Cecelia Ahern (born 30 September 1981) is an Irish novelist, known for her works like PS, I Love You; Where Rainbows End; and If You Could See Me Now. Born in Dublin, Ahern is published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over 25 million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as major motion films. The short story collection Roar has been adapted as a series for Apple TV+.

She and her books have won numerous awards, including the Irish Book Award for Popular Fiction for The Year I Met You. She has published several novels and contributed a number of short stories to various anthologies. Ahern also created and produced the ABC comedy Samantha Who? starring Christina Applegate.

Education

Ahern obtained a degree in journalism and media communications from Griffith College Dublin, but withdrew from a master's degree course to pursue her writing career.

Career

thumb|Ahern being interviewed during the 2011 [[Frankfurt Book Fair]]

thumb|upright|Cecelia Ahern at [[Buch Wien 2022]]

In 2002, when Ahern was twenty-one, she wrote her first novel, PS, I Love You. Published in 2004, it was the number 1 bestseller in Ireland (for 19 weeks), the United Kingdom, U.S., Germany and the Netherlands. It is sold in over forty countries. The book was adapted as a motion picture directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. It was released in the United States on 21 December 2007.

Her second book, Where Rainbows End (U.S. Love, Rosie), also reached number 1 in Ireland and the UK, and won the German CORINE Award in 2005. a son born in July 2012 and another daughter born in October 2019. As of 2015, they were residing in Malahide in North County Dublin.

Ahern is the daughter of former Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland, Bertie Ahern and Miriam Ahern. Her older sister, Georgina Ahern, is married to Nicky Byrne of Irish pop group Westlife. In 2000, Ahern was part of the Irish pop group Shimma, who finished third in the Irish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Bibliography

  • PS, I Love You (2004)
  • Where Rainbows End (2004)
  • If You Could See Me Now (2005)
  • A Place Called Here (2006)
  • Thanks for the Memories (2008)
  • The Gift (2008)
  • The Book of Tomorrow (2009)
  • The Time of My Life (2011)
  • One Hundred Names (2012)
  • How To Fall in Love (2013)
  • The Year I Met You (2014)
  • The Marble Collector (2015)
  • Flawed (2016)
  • Lyrebird (2016)
  • Perfect (2017)
  • Postscript (2019)
  • Freckles (2021)
  • In a Thousand Different Ways (2022)
  • Into the Storm (2024)
  • Paper Heart (2025)

Short stories

  • 24 Minutes in Moments (2004)
  • Next Stop: Table For Two in Short and Sweet (2005)
  • The Calling in Irish Girls Are Back in Town (2005)
  • Mrs. Whippy (2006)
  • The End in Girls' Night In (2006)
  • Girl in the Mirror (2010). Short story collection, containing the two stories Girl in the Mirror and The Memory Maker.
  • Roar (2018). Short story collection, containing thirty stories.

Other work

Production Line for Express Magazine

  • Every Year for "Harrod's Magazine"
  • The Things That I Remember for "Woman's Own"
  • Remembering Mum for "Express Magazine"
  • Mallard and May for "Woman and Home"

Television work

  • Samantha Who? (with Donald Todd)
  • Zwischen Himmel und Hier (Between Heaven and Here) (for ZDF)
  • Mein Ganzes Halbes Leben (My Whole Half Life) (for ZDF)

Film adaptations

  • P.S. I Love You (2007)
  • Love, Rosie (2014)

References

  • Cecelia Ahern's Official website