Marian Keyes is giving a free writing course — and 7 other reasons why we love her

There are infinite reasons to love Marian Keyes, and her generosity of spirit is just one of them

Marian Keyes is an Irish national treasure. Picture: PA Photo/Dean Chalkley. 

This afternoon, in typically humble fashion, bestselling author and beloved Irish woman Marian Keyes offered to help would-be writers with their novels by hosting an online book writing course for the next number of weeks. 

"Life is GRUELLING right now," she wrote. "So.... would you like a distraction? If you've sometimes thought you wouldn't mind trying to write a novel but you're not sure how to go about it, then maybe I can help?"

She went on to explain that the first week of the course, starting on Monday, January 11, will be structured around the themes of 'Getting Started,' 'Research,' 'Plot' and 'Motivation'. She's asking her students to send any specific questions on, promising to do her very best to answer. 

This is not the first time that Marian has shown herself to be kind, thoughtful, and compassionate. 

Tara Flynn, Josepha Madigan TD and Marian Keyes with a number of Ireland's leading writers Calling for a Yes vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

She is a staunch supporter of those of us who find ourselves in dire straits

And she has lent her voice to the abolishment of Direct Provision and in support of Repealing the Eighth Amendment. 

She is honest about her struggles, and that makes those of us who are struggling feel better

Last year, she posted about why it's ok to fail on Instagram: 

"A salvage operation is what happens. SOMETIMES a bodge job can pull things together, making the outcome acceptable if not ideal. Sometimes waiting things out gives unexpected insight, energy, a fresh perspective. And sometimes we’ve no choice but to give up on it: to fail. Which we — at least I — am terrified by. But the only way to avoid failure is to play it safe and I don’t want to do that either."

'There is an awful lot of riding' in her books

And we are here for them. Not for Marian, the unattainable sex scenes that sound like they require an accompanying manual. Oh no! She makes real-life sex, sexy again. All fans of Marian Keyes fancy 'Real Man' Luke Costello of Rachel's Holiday in his sexy jeans. It is a fact, just like the fact that all Marian Keyes fans re-read her books when they are in need of comfort.

Marian is a well-documented supporter of other Irish female writers

She uses her social media platform to throw light on new and emerging authors, particularly here in Ireland. She famously says that 'Chick-Lit' — the umbrella term for her particular genre of writing, is a mechanism of putting women writers down. “It’s definitely a pejorative term. I’m going to quote Gandhi here: ‘First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you',” Keyes said to the audience at the Hay Festival in 2015. “This is very much a patriarchal society. And I think one way of keeping women less well paid and having to do more work is to mock them and anything they love.

She has the kind of love story that most of us aspire to

And she tells it all about it. Her 25-year marriage to Tony Baines or 'Himself' is the kind of marriage that every girl wants. He adores her, she adores him. During their struggles with Marian's mental health, 'Himself' has been omnipresent in her updates; a soothing presence there — we know — to mind our Marian. 

She is a beauty influencer we can trust

And she might know a bit more than most 'experts' out there. Marian Keyes has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things skincare and makeup-related. If it is a Lady Nice Thing, she will know about it, and if she hasn't heard of it, she will investigate it on behalf of her fans. During the pandemic, she has been covering skincare issues on her Instagram account, making sure that she gets swizzed by the products that don't work, so we don't have to. 

Marian Keyes writes books filled with characters that we immediately want to be best friends with.

Marian Keyes is one of the best writers to come out of Ireland

It does not matter which book you pick up from her back catalogue; to read a Marian Keyes novel is like giving yourself a warm bath with a super-indulgent facemask. Her prose speaks directly into the heart of women, and that's because she understands what complex creatures we are. For anyone suffering from pandemic fatigue, or in need of comfort or a salve for the soul, disappearing into a Keyes book this weekend is just the way to achieve it.