As part of Red Line Festival
Join bestselling authors Louise O’Neill and Melanie Murphy as they chat to award winning blogger Louise Cooney about their books, careers and inspirations.
Louise O’Neill grew up in Clonakilty, a small town in West Cork, Ireland. Her first novel, Only Ever Yours, was released in 2014 and won the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, the Eilís Dillon Award for a First Book and the Bookseller’s inaugural YA Book Prize. Her second novel, Asking For It, was published in September 2015 to widespread critical acclaim. It spent 52 consecutive weeks in the Irish top 10 bestseller list. Both novels have been optioned for screen. Louise’s first novel for adults, Almost Love, was published in 2018, followed shortly by The Surface Breaks, her feminist re-imagining of The Little Mermaid. Her second novel for adults, After the Silence, was published in 2020 and was an instant bestseller in Ireland. It won Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and has also been optioned for screen. Idol is her third adult novel.
Melanie Murphy is a bestselling Irish author and award-winning online content creator from Dublin, where she lives with her husband and her son. She has over 800,000 followers across her social media platforms and her YouTube videos have amassed almost eighty million views online, reaching people with her warm personality and her life lessons as well as her views on divisive topics such as sexuality, women’s rights, health and relationships. Her BSc (hons) degree in Education & Training from DCU catches dust above the fireplace as she writes books and uploads random videos to the internet for a living. In 2017, Melanie published her first non-fiction book for young adults, Fully Functioning Human (Almost) which sold thousands of copies, received many positive reviews and topped the Irish book charts. It went on to be featured on official Irish leaving certificate exam papers. Her debut novel If Only was released in 2019 and has been a huge hit with young women around the world. It remained in the Irish top ten charts for many weeks! Melanie’s second fiction novel Glass Houses, written during (and influenced by!) the Covid pandemic, is inspired by a real life story of a doctor who ran a unique program to help his patients with their mental health.
Louise Cooney is one of Ireland’s most recognisable digital creators. After years of documenting her New York life, Louise made the move back to Ireland and brought with her an international follower base of over 200,000 and a different style and perspective to the Irish and UK market. While back in her childhood bedroom during lockdown, Louise started an online book club over zoom for her followers. Hundreds would join every week to chat about what has given them some escape from the daily COVID cases and to chat to some of their favourite authors. That is where the idea for the “Open Book” podcast was born. Louise has recently launched her activewear brand CLOO Active and wine spritzer 67 Spritz to much excitement and anticipation from her fans. Cooney is a budding entrepreneur and businesswoman, she has always stayed true to her native Limerick roots and continues to work closely with charities like Pieta House, which is very close to her heart.
Presented By: South Dublin Libraries & Arts
Duration: 60 mins. No interval
