Novel Ideas is Northern Ireland’s longest-running author interview series. Across twelve seasons from 2015 to 2025, hosts Debbie McGrory, Mike Gaston, Elliot Lloyd, Tony Macauley, Karen Mooney and others sit down with local writers to discuss their latest publications.

The series spans an exceptionally wide range of genres and subjects. Fiction writers explore crime, fantasy and contemporary life; poets share their collections and creative process; historians examine topics from the shipyard communities to suffragettes, colonialism to the Troubles; and memoirists reflect on personal journeys through care, conflict and cultural identity. Guests range from internationally acclaimed figures like Bernard MacLaverty and Paul Muldoon to debut authors publishing their first novels.

Notable conversations include Peggy Seeger reflecting on her musical and political heritage, Margaret Ward on republican women, Peggy Seeger’s childhood in music and politics, Marianne Elliott on housing estates, and numerous crime writers including Kelly Creighton, James Murphy and Sam Millar. The series also covers cultural history – flute bands, Belfast riots, the West Belfast Festival, and local landmarks like Balmoral Cemetery.