Black and white photo of two young girls, aged 3 and 5 in a cowshed. One is looking at the camera and one is looking to the left.

Orla and Emer Shortall, Stradbally, Co. Laois, 1988, photo by Catherine Shortall

The Milk Book


The milk Book is a creative non-fiction book project that aims to connect readers with the fascinating but often remote world of modern dairy farming. The book draws on my experience of researching the dairy sector since 2015, including a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship entitled “Cows eat grass, don’t they?” about the role of grass and grazing in the UK and Ireland.

The book uses empathy and humour to explore the lives of the people and animals involved in making the mundane, maligned and mysterious substance of milk. The book will be published by September Publishing in spring 2026. I am represented by Doug Young at Pew Literary. If you’d like to hear more about the project or get involved don’t hestitate to get in touch.