Leitrim writer Wayne Denniston launches book ‘God’s Lonely Men’

Leitrim writer Wayne Denniston is set to launch his new book God’s Lonely Men later this month, marking the first release under his newly established independent publishing label, Lucky Dog Books.

The book will be officially launched on Thursday, January 22, at 5.30pm in The Reading Room, with the event being launched by Charlie McGannigan.

God’s Lonely Men is a chapbook — a short-form literary publication — made up of three thematically linked short stories examining loneliness, masculinity and the darker edges of contemporary life. Denniston described the chapbook format as the literary equivalent of an EP, offering readers a snapshot of an author’s work rather than a full-length novel.

The three stories each focus on a solitary male character and the different ways isolation shapes their lives. One story follows a struggling playwright searching for happiness, only for events to unravel. Another centres on a widower whose life collides with an aggressive stag party, while the final story reflects on a man who discovers his neighbour in tragic circumstances and must confront the aftermath.

The collection takes its title from its central theme, exploring how modern loneliness manifests in different forms and how individuals attempt — and sometimes fail — to navigate it.

Denniston said the book originated with the short story Thank You Very Much, Mr Zuckerberg, which he initially intended as part of a trilogy examining the darker ramifications of the internet on people’s lives.

“I felt I achieved what I wanted with that first story,” he said. “As time went on, the other stories I wrote linked thematically, so I decided to bring them together and release them in this format.”

God’s Lonely Men is self-published and represents the launch of Lucky Dog Books, which Denniston has established to promote independent writing and give greater creative freedom to authors working outside mainstream publishing.

“When you publish independently, you have free rein,” he said. “You can deal with themes that might be more difficult to explore through mainstream publishing.”

Denniston handled every aspect of the book’s production himself, including writing, editing, cover design, printing, pricing and promotion.

“You end up wearing a lot of hats,” he said. “But it’s also more satisfying because everything rests on you as the artist. It’s entirely your identity.”

A limited run of physical copies of God’s Lonely Men will be available from January to March through independent bookshops, including The Reading Room. A digital edition will follow later in the spring on Amazon.