Cecelia Ahern is one of the most successful writers of her generation. Her smash-hit debut book, PS I Love You, was published in 2004 at the tender age of 21, and she has since written a new novel every year.
The 44-year-old has sold more than 25 million books around the world, with several adapted for the big screen including a 2007 film version of PS I Love You starring Hilary Swank and the 2022 Apple TV anthology series Roar – based on her 2018 short story collection of the same name – with Nicole Kidman and Cynthia Erivo.
The author Cecelia Ahern
The daughter of the former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Cecelia was part of girl band Shimma, who placed third in Ireland’s national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000. Pop music’s loss was writing’s gain – she then embarked on a degree in journalism and media communications before moving into writing fiction.
Cecelia, who lives in Ireland with her husband and their three children, will join other authors including Kate Mosse, Jojo Moyes, Meg Mason and Elif Shafak at the Queen’s Reading Room Festival, which takes place at Chatsworth in the Peak District on 19-20 September.
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Cecelia, how do you feel about appearing at the Queen’s Reading Room Festival?
"I'm really looking forward to it; it’s such an honour to be invited. And I’m so excited that it’s at Chatsworth, which is such a stunning building. There’s an incredible list of authors and I will be getting to meet my readers, which I love doing. I am really excited to connect with other writers and have chats with them about the book world."
Queen Camilla gives a speech during The Queen's Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House in 2025
Have you met the Queen before? She has been known to attend the festival in person...
"No, I haven’t, and it would be an honour to meet her. It would be fantastic if she was there. I think it's amazing that she's shining a light on books and the importance of reading. I'm always grateful to anybody who puts that so high on their list of importance."
You once met the late Queen Elizabeth II during her historic visit to Dublin Castle in 2011 – tell us about that…
"I met her when I came along as my dad's date. I remember that her eyes really captured you; they were very twinkly. She was with Prince Philip and there were hundreds of people to meet but I felt she was taking in everything, really registering everybody there. It was very special to be in the room."
Irish author Cecelia Ahern on the stage at the international literature festival
What is your new book, Love Unlocked, about?
"It is about a bridge in Dublin which is famous for having love locks, but it is buckling under the weight of all of them, so they're removed and then, mysteriously, couples all around the world start breaking up. My characters Melody and Al, who are complete strangers, join forces to investigate what's going on. And of course, while they're trying to solve everybody else's heartbreak, it unlocks their own."
You just published your first children’s book, Detective Thingy Majiggy. Did you run your idea for it past your children?
"I have a six-year-old who I read with every night, and I was really excited for her to be able to read one of my books because she's so invested in my writing and wanted to be a part of it. She helped me pick out the illustrations and we talked about the story all the time. It was a really special experience."
What do your children think of your success?
"I think they're very proud of me, but obviously to them I'm just their mother. My daughter is 16 and she came on a German tour I did, and it was lovely for her to see what I do. I told her she didn’t have to sit in the audience every night and she said, ‘I will, because you're actually really interesting.’ That was the best compliment I've ever been given."
Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern (HarperCollins) is out 27th August.
Cecilia Aherne will be speaking at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth in Derbyshire on 20 September, book tickets at chatsworth.org/tqrr-festival'
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