Between two worlds

Katharine Quarmby
28 May 2026, The Tablet

Rebecca lives with a settled man and struggles to reconcile her identity with her daily life. As one relative asks her, “Does he know you you? The Traveller in you?”

THE DEBUT NOVEL from distinguished Irish writer, playwright and performer Rosaleen McDonagh, Contentious Spaces is published by the small Irish publisher, Skein Press, which focuses on stories that the Irish canon has not always included. In this case, McDonagh’s background as an Irish Traveller – as well as her experiences as a disabled woman – enrich and inform this subtle and devastating novel.

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

Subscribe for unlimited access

From just £37.50 quarterly

  Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
  Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.

Already a subscriber? Login

Article end