Author Louise O’Neill became a household name in the wake of her seminal novel Asking for It which opened up conversations around rape culture and misogyny in Ireland.
A former Irish Examiner columnist and a prolific novelist, her life was thrown into disarray in 2023 by a high-profile breakup she describes as “humiliating”.
In her new memoir, A Bigger Life, Louise describes being “set alight, and turned to ash” by the relationship breakdown, and charts her unorthodox return to dating – inspired by a conversation with her father.
“I really felt like, I have been humiliated enough. I was like, I really don't feel in any way able or ready for this. And I did say to my dad, I was like, I just, I don't want to do this.
“And, of course, what I meant by that was like, I'm afraid. You know, I'm afraid that if this happens again, I won't be able to survive it the second time. And then he said he said, Okay, Lou, you know, if you want a bigger life, you have to take bigger risks.”
The experiment she conducted took in 100 dates in four countries, in which she met all sorts of men in pursuit of sexual chemistry and rediscovered her faith in human nature.
In this episode Louise tells Deirdre about the grief she experienced at losing a version of her life; the unanswered questions that sundered her relationship; re-establishing her relationship with her own desire, and her unapologetic pursuit of sexual pleasure.
As for her new singles’ travel agency – you heard it here first.
Listen to the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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