Sarah Maria Griffin

Griffin was first rejected by a publisher at age 11. She turned to poetry; her first collection came out in 2011, when she was taking a Masters in Creative Writing.

Meanwhile, she taught for a year in Clondalkin. Then, finding work elusive, she joined her boyfriend in San Francisco. The book grew out of articles she wrote there.

“The Irish Times published some. One ended up as a cover story. I started writing longer pieces and essays, and the book grew organically from that.”

Who is Sarah Maria Griffin?

Date of birth: January 28, 1988, in Dublin.

Education: Manor House, Raheny: Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology, English. NUI Galway, Masters in Creative Writing.

Home: San Francisco.

Family: Her husband, Ceri, and a cat.

The Day Job: Copywriter.

Interests: Video games, and I love to cook.

Favourite Writers: Dave Eggers. Roddy Doyle is my main hero. He is the writer I would like to be. I also like essayists, like Cheryl Strayed and Roxanne Day, and I adore thousands of poets.

Second Novel: I’m working on a piece of fiction; it’s totally different from Not Lost. I’m getting really immersed in it.

Top Writing Tip: Read everything you write out loud. It should sound like musical notes. You will notice any discords, but you will hear the beautiful points of your writing as well.

THE DEBUT

Not Lost. A Story About Leaving Home.

New Island: €16.99 Kindle: €4.50

Sarah was excited when she left Ireland to join her boyfriend in San Francisco, but at first, being so far from home was a shock. In Not Lost, she looks back at that first year, which was full of struggle and despair but also fun and joy.

“It deals with that weird time when you feel like a teenager, but don’t have the trappings any more.”

The Verdict: A gutsy book about love and friendship for the new emigration generation.