Alice Oseman
Published in the Irish Examiner on 27th December Alice Oseman Alice can’t remember a time when she hasn’t been writing stories. She’s a prolific reader too. “I wrote this story about teenagers and school, for…
Luana Lewis
After gaining a degree in psychology, Luana stayed on as a research assistant studying victims of violence. Then she worked full time as a psychologist. Starting off working with trauma victims, she moved into family custody…
Should Writers Take a Leaf out of Zoella’s Book?
With 2.4 million followers on Twitter, 1.8 million fans on Facebook, and 3.2 million subscribers on Instagram, publishers couldn’t wait to get their hands on Zoe Suggs’ first book writes Sue Leonard WITH Christmas on the…
Karl Whitney
Whilst at UCD Karl wrote for university papers, and afterwards he did some freelance journalism for The Guardian and the Irish Times. “My articles were often about Dublin. I wanted to write something from a…
Running the gauntlet to lose weight
This time last year, Saturdays were a leisurely affair. I’d drift out of bed at 9.30am, soak in a bath, then spend the morning perusing the papers over copious cups of coffee. These days, 9.30am sees…
Persistence pays
It was an itch that would not go away and in the end Mary Costello could not help becoming a writer, a very good one at that. She spoke to Sue Leonard about her debut novel…
Magdalene Laundries memoir to Orion
Orion non-fiction has acquired three “moving and inspirational memoirs”, one of which will be released as five e-shorts as well as a whole book. Publishing director Anna Valentine bought UK, Commonwealth (excluding Canada) and European rights…
Gerard Lee
Gerard worked in social care, on and off, for twenty years. At first he worked in residential settings, then, as a freelance actor, he dipped in and out of relief work. “My acting career has been…
A History of Loneliness by John Boyne
A History of Loneliness by John Boyne. Published by Doubleday Reviewed by Sue Leonard. Published in Books Ireland, November, 2014. ‘I did not become ashamed of being Irish until I was well into the middle years…