'Don't give up the fight' - author Maggie O'Farrell on International Women's day

Author Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland, has spent time in Wales and now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. In Paris to promote the French edition of her latest book, she is also part of the Franco-Irish literary festival on Friday evening.

Author Maggie O'Farrell Murdo Macleod

Her seventh book is a memoir called "I am I am I am - 17 brushes with death" and is being released on 7 March in French by Editions Belfond, translated from English by Sarah Tardy.

Although the stories deal with fear, danger and the notion of mortality, Maggie explains that it is actually a celebration of life.

@VendrediLecture : ça faisait une éternité que je n'avais pas lu un recueil de nouvelles de cette qualité. Agrippée par l'écriture, chahutée, bousculée et le coeur en miettes ou presque. Magnifique et puissant !I am, I am, I am de la talentueuse Maggie O'Farrell @Belfond pic.twitter.com/bbGbPsivm6

  Clara et les mots (@claraetlesmots) March 8, 2019

In this candid interview, she told RFI about her connection to France, how childhood illness shaped her, the disappointment over Brexit, and being a Mother.

Her message for women and girls on this International Women's Day is we've come a long way, but "don't give up the fight".

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Author Maggie O'Farrell

On 8 March 2019, the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Alliance Française Franco-Irish Literary Festival.

For this special edition, organised on International Women’s Day, a roundtable discussion will take place between two well-known writers, Maggie O’Farrell and Noëlle Châtelet.

Maggie O’Farrell is the author of seven novels, including The Distance Between Us which won a Somerset Maugham Award, and The Hand that First Held Mine which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award.

I am I am I am is published in English by Tinder Press