Anne Tiernan is publishing her debut novel a good bit later than most authors, but it has definitely proved worth the wait. There is considerable buzz around The Last Days Of Joy, a powerful drama about family relationships and unresolved trauma.

In a gripping opening, we meet the titular Joy – a mother in her late 60s – on the morning she attempts to take her own life in the New Zealand city of Tauranga.

This is the cue for the return home of her three adult children, including eldest Conor, a CEO whose high-flying lifestyle is on the brink of ruination; middle child Frances, who’s tempted to have an affair with an old boyfriend; and youngest Sinead, a writer struggling to come up with any decent new material. They each attempt to deal with issues from their past, with their various neuroses skilfully mapped out by Tiernan.

Having moved to New Zealand – where she still lives – in her twenties, and spent her thirties raising her kids, Tiernan credits an approaching life milestone with prompting her to finally write a novel.

“I was approaching 40 and I thought, it’s now or never,” she explains in Dublin’s Brooks Hotel. “So, I started writing a few articles and short stories, and had a little bit of success with publication. Then I went through a period where everything I wrote was rejected (laughs). I’d send articles and pitches off and hear nothing, so I thought, instead of all these mini rejections, why don’t I just go for the big one? I’ll spend a couple of years writing a novel and have that rejected! It seemed a bit more noble.

“I started the book in 2017 and it took me two years to write it. At one point, I kind of thought it was no good and put it aside – I’d contacted a few agents and heard nothing. Then I sent it to someone who critiques manuscripts, and she got back to me and said, ‘Look, I think this has a lot of potential, you should pursue getting it published.’”

Anne Tiernan. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

An enthusiastic response from Hachette in New Zealand meant Tiernan was finally on the way to publication. In interviews, she has noted the autobiographical element, though says it crept in unexpectedly.

“I didn’t intend it to be,” she reflects. “My mum took her own life in 2010, and I was pregnant with my third child at the time. I went into labour when I heard the news, and I gave birth to him the day after. So obviously I couldn’t come back for the funeral and ended up watching that on a video screen. I think a lot of people during Covid had that experience of not being able to say goodbye to their loved ones. I couldn’t come home until a few weeks later.

“I felt a geographical distance from my mother, but there was also an emotional distance too. She was someone who struggled a lot with life and motherhood. So, I didn’t really grieve her death at all. Then in 2017, when I decided I was going to write a book, all I had was an image in my head of a woman in a coma, surrounded by her three children. And there was a lot of conflict and ambivalence in that scenario.”

Anne Tiernan. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

In the early stages of writing, Tiernan says she got valuable encouragement from her brother Tommy, who is of course one of the country’s best known comics.

“He’s amazing and supportive,” she notes. “And kind, funny and curious – I think the persona you see on his chat-show is very close to him. I also really admire him as an artist. I think he’s always willing to push himself, he’s never content to just sit back and bask in his achievements. He’s always looking for the next thing to do. I’m very close to him, I love him to bits.”

And the $60,000 question: is he going to take over The Late Late Show?

“I’ve no idea!” Anne chuckles. “I didn’t ask him about it. I can’t imagine him doing it, but who knows? Sorry – I’ve got no insights!”

• The Last Days Of Joy is out now.

Read more interviews in the new issue of Hot Press.