Author Q&A with Liz Nugent – The Bonus Chapter
Welcome to another edition of the Bonus Chapter Podcast. In this episode, best-selling Irish literary star Liz Nugent speaks to our host, Neha.
We are always fascinated to see where our guest authors are when we speak to them. Most of the time they are at home, though sometimes they are on tour in hotel rooms. For this episode, Liz joined us from the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan – an exclusive artists' retreat left to the state by Sir Tyrone Guthrie upon his death in 1971 for artists from both the north and south of Ireland. Liz tells us the building is filled with poets, writers, musicians, and all sorts of other creative people.
As the conversation develops, Liz highlights how uniquely supportive Ireland is for writers, pointing to government tax breaks, state-funded creative spaces, and newly refurbished local libraries. Liz herself has four updated libraries within just two miles of her home.
During this cheerful conversation, Liz shares details of a horrific injury she suffered as a very young child and the lasting impact of her emergency surgery. Quite amazingly, she typed all of her internationally best-selling novels using only her left hand. Alongside the physical trauma, Liz discusses how growing up as one of nine children in a blended family in 1970s Ireland gave her a unique perspective that fuels her psychological character studies.
We love it when our guests share the secrets behind their creativity. If you are a writer, you will want to hear the crucial plotting technique Liz reveals in this episode – it is quite spectacular.
We also love finding out how some of our favourite books came to life and what sparked the idea behind them. For instance, with 'Strange Sally Diamond', Liz explains how a light-hearted conversation with her husband about taking the bins out led to the novel's dark premise.
This conversation was recorded in November 2025, just as Liz finished writing 'The Truth About Ruby Cooper'. If you have read Liz Nugent's books before, you are going to love this episode. If you are new to her work, this is a great place to start. Please subscribe to the Bonus Chapter to catch the latest updates from your friends at Chapter 25.
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