Hers for the asking: Louise O'Neill

The Cork-born author's latest novel is catching attention for tackling difficult topics head-on

Louise O’Neill. Picxture: Feargal Ward

‘My mum always said, ‘You were always different’. Now she says, ‘You were always special’.”

Louise O’Neill laughs. Sitting in the Market Bar in Dublin, the 30-year-old, west Cork-born author is a study in autumn/winter chic. Her white-furred coat is from River Island. She’s wearing a mini-skirt and a red top, and her eyes are outlined with a flick of black liner.

To the casual eye, O’Neill is another young and glamorous denizen ...