Hachette Ireland to publish arresting debut by new author Anne Tiernan
THE LAST DAYS OF JOY by Anne Tiernan tells the story of Joy Tobin, an Irish immigrant in New Zealand, who – at the beginning of the novel – suffers a catastrophic injury.
When Joy’s children receive the news that she has only days to live, they rush to her side, bringing with them all the dysfunction and hurt they’ve been carrying since childhood. Each is at a crossroads in their lives, but there’s one last secret they need to learn about Joy…
Ciara Doorley, Publishing Director, Hachette Ireland; Kate Stephenson, Senior Publisher, Hachette New Zealand; and Sherise Hobbs, Publisher, Headline UK, jointly acquired world rights in two books by Tiernan, an Irish novelist based in New Zealand.
Anne says she feels incredibly excited and grateful that Kate, Ciara and Sherise along with the teams at Hachette NZ, Hachette Ireland and Headline UK are publishing her novel.
“Their enthusiasm for the book, along with their support, wisdom and insight, has made the entire process both fun and painless for this slightly clueless debut author. I feel very privileged to be able to share this story and while it owes its origins to my own personal experience, I hope that it will also resonate with readers.”
Kate Stephenson, Senior Publisher in New Zealand, discovered Tiernan’s novel through Hachette NZ’s open submissions and says she couldn’t believe such a brilliant, assured debut had landed in her inbox, which is set to be the launch title of their new imprint.
“This is a story about motherhood, mental health, marriage, failure, and the lingering presence of the past. It’s darkly funny, desperately sad, and completely wonderful. I’m honoured to be working with Anne on her deeply personal novel – it takes enormous courage to travel back to the darkest days of one’s life and write honestly and openly about some of the issues Anne’s characters grapple with. But the brilliant thing is that Anne handles the most sensitive content with grace and good humour, and ultimately, she delivers a message of hope. It really is a triumph.”
Ciara Doorley said that they devoured The Last Days of Joy overnight and were completely blown away by Anne’s writing, astounded that this was a debut novel.
“The Tobin family are brought to life so beautifully: they are charismatic, dysfunctional, and completely unforgettable. Anne is a genuine talent and we’re extremely excited to be working with her as she launches her writing career, and especially to be doing this in partnership with Hachette in New Zealand and Headline in the UK.”
