Book Launch: A Bigger Life by Louise O'Neill
In Conversation with Lucy Sweeney Byrne
Date: Monday 05 October 2026
Time: 18.30 - 19.30
Venue: Crescent Arts Center, Belfast
Price: 12.50 Pay What You Decide - Recommended Price £12.50
Book NowFor the next edition in The Crescent's Bookmark series, we are thrilled to welcome to Belfast Louise O'Neill for the launch of her memoir A Bigger Life.
At 38, Louise O’Neill had the life she thought she wanted—until her long-term relationship ended, taking with it the home, future, and sense of certainty she’d built.
Heartbroken but defiant, she made a radical decision: to say yes to everything, to take risks, and to reclaim her life—on her own terms. What followed was a dating experiment that took her across Paris, London, New York, and beyond. Through the men she meets and the moments in between, Louise begins to challenge everything she’s been taught to settle for – in life, love, and in herself.
Part memoir, part manifesto, A Bigger Life is a candid, courageous exploration of modern womanhood, sexual freedom, and the myths we’re sold about what makes a life worthwhile. It’s about embracing uncertainty, finding joy after heartbreak, and creating space for the version of yourself that doesn’t play small.
In conversation with writer Lucy Sweeney Byrne, Louise invites us to laugh, wince, and reflect as she asks the question at the heart of the book: What does it really mean to live a bigger life?
Louise O'Neill steps into areas that lesser writers are daunted by. She is a pioneer. Marian Keyes
Louise O'Neill is one of those rare authors whose writing grips you from the first page, but who also makes you think. I will read anything she writes. Elizabeth Day
Louise O’Neill is the bestselling and multiaward-winning author of Only Ever Yours, Asking For It, Almost Love, and Idol.
Known for her sharp, fearless feminist writing, she has become one of the most important voices in contemporary Irish literature. Her work has been widely praised for its bold social commentary and emotional depth.
A Bigger Life is her first fulllength memoir.
Lucy Sweeney Byrne's work has appeared in various anthologies and literary magazines in Ireland, the UK. and the US including The Dublin Review, The Stinging Fly, Banshee, AGNI, Southword, 3:AM and Irish Stories (Everyman's Pocket Classics), amongst others.
Her story collections, Paris Syndrome (2019) and Let's Dance (2024), published by Banshee Press, were met with critical acclaim and shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Edge Hill Prize. Her writing has been generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. She also reviews for The Irish Times.
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