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'How do you write a book without offending people you love?'

10 February 2020

‘Lots of aspiring writers ask me, "How do you write a book without offending people you love?" And you have to make a decision to be honest. I mean it's painful, but I want to write a book that is true to my moral core and that is true to my characters. Writing the abortion storyline, I found that really frightening because I was brought up as a Catholic, it went into my bones and the fear was real. It took so much courage for me to be able to say. "I'm going to address this taboo issue in my book in the hope that it might change people's minds" And do you know, it was a wonderful, freeing thing to do. But my mother was upset, you know.'

Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, Rachel's Holiday, Anybody out There? and 14 other novels, in The Times.