Ana Kinsella – författare

‘Gorgeous, immersive… both epic and intimate, funny and wise’ Roisín O'Donnell'Moving, thought-provoking, and utterly delightful’ Elif Batuman ‘Took me back to the way I felt when reading Normal People’ Stylist‘A sexy, sprawling epic’ GlamourA BBC Culture Pick for 2026‘You could probably run cities on the energy generated between directors like him and actresses like her’When Frida Slattery and John Reddan meet in a Dublin pub in 2005, neither can imagine how they will come to shape and define each other’s lives.Frida is struggling to launch her acting career, while John is already gaining a name for himself as a director. From the first they see in each other potential and the chance to create work that matters, though the lines between collaboration and exploitation, friendship and desire will prove dangerously slippery.With the financial crisis looming, the next 16 years takes them from Dublin to London, via New York and LA, and through success and disappointment, joy and heartbreak. Their connection is tested and stretched to the point of rupture, but something remains that outlasts both their work and their own shifting perceptions.FRIDA SLATTERY AS HERSELF is an unforgettable story of love, artistic collaboration, and two people coming of age, together and apart.Readers are loving FRIDA SLATTERY'Totally riveting. A propulsive and compelling story of love, collaboration and all its complexities’‘Funny and wise with so many interesting ideas about relationships and making art and growing up. Will be great for Sally Rooney readers and for fans of La La Land’‘I love this book with a passion. These characters feel so real – they are raw, frustrating, flawed, and addictive!’'An absorbing, wise and honest read… I'll be recommending it to everyone!’ – Lizzy Stewart, author of ALISON and THE WRECK‘A virtuosic and assured journey through two entwined lives – I was so wholly and breathtakingly invested in each character that I felt genuinely bereft when I was finished. It has such heart and vibrancy, and an abundance of style' – Sophie Mackintosh, author of THE WATER CURE and PERMANENCE'An expansive, deeply felt love letter to artistic expression, as compelling and ambitious as it is beautifully written. Ana Kinsella handles big themes – power, desire, success – with great subtlety and skill’ ─ Lisa Owens, author of NOT WORKING and NATURAL DISASTER

A bibliophile’s journey through Dublin's rich heritage, storied lore, and lively craic: exploring bookshops, museums, and authors’ watering holes, offering an experience for literature students, Irish natives, and tourists alike. There are few cities in the world that care so deeply about the written word as this historic capital. Stroll along canals, Georgian squares, and bridges, and you’ll find plaques honouring writers, literary landmarks, and statues aplenty; like George Bernard Shaw at the National Gallery or Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square. Creative outpourings are well documented in museums and galleries here, like the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) which holds the first copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses.No trip to Dublin would be complete without visiting its notable pubs – and this book is no exception. Explore bars once frequented by WB Yeats after discovering stunning libraries like Trinity College's Long Room, as featured in Sally Rooney’s Normal People.Dublin holds its independent bookshops close to its heart, and there are some wonderful little literary spots dotted around the city, many of which are a treasure trove of rare books. “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart”, James Joyce once said. And here it is – written for you to explore, too.

‘This sweeping will-they-won’t-they love story has echoes of One Day' Sunday Times‘Took me back to the way I felt when reading Normal People’ Stylist‘A sexy, sprawling epic’ Glamour ‘Gorgeous, immersive’ Roisín O'Donnell'Moving, thought-provoking and utterly delightful’ Elif Batuman A BBC Culture Pick for 2026 ‘You could probably run cities on the energy generated between directors like him and actresses like her’When Frida Slattery and John Reddan meet in a Dublin pub in 2005, neither can imagine how they will come to shape and define each other’s lives.Frida is struggling to launch her acting career, while John is already gaining a name for himself as a director. From the first they see in each other potential and the chance to create work that matters, though the lines between collaboration and exploitation, friendship and desire will prove dangerously slippery.With the financial crisis looming, the next 16 years takes them from Dublin to London, via New York and LA, and through success and disappointment, joy and heartbreak. Their connection is tested and stretched to the point of rupture, but something remains that outlasts both their work and their own shifting perceptions.FRIDA SLATTERY AS HERSELF is an unforgettable story of love, artistic collaboration, and two people coming of age, together and apart.Readers are loving FRIDA SLATTERY'Totally riveting. A propulsive and compelling story of love, collaboration and all its complexities’‘Funny and wise with so many interesting ideas about relationships and making art and growing up. Will be great for Sally Rooney readers and for fans of La La Land’‘I love this book with a passion. These characters feel so real – they are raw, frustrating, flawed, and addictive!’'An absorbing, wise and honest read… I'll be recommending it to everyone!’ – Lizzy Stewart, author of ALISON and THE WRECK‘A virtuosic and assured journey through two entwined lives – I was so wholly and breathtakingly invested in each character that I felt genuinely bereft when I was finished. It has such heart and vibrancy, and an abundance of style' – Sophie Mackintosh, author of THE WATER CURE and PERMANENCE'An expansive, deeply felt love letter to artistic expression, as compelling and ambitious as it is beautifully written. Ana Kinsella handles big themes – power, desire, success – with great subtlety and skill’ ─ Lisa Owens, author of NOT WORKING and NATURAL DISASTER