Rosita Sweetman
Rosita Sweetman is a writer and journalist. She has published three books, On Our Knees, a look at Ireland in the 1970s, Fathers Come First, a novel, and On Our Backs, a look at sexual attitudes in 1980s Ireland.
Chupi Sweetman-Pell
Rosita’s daughter, Chupi Sweetman-Pell, is a food writer and fashion designer, author of What to Eat When You Can’t Eat Anything: The Complete Allergy Cookbook. She sells her main fashion line, Chupi, through Topshop and at the The Loft Market.
What’s the first record you ever bought?
Rosita: The Beatles, ‘Love, Love me Do’
Chupi: The Streets of Philadelphia, the single, on cassette – for my Mum
What’s your favourite smell?
R: Coffee
C: Fresh Basil leaves and tomato plants.
Have you ever had a nickname?
R: My dear bro, Roger, nick-named me Zebo, which turned into Zibb 🙂
C: No. No need!
What is your favourite room in your house?
R: The kitchen – with family, friends, food.
C: The kitchen! Where else can you eat?
What are your guilty pleasures?
R: Sorry, can’t divulge, too guilty.
C: Cheese, chocolate, all food related things.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
R: That I’m a closet exhibitionist?
C: I’m not actually a nice person 🙂
Who is your closest female friend?
R: Ooooooo that’s a hard one. If I choose one the others will be horribly hurt. Love all my female friends dearly.
C: Lydia.
Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
R: Ears. Done millennia ago in boarding school, with safety-pin, (the Child of Mary medal pin was too blunt).
C: Got navel pierced at 16 but took it out at 21 (it had reached its sell by date).
Where would you most like to live?
R: In a yellow submarine.
C: Don’t think the where is very important, it’s more the who with.
Who was your first kiss and where did it happen?
R: With MG, in the orchard. Hot and salty – we’d been swimming.
C: A guy called Ciaran. In Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow. (He’s since emigrated :))
What’s the most unusual question you’ve ever been asked?
R: Does that hurt?
C: The last one!
What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
R: My children, Chupi and Luke. Nothing Compares to Them x
C: Yardi, my corgi, when I was ten.
What is your favourite word?
R: It was really Luke Kelly’s favourite word: Un-be-fucking-lievable. Kind of suits the times that are in it…
C: F**k!
Who was your first love?
R: Michael G. We were 10 and knew everything (little horrors that we were).
C: Brian 🙂
If you weren’t doing what you do, what might you have become?
R: A ballerina. No, that’s a joke. How about a member of the Arts Council so I could torture penniless writers?
C: Someone who does cooking and eating and writing – full time.
Is there a book you’ve bought several times as a gift for someone?
R: Edna O Brien’s barely known but absolutely wonderful biography of James Joyce. Everyone I’ve bought it for, including artist Barrie Cooke, adores it.
C: I’ve mostly given cookbooks; lots of my own, What To Eat When You Can’t Eat Anything, and Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian cookbook, Plenty.
What happens after we die?
R: It’s the Big Secret, isn’t it?
C: The people who love us remember us.
What female historical figure do you admire most?
R: Grainne Uaile was pretty cool. I love the story of her marching, bare breasted, into Queen Elizabeth 1st’s court. Attitude is everything.
C: None that I can think of.
Sum yourself up in three words:
R: Female. Mum. Hungry!
C: Impatient. Demanding. Enthusiastic. (and Hungry!)
And finally…What are you anti? What are you pro?
R: Pro the young, the old and the in-betweeners. Anti bullshite in all its myriad forms; particularly my own.
C: Oh God, how much time have you got? Anti ignorance – where education has been an option, and laziness, and religion. Am pro eating, love and friends 🙂
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Loved it!
Hi Rosita!
I am not sure what your experience is when you are reporting, but i still sometimes get people thinking i am you when i turn up for a job. The most recent was when i turned up at the National Archives about three weeks ago: i was greeted, and then they asked me, “But where’s Rosita Sweetman? We were expecting her.” I explained that I too was Rosita. They looked disappointed… What we need now is a THIRD Irish journalist named Rosita. We could both send her out to do all our jobs for us.
Did not know Chupi was a designer – i have bought a couple of pieces from Topshop.
Rositas Rock.
This interview made me smile this morning, refreshing and lovely to read. Love the mother and daughter combo! and their photos too, beautiful..
I realy like this sort of interviews, enjoyed it so much!!! Thanks a lot for it.
Hi Rosita,
I have read and admired your books. I believe that they have done a lot of good.
I suggest that there is another book you should write – its title “How was it for you?”
This book should be based on a survey of Irish Catholics over seventy years of age. The survey topic should deal with how their lives have been affected by being Catholics.
How have they benefited, or suffered, from being Catholics? How have they dealt with the recent scandals in the Church? Was it all worthwhile?
Northern Cathoilcs, and their life experiences could form a very valuable part of the book.
Best regards,
Pat