Colm Toibin is a critically acclaimed, internationally lauded and extremely popular writer who has written successfully across a variety of forms over the past twenty years. However for all of his acclaim, there is an extraordinary dearth of criticism on this prominent Irish writer. To date no full-length studies of Toibin's work have been published in Ireland or overseas, and only a few short essays have appeared in specialist academic journals and general surveys of recent Irish literature.This collection of essays fills this noticeable gap in contemporary criticism, and provides an illuminating exploration of many of the themes and concerns which have engaged Toibin ever since the publication of his first book "Walking Along the Border" (1987). The collection provides a series of reflections which are innovative, wide-ranging and timely, and includes essays by some of the most prominent figures currently working in Irish Studies including: Roy Foster, Anne Fogarty, Liam Harte, Eibhear Walshe and Christina Hunt Mahony. The book also includes the transcript of an interview of Toibin conducted by his former Magill associate, Fintan O'Toole.