HarperCollins Ireland has announced its first publication, A Page from My Life. The book includes a selection of stories from listeners of RTÉ Radio 1’s Ray D’Arcy Show and will benefit LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.
In the midst of the Covid crisis, Ray invited his listeners to send in ‘A Page from My Life’: 500 words on a memorable event, or a story simply worth sharing. The response was so overwhelming as Ray and his team were inundated with over 2,500 entries, from authors of all ages and all walks of life.
And what those entries created was an extraordinary picture of Irish life in microcosm. Funny and heart-breaking, poignant and surprising, they told a series of unforgettable stories… moments that changed everything, and where life itself seemed to hang in the balance. Quiet reflections on the meaning of love and loss. Hilarious tales of everyday mishaps, chance encounters, and feats of pure imagination. It was a timely reminder of the experiences and values that unite us, even as circumstances contrived to keep us apart.
Introduced by the Ray D’Arcy Show judges – bestselling authors Donal Ryan (The Spinning Heart), Emilie Pine (Notes to Self), Emer McLysaght (the Aisling series) and Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) – A Page from My Life gathers 150 of these stories to form an exhilarating and moving testament to the wonder of everyday life.
Ray D’Arcy said: "We asked listeners to be honest, creative, funny, engaging and evocative in their writing… to try to make us laugh, cry and think. We never imagined we would get the quantity and quality of entries that we did for A Page from My Life."
Kerry McLaverty, CEO, LauraLynn said: "We are absolutely thrilled and honoured to be associated with HarperCollins on this fantastic initiative. Telling and sharing our families' stories and experiences is a big part of what we do in LauraLynn, making this kind of project a perfect fit for us. This collaboration will help us to raise vital funds and awareness for LauraLynn and the services we provide to children with life-limiting conditions and their families from across Ireland."
Conor Nagle, Publisher, HarperCollins Ireland said: "I can think of no better way to inaugurate the HarperCollins Ireland imprint than by sharing A Page from My Life; it’s a title that stands for everything we want our publishing to represent. Drawn from every corner of the country, from authors of all ages and backgrounds, these 150 stories span the full breadth of human emotion and experience. You’ll laugh. You’ll almost certainly cry. And you’ll keep many of these moments with you, long after you’ve turned the page. Each of these stories is an encounter with a new and exciting voice, but the collection itself is a tribute to Irish life in all its richness and vibrancy. It’s a dream project, and we’re enormously grateful to Ray D’Arcy and his team for giving us the chance to play a part in bringing it to fruition – and to LauraLynn, for their wholehearted support from day one."
A Page from My Life is published in hardback on 29 October 2020 priced at £14.99. You can pre-order below.
