Sheila O’Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan (1958) is an Irish author and journalist. She has published more than twenty novels. Her debut, Suddenly Single (1999) deals with a universal and increasingly relevant issue: the unexpected breakdown of marriage and its aftermath, how a life is shattered and rebuilt. My Mother’s Secret (2015) also uses the motif of an unexpected, transformational event, when the children who have thrown a surprise anniversary party for their parents find out a secret that has been hidden for 40 years, which makes the party turn out to be quite different from what was planned, which in no way diminishes its memorable effect. The Missing Wife is an exciting story about the relationship between a woman fleeing from her husband and the man who starts following her. Sheila O’Flanagan will talk to journalist Mari Rebane and they will also cover broader issues such as why popular fiction is so successful, and how “chick lit” can be intelligent and offer social insight.