A recently published novel by the late Belfast writer Ciaran Carson examines a local spiritualist circle from the early 20th century.

The book, titled X + Y = K, centres on the Goligher Circle, which was active in Belfast around the time of the First World War. The narrative is framed through a character named Kilpatrick, who discusses an idea for a fictional account of the Golighers with his editor in London.

Carson, who died in 2019, was known for his dense, interconnected style. The novel incorporates elements of investigative journalism, essay, and detective fiction, and ranges across topics including art, war, and spiritualism.

The text references the Fox family, whose reported spirit communications in New York in 1848 helped launch modern Spiritualism, and quotes William Denton on the idea that people leave traces of themselves in rooms.

The book explores questions of permanence and reality, moving between physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions.