It tells us, I suppose, how hot a property Claire Keegan is these days that her UK publisher, Faber & Faber, is able to package and publish one of her short stories as a hardback book for £8.99. Commercial opportunism for sure, but it’s hard to complain when the story is as exquisite as So Late in the Day.

Not a single word is wasted in this poignant tale. Cathal faces an evening alone and time to reflect on what he might have had with Sabine if only he had been more generous. So much pain, bitterness, and loss is compressed into a few pages, reminding readers yet again what mastery Claire Keegan has over the short story. Her work recalls that of William Trevor, and for me there’s no higher praise than that.