Louise O’Neill is releasing her first memoir
Irish author Louise O’Neill is one of our country’s most loved and successful authors. She has written some of the biggest bestsellers in recent years including Asking For It and After The Silence.
However, her next project is one we truly cannot wait for.
The Cork native has revealed she is publishing her first memoir in 2026.
Sharing the news on Instagram, the Irish writer said she cannot wait to release her memoir A Bigger Life in 2026.
According to The Bookseller, the memoir follows O’Neill after the unexpected collapse of her long-term relationship.
She “embarks on an audacious dating experiment across cities such as Paris, London, and New York, blending humour, heartache, and sexual liberation”.
Louise O’Neill shared: “At the start of last year, I sat down with my dad and I told him the truth—I felt stuck. My life at 38 looked nothing like the one I had envisioned for myself. I felt like I had failed in every possible way and I had no idea how to fix it. He listened to me, and then he said, “Louise. If you want a bigger life, you’re going to have to take bigger risks.”
“That’s what 2024 was for me. A year of big swings, of taking risks, of refusing to settle or make myself smaller. A year of prioritising fun and pleasure and adventure, and most importantly, finding myself again.”
The Irish author continued, “I’m nearly 40 and I have never felt more confident or comfortable in my own skin. At a time when society tells us we become less viable, less visible, I have never felt more alive.”
Louise said she wants every woman she knows to experience the freedom she has. She hopes her memoir A Bigger Life will help them find that freedom in some way.
“And my god, the STORIES I have for you after the last twelve months… Let’s just say the research for this one was a lot of fun,” she added.
A Bigger Life by Louise O’Neill will be published by HQ in September 2026.
We’re already counting down to publication day. I can already tell this is going to be one of the best memoirs written by an Irish woman.
