In a series of unexpected moments when past loves and choices re-surface with startling clarity, the imperfect beings who populate these stories find themselves finally grasping the impact of crucial early relationships, as joy, loss and betrayal echo across decades.





A man searches for a possible secret half-sister to understand his father. A woman is haunted by a boy's death fifty years ago. A lighthouse keeper recalls his first relationship. A public figure, slipping into dementia, relives a fateful night that haunts him. A man seeks insights into his mother's past on a remote Portuguese island. From childhood holidays shadowed by tragedy to chance reunions that rewrite old narratives, Bolger's complex and deeply humane characters reveal the fragile beauty of human connection.



Dermot Bolger is one of Ireland's best known writers across a range of genres. His fifteen novels include The Journey Home, The Family on Paradise Pier, New Town Soul, An Ark of Light, The Lonely Sea and Sky and most recently, Hide Away. His eleventh poetry collection, Other People's Lives, was published in 2022 and his most recent plays include Last Orders at the Dockside and an acclaimed adaptation of Joyce's Ulysses which both enjoyed sold-out runs at the Abbey Theatre. He is a member of Aosdána.



'In deft, fine strokes of detail throughout, his canvas bears witness to how often people walk through life dressed in deceit, self-deception and confusion.'



Review for previous collection:

"Bolger writes with great intuition about the secrets and lies that circulate beneath the surface of our everyday lives."



Review for previous collection: 

"Secrets Never Told is a taut collection of stories delivered with precision and poise."



If his book has a unifying theme it's the toxic potential of memory, which can bubble up at any time to overwhelm the flimsy present. And the older you get, the heavier the past's burdens become.



And Dermot Bolger writes best when he writes sparely, at times delivering blunt life lessons, unvarnished home truths.



'In the short story collection Imperfect Beings, Dermot Bolger explores the messier layers of our existence with skill and passion.'



'As with all Bolger's works, he captures the stubborn, vibrant life force of his characters, flawed and often flailing in an Ireland that is hard as concrete.'



'If Bolger's fiction canon kicked off with a cutting-edge novel about youth, then readers who have followed his powerful and extensive body of work since The Journey Home will appreciate this collection as the fine-tuned work of a mature, master writer addressing themes that ring true with the years.'



'A new book from Dermot Bolger, one of the great Irish writers of his time, is always a reason to celebrate. Having recently read and loved his wonderful collection of short stories, I'll be returning to it this summer.' Joseph O'Connor