The Most Normal Woman: Roisin Kiberd on Beauty, Kaiju, and the Art of Being Human
In her new essay collection, The Most Normal Woman, acclaimed Irish author Roisin Kiberd turns a sharp, compassionate eye on the quiet violence we do to ourselves in the name of perfection. From Botox to blonde ambition, from exercise addiction to the glittering chaos of drag, she maps the hidden toll of chasing normality. It is a book that speaks directly to our times, and to the shared struggle of simply being ourselves in a world that demands we be otherwise.
Speaking with the Brendan O'Connor Show, Kiberd wove personal confession with cultural critique, offering a glimpse into the obsessions and pleasures that shape her work. For Dáil na nDaoine, she shared her cultural picks, revealing the art, music, and stories that keep her grounded and inspired.
Why monster films are the ultimate catharsis
Kiberd admits she was late to the kaiju genre, but once she saw the original Godzilla, something clicked. 'The monster is the star of the show,' she says. 'Its rampage provides us with catharsis, the rush of absolute destruction.' Her current favourite is the 1961 British-Irish production Gorgo, which famously emerges from Coliemore Harbour in Dalkey. 'I've been on walks there since and always want to call out to the water and see if he'll appear,' she laughs.
The music that fuels her writing
When working, Kiberd turns to the ambient sounds of Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, and Harold Budd, introduced to her by her partner, Rob. But lately, the car stereo has been playing old Beck albums. 'It feels really beautiful to rediscover an artist I loved in college, but with someone else this time, finding out where our favourites overlap and differ.'
Books that haunt and heal
Esther Yi's Y/N, an eerie study of K-pop fandom and identity collapse, remains one of her favourite recent reads, and she eagerly awaits Yi's follow-up, To God. She is also looking forward to Emma Cline's Switzy, having returned to The Guest several times 'trying to deconstruct it and work out what made it so stressful, in the best possible way.'
Theatre, TV, and the art of the anthology
Kiberd rarely attends the theatre, but she makes an exception for her friend Sibeal Davitt, a dancer and choreographer performing in Veronica Coburn's Without Distinction of Sex at Draíocht Blanchardstown this October. On the small screen, she champions the 1960s anthology shows The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, which she discovered while recovering from the flu. 'They're so rich in ideas,' she notes. Lisa Coen from Tramp Press also pointed her to an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, titled 'The Outside', which directly influenced her book.
Gigs, art, and the spiritual in colour
Her last gig was Decius at Islington Assembly Hall, a performance she describes as 'less like a gig than a mass summoning ritual.' In the art world, she is eagerly awaiting the Hilma af Klint exhibition at the National Gallery. 'She asked for her paintings to be locked away for twenty years after her death, because the world wasn't ready to understand them,' Kiberd explains. 'There was something almost shocking about these images and the way they communicate spiritual mysteries in colour and shapes.'
Podcasts, video games, and the next big thing
Kiberd's podcast diet includes the 'Dirtbag Left' shows TrueAnon and QAA, alongside the philosophical Weird Studies and the musicology-focused Switched On Pop. As for gaming, she insists videogames are art, citing the melancholic cyberpunk adventure Stray as a recent favourite. Her next big thing? Secondhand clothes. 'They're too good not to!' she says, recommending Sellpy for vintage cashmere finds, a lifelong weakness.
The Most Normal Woman is published by Tramp Press.