In this episode, Nadine Matheson sits down with bestselling Irish author Patricia Scanlan, one of the pioneers of modern Irish commercial fiction, to talk about her brand new book, City Girls Forever.

📚 In this conversation:

• How Patricia's debut novel City Girl (1990) was darker than she ever realised
• Revisiting Devlin, Maggie, and Caroline — 30+ years later and in their "powerful age"
• The heavy themes hiding beneath the frothy covers: domestic violence, sexual assault, anorexia, and the strength of female friendship
• What it's like to write characters who surprise even their own author
• Patricia's writing process from typing at the kitchen table to writing in bed with two dressing gowns on! 😂
• Her next project: fictionalised Irish goddesses 🔥
• The writing advice that changed everything: "Write with fire in your veins. Edit with ice." ✍️

💬 Patricia and Nadine also bond over the unexpected plot twists that blindside you mid-draft, the universal power of storytelling, and why a good book can unite a 90-year-old and a 12-year-old.

🎬 Film recommendation from Patricia: Death at a Funeral (the British version!) a must-watch!

👇 Have you read City Girls Forever or the original City Girl trilogy? Let us know in the comments!

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