The story, Homeless Hotel, is based around the life of seven-year-old Keeva, who finds herself living in a hotel with her mother and father.
The story contains the lines: “I don’t have a proper home...Before we came here, we slept in a car for three nights. When it got dark, we were freezing, and Dad said it was an adventure, and made us laugh.
“He used to laugh a lot, but he doesn’t do that anymore.”
Phillips, winner of the Irish Crime Novel of the Year 2013, has written several bestsellers, including Red Ribbons, The Doll’s House and Last Kiss. She has just released her latest psychological crime novel, The Game Changer.
Writing a short story from the perspective of a homeless child is a departure from the author’s comfort zone but something she felt she was compelled to do by the anger she felt at the lack of action to deal with the burgeoning crisis.
