Publications
Four authors in lockdown who are all die-hard Marian Keyes fans and devastated that her tour of SA has been cancelled. What do they do to get over their disappointment? Collaborate on a novel about four fans who are on the trail of the Irish author.
And readers are getting to see how it all panned out as Chasing Marian by local writers Amy Heydenrych, Qarnita Loxton, Pamela Power and Gail Schimmel hits the shelves. It's a feel-good novel about four strangers who are brought together by their love of Marian Keyes and their burning ambition to meet her.
How did the idea to write the book come about?
"When the festivals fell through, and we were all locked up in our houses, we needed something to cheer us up. And somehow we came up with this. It really was just a fun project and very much about our own friendship and admiration for each other," Gail tells us.
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"Marian was due to come to South Africa in 2020 for the literary festivals," Gail explains. "We’d all been very excited to meet her, and devastated when it fell through. She was going to be our New Best Friend, and now we wouldn’t meet her."
Marian is the type of author everyone wants as their best friend, Amy adds.
"In addition to telling great stories and creating memorable characters, she is warm, unassuming and authentic. This made her a natural choice."
"It had to be Marian!" Qarnita insists. "At the beginning of 2020 we were all very excited for the upcoming literary festivals, the big reason being that Marian was going to be there and we were going to meet her. When everything was cancelled we wanted to do something to make ourselves feel better."
So in a nutshell, what is the book about?
Gail: "Four strangers meet on an online Marian fanpage. They all have their own reasons to want to meet Marian, and together start working towards a plan. But all their lives have their own complications – will they get in the way?
Amy: "It's about power of stories to heal, bring us together and change our lives.
Qarnita: "It is a book about friendship - four very different characters are getting to know each other and become friends."
Just checking you know about this FABALISS new book by @GailSchimmel @QLed @AmyHeydenrych and @pamelapower
— Muireann Nic Aodha ????????? (@MarianKeyes) March 3, 2022
(Apologies to their wonderful art department for my risible homage) pic.twitter.com/pa1r08doID
Sounds like fun but how did Marian Keyes feel about being "chased"?
Gail: "She has said that it is 'one of the best things' that has ever happened to her. We’re so pleased!"
Pamela: "She could’ve treated us like crazy stalkers (which TBH I am), but she didn’t. She gave us a blurb for the book, has tweeted about it numerous times and even make a meme of herself called “Chasing this eejit”.
Qarnita: "Marian read our manuscript in one night and when she said that she LOVED it, I think we all wanted to cry a little with happiness."
READ MORE | Writer in lockdown: Marian Keyes
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