Sinead Moriarty: ‘Writing saved me, definitely’

From the refugee crisis to homelessness, Sinead Moriarty tackles big issues in her books for young readers

Sinead Moriarty: 'I’ve always believed that you never know what’s going on in someone’s life behind their front door.' Picture: Ruth Medjber @ruthlessimagery

Sinead Moriarty has one goal in mind. “For me, the holy grail is that a reader will close my book, young or old, and go, ‘That was engaging, entertaining and made me think’, that’s what I want, what I try to do.” The award-winning writer of 18 novels, Sinead has achieved the remarkable feat of telling stories that appeal to young and older readers alike. For both audiences, she has adopted the same approach — take a serious issue and make it accessible by wrapping it in an engaging tale.

Her latest work The Truth About Riley is aimed at the young adult audience and it tells the story of the eponymous Riley whose dad has just died. A seemingly successful businessman, he left so many debts that Riley and her mother must leave their lovely home and sleep in their car. Her mother gets a job washing dishes in a Polish restaurant, and Riley tries desperately to keep their new circumstances a secret from her friends.