The Lake

I remember hearing the screams of the jumpers as I gathered greasy paper plates and empty crisp packets. The lake stays cold all year round, colder than the sea, so even in the middle of a heatwave the water is a shock. People shriek as they plunge and they shout when they surface.

Fiction 2nd July 2025

Juliana Adelman

Juliana Adelman is a writer and historian who lectures at Dublin City University. She is the author of three books including a novel (The Grateful Water, New Island, 2024) and a history of Dublin’s animals (Civilised by beasts, Manchester University Press, 2020). She lives in Dublin with her family.