What is it to be a writer? What are the struggles, the joys, the moments of hardship and ones of brilliance? To mark the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writers Centre, Beyond the Centre: Writers in their own Words is a landmark anthology of essays by some of Ireland's foremost contemporary writers, specially commissioned and edited by Declan Meade, publisher of The Stinging Fly. By turns provocative, poignant, and practical, these candid accounts touch on various themes such as the craft of writing, the Irish literary scene through the decades, the struggle to make a living, and other snapshots of the writing experience. And controversy is never far from the surface - social class, diversity, gender, exclusion, nationalism, eremitism and ego all make spiky, colourful appearances. Diverse and engaging, many pieces are also deeply personal, with honest and humorous anecdotes, offering an uncommon and revealing look into the lives and perspectives of contemporary Irish writers. Here are their successes as well as their setbacks; the trials and the triumphs; the demands and rewards that writing affords. Beyond the Centre reveals the dedication and courage that define the writing life.