Authors [ M ]

Ellen McCarthy,

Author of Guarding Meggie

Ellen McCarthy was born in West Waterford close to the Comeragh Mountains.  She grew up on a farm, the eldest of four children.  Ellen has always wanted to write and from an early age was an avid reader.  In order to prepare herself for a career in writing she completed an Honours degree in Literature and Sociology and was certified by Dublin City University. 

Straight after finishing her education Ellen started to write seriously but sporadically, fitting in writing on lunch breaks and after dinner in the evening.  She was by now working full-time in the Call Centre industry; which is a demanding and sometimes stressful environment. 
By 2007 Ellen had a novel ready to go but hadn't yet received her first break. 

One afternoon in February during a coffee break she flicked on to RTE and watched Seoige and O Shea, RTE’s latest afternoon chat show and heard about a short story competition that was just being launched.  She was immediately interested.  Just recently engaged and planning to marry that same year she chose a wedding theme for her story.  This story Family Ties was chosen as the winning entrant in April 2007.  Some weeks later Poolbeg agreed to publish Ellen's first novel Guarding Maggie and by the end of the summer Ellen had an agent, Ger Nichol of The Book Bureau and had signed a three book deal with Poolbeg.  

Her short story 'Family Ties' was published in a collection entitled 'Do The Write Thing' in August 2007.