An Evening with Patrick Radden Keefe at Trinity College

Patrick Radden Keefe is the New Yorker staff writer who has spent the last two decades working on some of the most important long-form journalism in American media. His books have a way of turning complex, morally weighted stories into narratives that read like the best crime fiction while remaining rigorous reporting.

Say Nothing, his account of the murder of Jean McConville and its aftermath in the IRA, is one of the defining books about the Troubles written for an international audience. Empire of Pain, the story of the Sackler family and their role in the American opioid crisis, is meticulous and damning. Both have been adapted for screen. Rogues, his essay collection, confirms what his longer work suggests: that he’s one of the best working in American non-fiction.

He’s coming to Trinity College Dublin in conversation with Nicola Tallant, crime correspondent for the Sunday World and one of Ireland’s best journalists in the crime space. That’s a pairing with real potential.

What to Expect

An in-conversation format: Keefe and Tallant discussing his work, research methods, the ethical questions involved in writing about crime, power and trauma, and whatever else the conversation opens up. These events at Trinity tend to be well organised and substantive - it’s a genuine conversation rather than a promotional interview.

Keefe’s Irish connection through Say Nothing means the Dublin audience has a particular engagement with his work that audiences elsewhere don’t. That should make the conversation more interesting than the standard author-on-tour format.

Good to Know

• 6:30pm start - worth arriving a few minutes early to get settled
• Trinity is a working university; the event venue will be confirmed on the ticketing page
• Books are likely to be available for signing afterwards
• The 6:30pm timing is civilised - combine with dinner nearby beforehand

Getting There

Trinity College is on College Green, Dublin 2, in the centre of the city. It’s walking distance from virtually everywhere in the city centre. Nassau Street entrance and the main gates on College Green are the two main entry points. Pearse DART station is about a 5-minute walk. Luas Green Line stops at St Stephen’s Green, about 10 minutes on foot. Multiple Dublin Bus routes serve the Nassau Street and Dame Street corridors.