Irish author Emma Hannigan’s final book to be published next year

It is a "story of joy and friendship, love and light."

Emma Hannigan's final novel is set to be published posthumously. The Wicklow mum-of-two and award-winning novelist passed away earlier this year following an 11-year-long battle with breast cancer. She was 45 years old. Her family have announced that her final book, which was written in the months before her death, is due to be published next year. It is called The Gift of Friends and is a "story of joy and friendship, love and light." They added that they were delighted they could share "one last gift" from Emma with her fans. The Facebook post read:

"Today is Emma’s birthday. "It’s hard to believe that six months have already passed since she left us. We miss her love, her ever-generous spirit and, of course, her wicked sense of humour. "We’ve always felt that Emma wrote so that a part of her would always be with us. "So we are very happy to tell you that Emma left us one last gift, her final book. "'The Gift of Friends' is a story of joy and friendship, love and light. "As Emma said, 'When it comes down to the wire, all that matters is love … I will be there in your hearts and you will be in mine.' "We hope you open your hearts and enjoy this very special book."

According to DublinLive, the book will be released on February 28, 2019.