Louise O'Neill: Every other book sort of magically appeared out of thin air with little to no work on my behalf

— I contemplated bringing the manuscript with me but was plagued with visions of something terrible happening to it, although why anyone would want to steal a cheap ring binder is beyond me

Louise O'Neill, author. Photograph Moya Nolan

I’m writing this column from a foreign land. Well, I’m writing it from Galway which is so far outside my 5k/county/whatever we’re allowed to do this week, that it may as well be another country.

I’m here for the Cúirt literary festival. I’ve spoken at the festival before, and have wonderful memories of a packed venue hall, hugs given in the signing queue, meeting other authors in a small, sweating pub afterwards, kisses on cheeks as we stood as close to one another as possible in order to be heard over the din of glasses clinking and voices shouting.