Ireland’s most famous author Marian Keyes has landed Down Under.
And to celebrate her arrival, Woman’s Day sits down with the global bestseller to discuss her new novel, My Favourite Mistake, an exciting new TV project and why she loves Australia so much!
We’re so happy to have you back in Australia! What do you love most about it here?
Oh so many things. The cheeriness and the can-do attitude of the people. I find them very warm and friendly. I love the beauty of the country.
The ferries in Sydney, Uluru in the centre of the country, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria and I’ve been to the rainforest up near Cairns. One of my very beloved friends lives in a suburb near Perth and when I visit her we have such an easy life just hanging out, always eating outdoors.
Would you ever set one of your novels here?
I don’t know! It would still be about Irish people because I don’t think I’d be able to do a good job of internalising an Australian because our upbringings are so different. But it’s also not out of the question because a lot of Irish people live in Australia.
You’re here to talk about your latest novel, My Favourite Mistake, which focuses once again on the Walsh sisters. What do these characters mean to you?
It’s so funny when I first started writing my first book Watermelon, I had no idea that they’d become a thing! But over the years the whole dynamic of how they interact with each other, is similar to the way my family are. We’re noisy, we talk over each other, we have fallouts but we’re very there for each other. It’s always a happy return when I go back to writing them.
They’re making a series of the Walsh sisters, and I was on set yesterday. To see all five of the sisters being embodied by human beings and the way that they are and the people in my head, they all dress differently their hair, their look and their body language is completely unique to them and it’s very much how I imagined them. It’s been amazing, the whole thing with the TV series has been thrilling but it’s also the way that the Walsh sisters live on.
Who out of the Walsh sisters would you like to revisit next?
I would like to do Claire. She was the first one, 30 years ago in 1995. I love her attitude. She’s hilariously a capitalist, a consumer, focused on the zeitgeist and she has tonnes of energy. She’s very different to me and I love her.
You’ve been through a journey worthy of its own book too! Is a memoir on the cards for you?
Definitely not, no. I don’t know why because I’m very open about myself, I’d prefer having no secrets from my readers. [But] I prefer writing about imaginary characters. I talked a little bit about writing a book called Crone, which would be wisdom from an old woman because I have opinions on how we survive life. But again, no immediate plans for it. I kind of get the shudders about writing a memoir, I’m not really sure why but I do.
Who’s been your most surprising celebrity fan?
Nigella Lawson. She is such a goddess, such an icon. So intelligent and such a beautiful writer herself. That was one of my real pinch-me moments. But I’m always amazed when anyone has read my work. Ian Rankin is another one that I’m just so grateful for.
What does a day in the life of Marian look like?
I write mostly in the mornings, I see a lot of my family. I like going to the movies, I have three or four close friends. I live near the hills so walking is always a pleasure and I read a huge amount. It’s all very low-key really, but every now and again I get obsessive about a hobby, I’ve gone through upcycling furniture, knitted huge chunky cardigans.
Last year I took time off from work and did a course in interior design to assist with the house decoration and that’s something I’m still slightly obsessed with. Every day though starts with the DHL delivery man with whatever I have ordered online and we’re such amazingly good friends at this stage and then the next day he’s there to take everything back again. Online shopping takes up a good deal of my time.
Marian Keyes appears at Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival (2-4 May), Melbourne Writers Festival (8-11 May) and Sydney Writers’ Festival (19-27 May), followed by a regional tour.
For tickets, visit: Mariankeyes.com
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