When Rónán Hession sat at his kitchen table after work, writing from 10pm to midnight while his two young sons slept upstairs, he never imagined an A-list Hollywood star would one day read his debut novel.
For six nights a week over a three-month period, while working full-time as a civil servant in Dublin, Hession beavered away to complete the book, Leonard and Hungry Paul, which was published by Bluemoose Books in 2019.
It was worth the effort. “We got a message through Julia Roberts’s agent that she had read the book and that she’d really enjoyed it. She was a reader, you know — she had just come across it. It wasn’t sent to her or anything,” Hession recalled.
“[Bluemoose is] a very small publisher with only one full-time employee. It’s a bit like sending a dart from Dublin and hitting the bullseye in New York.”
Hession, who lives in Dublin, still works for Ireland’s Department of Social Protection
BRYAN MEADE FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
When producers at the production company Subotica, which had the rights to turn the book into a TV series, heard about the Erin Brockovich star’s interest, they contacted Roberts to ask whether she would consider narrating it.
It was a long shot given that Roberts, 57, is one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actresses after starring in a string of hit films that includes Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Ocean’s Eleven and Eat Pray Love.
She responded within two hours, and will join the cast of the six-part BBC comedy drama series, which will be broadcast later this year.
Tristan Orpen Lynch, who founded Subotica and is the executive producer, said: “It was just one of those magical things that happen. It was all down to the fact she reached out first to Rónán to give that encouragement.
“I think it’s wonderful … It’s just a nice story. The book is so beautiful and the way it all happened is so beautiful.”
The book tells the story of two boardgaming friends in their 30s: Leonard, a ghost writer of children’s encyclopaedias, and Hungry Paul, a part-time postal worker who still lives at home. They have quiet routines but the death of Leonard’s mother and the approaching wedding of Hungry Paul’s sister prompt some changes.
For Hession, Roberts’s interest was not just about her fame. “The fact that she likes the book was kind of nice as well. It wasn’t just her profile. It’s like the Rube Goldberg machine. It’s one unlikely occurrence after another and it keeps going on that basis, really.”
Hession has been hands off with the television series, and has not met Roberts. He said: “I’m not involved. It’s not my skill set — writing scripts is a very particular writing skill. Also, I work full time and I’ve got two children [Thomas, 16, and Jacob, 14].”
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He has been a civil servant for almost 30 years and works for the Department of Social Protection, Ireland’s equivalent of the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Time-wise, I’ve now finished writing my fourth book so the drama wasn’t something I could be involved with,” he said. “But over the years I’ve had several meetings with producers about the approach and they’ve been very sensitive about it.”
Hession’s wife, Sinéad, has been his sounding board throughout. “She’s my first reader when I write anything. She’s a civil servant but she’s a very good editor, actually. She’s not from the book world. One of the nice things about working full time, for me, is that I’m not really in the book world.
“I like being with writers but I’m not surrounded by that whole thing the whole time. So it means that my ideas and my way of working are all just my own. I’m actually just enjoying things like this and not being too carried away.”
Despite his success, Hession is modest about the economics of his craft. “There’s not much money in writing even if you’re successful,” he said.
Writing is not Hession’s first foray into the arts. He was previously a musician, performing under the moniker Mumblin’ Deaf Ro.
He said that over the years, he had received kind comments from the Irish prime minister and other senior government figures.
“Everyone’s been very kind and, you know, saying, ‘we’re very proud of you and well done’.”