Releasing her debut novel in 40s, Cathy Sweeney said her experience as a teacher has only strengthened her skill. 

Breakdown tells the story of a middle-aged woman who one day, instead of driving to work, decides to drive south on the motorway and is never seen again. 

Ms Sweeney has been praised for capturing the “unique interiority of a middle-aged, middle-class family woman who is hellbent on blowing her life up” and has been described as a “much more season writer”. 

Speaking on The Anton Savage Show, Ms Sweeney said her skill likely comes from the long years she spent teaching. 

“It was complimentary with teaching until, of course, one thing takes over from another,” she said. 

“But I think all of the experience of being in schools in the public, in that real world... you get a rich store of what's going on in the world. And you have a lot of observations and all of that fed into Breakdown.” 

She said from a desk at the top of a classroom, you truly see “societal change or what's going on with people”. 

'Read, read, read'

In Ms Sweeney's time as a teacher, she also encouraged – and continues to encourage – everyone to “read, read, read”. 

“I'm a huge believer in what there's a book for everyone, or a magazine or a football magazine,” she said. 

“I don't really mind what it is – just take yourself into that interior world where you're having that unique conversation. 

“When I came on to write Breakdown, I had a huge experience of how people read on what they want to read. 

“I wanted it to read like a report from experience and not just kind of like a novel.” 

After years of taking in stories, writing short stories and “devoting Saturdays or holidays to writing”, Ms Sweeney’s debut novel Breakdown is out now. 

Author Cathy Sweeney. Image: Maebh Fitzpatrick

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