PHOTO: Constance Emmett in her Massachusetts countryside home, where she writes poignant novels inspired by Irish heritage and history.
Discover Stories Of Identity, History, And Survival
Constance Emmett discusses weaving historical events with family heritage, crafting multifaceted characters, and the balance of resilience, regret, and dislocation in her richly evocative novels.
Constance Emmett writes with a profound reverence for history and an unerring sensitivity to the human spirit. Her work is steeped in the stories of her Irish immigrant roots, weaving together family history and broader historical events in a way that feels both intimate and universal. With Heroine of Her Own Life, she presents a portrait of 20th-century Belfast through the eyes of a working-class woman navigating turbulent political and personal waters. Her characters brim with resilience, facing dislocation and regret, yet striving to carve their rightful place in the world—a theme that echoes across her novels.
Emmett’s artistry lies in her ability to balance the sweeping forces of history with the tender details of individual lives. Whether illuminating the Belfast Blitz, uncovering the secrets of emigration, or casting light on unseen corners of the Revolutionary War, her narratives pull readers into the emotional lives of her characters. They blend meticulous research with her deep understanding of the complexities of identity—particularly as they intersect with class, sexuality, and cultural heritage. Through her lens, history becomes personal, as stirring as the most private of confessions.
Retired from her work as a biologist, Constance now lives in idyllic rural Massachusetts, where her days are as much inspired by the countryside’s peace as by the lingering tales of her ancestry. With her wife and dog by her side, she writes with earnest dedication, endlessly fine-tuning her craft and exploring new ways to tell the stories that matter most. Her commitment—to both her art and her community of fellow writers—is a reminder that history isn’t merely studied; it’s lived, passed on, and brought to life anew by those with the courage to tell it.
In Heroine of Her Own Life, you depict a working-class lesbian woman in early 20th-century Belfast. What inspired you to explore this specific setting and character?
Heroine Of Her Own Life, my debut novel, was inspired by my family’s stories of life in Belfast, Northern Ireland and their emigration to the US in the 1930s. From those stories I created characters that experienced dislocation and regret but also possessed the resilience common to all survivors.Specifically, I chose my mother’s favorite aunt as inspiration for the protagonist. An unmarried working woman, she experienced both the Irish Civil War in 1922 and World War II in Belfast. While I haven’t any idea about my great-aunt’s sexuality, I used my own experiences as a lesbian to create a flesh and blood character in her likeness.
Your debut novel took over a decade to complete. How did your writing process evolve during that time?
It is not uncommon for a debut novel to take a long time. In my case, the reasons werethreefold: a profound lack of confidence about even finishing a novel, learning how to craft the narrative,and as an historical novelist,the research.It is essential that the research is impeccable, which is time consuming. To overcome the lack of confidence took perseverance I did not know I had. To learn the craft requiredreading, attendance at writing courses and conferences, and developing a writing practice of consistent writing, rewriting and editing by other writers (beta readers) and professional editors.
Everything Will Be All Right delves into themes of emigration and long-kept secrets. How do these elements reflect your own heritage and experiences?
The themes of emigration and long-kept secrets were handed down in the family stories. My grandparents emigrated with my six-year-old mother from Belfast to New York because of sectarian violence (my Catholic grandfather’s business was burned down and he was nearly killed). We had long-kept secrets in the family too. My grandmothernever told her own children that she had converted to Catholicism to marry my grandfather. In my own life the repressive eras of my childhood and youth resulted in keeping my lesbianism a secret. Even after coming out in my twenties, I was not out to everyone or all the time, a common state for gay people of the time.
Your fiction often intertwines personal history with broader historical events. How do you balance these elements to create compelling narratives?
I’ve long been interested in how ordinary people surviveall-consuming events, such as wars and foreign occupations. The characters in Heroine of Her Own Life experienced less violence and persecution thanmany, but what they did experience was not without trauma. In Heroine of Her Own Life, the sectarian murder of a Catholic employee in the shipyard is unflinchingly told, for which nobody is ever held accountable, though the heroine, Meg, is never able to forget what she has seen. With experiences like this peppering her routine and work-driven life, the arc of the story takes the reader from Meg’s youth to her middle-age, from a life seemingly predictable to the cataclysm of the Belfast Blitz. It is precisely life experiences like hers that most interest me as a writer.
As a member of the Historical Novel Society, how have these communities like this influenced your writing journey?
Writing communities are vitally important. The Historical Novel Society continues to enrich me as a writer in many ways, including the opportunity of reviewing for the Historical Novels Review, attending conferences and meeting welcoming colleagues. I have been lucky to find a small writing tribeand they have been key.We meet regularly online, write together, serve as beta readers for one another and provide general support. I have taken many courses offered by the Irish Writers Centre, Writer’s Digest and DIYMFA. All have contributed to my learning about writing and publishing, while providing community.
Your blog post “Writing Through Thick and Thin” emphasises the importance of daily writing habits. How do you maintain consistency amidst life’s challenges?
Note: The blog post “Writing Through Thick and Thin” was written by me and published by the DIYMFA online magazine originally. I have permission to post work of mine that they also published.
Writing consistently is as easy or as difficult to maintain as any other activity important to an individual’s life, which is to say that if a writer makes it a habit, it will become one. Life continues at its own pace of course, with huge chunks of time given over to other demands, something all but the very cosseted writer experiences. I soon realized that I had to prioritize my writing in the face of all the other things demanding my time. My writing process settled into my most important activity on weekends and holidays. It may not have been the main activity, but it was the most important one and so came first in priority and first in the day. I also now can write during the week, but the priority is the same.
In your novels, characters experience dislocation and regret but also exhibit resilience. How do you develop such multifaceted characters?
I must refer to my Irish family again, especially my grandmother, who had a typical immigrant 20th century experience. The entire family experienced dislocation, but she regretted leaving Ireland for the rest of her life. Still, she persevered and learned how to navigate America; she was the definition of resilience. I’m in awe of their resilience, but writing flesh and blood characters must include their flaws and faults, as well as their admirable traits. It requires writing to the best of your ability, never allowing lazy writingto pass unedited,and avoidingstereotypes. Writing like that takes experience, work, rewriting and intelligent reading and editing by others.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the complexities of writing and publishing?
Find your writing tribe: that is my number one piece of advice. It’s not easy to find a group of writers with whom you click, one that also providessupport and positive yet tough criticism. The best way to find a tribe is to join as many writers’ societies and groups as you can, of which there are many. Again, not easy to find good onesand they also can be expensive. First, visit local groups and test the waters: libraries, community centers, small colleges, all will have writing groups. Next, consult established sources such as www.writersandartists.co.uk or in the U.S.A., https://www.writersdigest.com/be-inspired/writing-organizations-for-writers-to-check-out.
