Carmel Harrington: How becoming a mother inspired me to chase my dreams

Between 2011 and 2013, Carmel Harrington received forty-seven no’s from literary agents and publishers. Here, she shares how becoming a mother inspired her to quit her job as a sales manager and finally achieve her dream of becoming a published author

Carmel Harrington: I found my entertainment snug under a heavy blanket, engrossed in books borrowed from our local library. From the wonders of Tolkien’s Middle-earth to Atwood’s Handmaids, I was all in. Photograph Moya Nolan

I cannot recall a time when books were not integral to my life. 

From curling up on my mother’s lap as she read stories to me and my siblings, to my first day at school, where this reluctant student was charmed into returning every day by a teacher who introduced her to the magic of Roald Dahl.