My Weekend: It's my best opportunity to write

ON OCTOBER 8, Disha Bose will be reading at the Kinsale Literary Festival: Words by Water.

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I was born and raised in India and eventually moved to London for work.

That’s where I met my [now] husband, and we eventually moved to Ireland together.

I’ve been living in Ireland for close to a decade now, but we’ve only made our way to Cork three years ago, to be closer to my husband’s family in West Cork.

I worked in the tech industry for a few years before I decided to quit and chase my dream of becoming a writer.

It took many years of surviving on freelance writing and editing gigs, until I finally published my debut novel Dirty Laundry in 2023.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

I am very much a homebody, but also enjoy trying out restaurants.

My ideal Friday night is going out for an early dinner and then coming home to lounge on the couch; reading a book or binge-watching a series.

Lie ins or up with the lark...which is it for you?

I love the idea of a lie-in and I make big plans of staying in bed for the better part of a Saturday morning.

Inevitably, I wake at 7am to potter about and emotionally blackmail the rest of the household to wake up and keep me company.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

We have a four-year-old, who keeps me on my toes the whole week.

So the weekend is my best opportunity to write for extended periods of time.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

If I had the money and time, I would go to London every weekend with my husband and daughter.

It’s one of my favourite cities because there’s always something to do — the theatre, museums, and amazing food.

I have some close friends and family there too, which makes London a home away from home.

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

I love going to the Regional Park in Ballincollig.

It’s an oasis of calm and gives me the opportunity to slow down in the middle of a busy day.

A little further away, Glengarriff is charming and peaceful.

Do you like to catch up with family/friends at the weekend?

I usually meet most of my friends on weekdays.

My daughter and I are out and about and have very busy days outside preschool hours.

So the weekend is reserved for either meeting family or just for the three of us.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

I’m a serial hobbyist and usually pick up a brand new hobby every few months.

Over the summer I was painting murals all over the house, and now I’ve picked up knitting at the weekends.

My friends and family are going to receive lots of hats and scarves this winter.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter do you have a signature dish?

Both in equal measure.

Most of the entertaining I do is for my daughter’s friends, so I’m an expert at cheese sandwiches and colourful smoothies.

My husband is the more accomplished cook and he makes Indian dishes when we entertain, which he’s learned from my mother.

We have so many special places to eat out in Cork — where are your go to spots?

The Pavilion in Ballygarvan is my favourite place for brunch.

Son of a Bun and Aroi are our favourites for a family meal.

There are so many great places to eat in Cork, it’s truly hard to pick favourites.

One of my close friends and I try to meet for a meal once a week, and if there’s a new spot in the city, we’re there!

We’re going for afternoon tea at The Woodford next.

Sunday night comes around too fast...how do you normally spend it?

I usually try and write or read on Sunday nights, to give myself some space and quiet time before the Monday morning rush.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

It rings at 7.30am, but I’m usually up before that, from the anxiety of missing the alarm.

I am currently working on my second novel. On October 8 I’ll be reading at the Kinsale Literary Festival: Words by Water at 2pm, at The Lord Kingsale.

See https://www.wordsbywater.ie/ for more.

Also see www.dishabose.com