appointment of Gavin McCrea as Writer in Residence at the University for 2025. He is one of nine new Arts Council artists in residence announced across six Irish universities, with each residency worth €30,000.
Gavin, who was born in Dublin in 1978, has published three books. His first novel, Mrs Engels (Scribe, 2015), was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and the Walter Scott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. His second novel, The Sisters Mao (Scribe, 2021), received high acclaim internationally.
The novels are the first two instalments of Gavin's Wives of the Revolution trilogy. During his residency at Maynooth University, he will work on the third instalment, Mother Molotov.
His first work of non-fiction, Cells (Scribe, 2022), was chosen as a book of the year by The Observer, The Irish Times and the Irish Independent, and was longlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ Literature. The memoir, provoked by a homophobic assault, explores Gavin’s relationship with his aging mother with whom he spent the Covid-19 quarantine as her mind slipped slowly away.
Gavin’s next novel, Walking with Jean-Jacques, will be published by John Murray on 26 February 2026. His articles have appeared in The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Irish Times, The Dublin Review, Lithub and Catapult.
Welcoming his appointment, Belinda McKeon, Coordinator of MU’s MA in Creative Writing, said: “We at Maynooth University are thrilled to welcome Gavin McCrea as the 2025 Arts Council Writer in Residence. Gavin's talent and breadth as a writer will make him a terrific presence in our growing Creative Writing community, as well as extending rich opportunities for conversation and learning to our MA students. We are also committed to creating a nurturing and beneficial working environment for Gavin as a practitioner.”
Speaking about the residency programmes, Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: “They help embed creativity in education, providing critical support to artists as they advance their practice, while also creating vibrant opportunities for students and staff to engage directly with professional artistic expression. They make for a profound exchange that inspires and uplifts both the artistic and academic communities.
“We are hugely grateful to all the institutions who work with us to deliver these residency programmes. Their partnership and continued support are immensely valued.”
MU’s previous Arts Council Writer in Residence Paul Lynch won the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel Prophet Song, which he worked on while at MU. He has since been appointed as a Distinguished Writing Fellow and teaches on the MA in Creative Writing.
Late last year, MU appointed percussionist Ruairí Glasheen as Artist in Residence while it also named Ré Ó Laighléis as Scríbhneoir Cónaithe or Irish language Writer in Residence, underlining its commitment to heritage, culture and language as outlined in its Strategic Plan for 2023-2028.
The full list of 2025 Arts Council awardees is available here