Post by susanmay on Sept 18, 2008 10:10:45 GMT
THIS October will be an incredibly busy month for Cecelia Ahern as her profile soars on both sides of the Atlantic.
Not only will her first play 'Mrs Whippy' be staged from October 28, but her new novel 'The Gift' is being launched on October 1. Eagerly awaited by her millions of fans worldwide, it's likely to be one of the biggest selling titles this Christmas.
Because of her American TV series 'Samantha Who?', now also running on TG4, and the worldwide success of the movie of her first novel 'PS I Love You', her profile has never been higher. For that reason alone sales of 'The Gift' are confidently expected to run into millions.
Her agent Marianne Gunn O'Connor said: "Even before we publish 'The Gift', our latest figures show that Cecelia's books have now sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
"She's still only 26, she has written six novels, a hit TV series and now a play. Can you name anyone else who has done that at such a young age? I can't. She is now in the top five best-selling popular fiction writers in the world. It's a phenomenal achievement for her."
Ahern's finances are a closely guarded secret, but even without her substantial film and TV earnings, a conservative estimate would be that she has earned an average of €1.50 per book sold. At 10 million books, that means her fortune stands at €15m from the books alone.
'Mrs Whippy' is an adaptation of a novella she wrote in 2006 for the Open Door series of books for adult readers with developing reading skills.
Marianne Gunn O'Connor says that it became a stage play by accident.
"By chance, the director Michael Scott picked up a copy of the novella in a bookshop and thought it would make a great one woman show in the theatre. As it happens, I had been having the same idea, but it has taken this long to actually make it happen because Cecelia is just so busy."
Michael Scott is one of the most highly regarded theatre directors in Dublin. His work ranges from Ibsen's 'Ghosts' for the Abbey to 'Love Letters' at the Tivoli, starring David Soul of 'Starsky and Hutch' fame and Jerry Hall.
"We contacted Cecelia," he said, "and she liked the idea because she has always wanted to write for the stage.
"So she started on the script in January this year and we have been workshopping the play through the summer with two actresses. Cecelia has no problem writing for the stage and the workshopping process made it easier for her in adapting the book.
"The main thing is that Cecelia is a brilliant writer. She writes in a deceptively simple way but she has an extraordinary ability to touch your heart and move you. Her dialogue is wonderful and that makes it easy for her to write for the stage."
Not only will her first play 'Mrs Whippy' be staged from October 28, but her new novel 'The Gift' is being launched on October 1. Eagerly awaited by her millions of fans worldwide, it's likely to be one of the biggest selling titles this Christmas.
Because of her American TV series 'Samantha Who?', now also running on TG4, and the worldwide success of the movie of her first novel 'PS I Love You', her profile has never been higher. For that reason alone sales of 'The Gift' are confidently expected to run into millions.
Her agent Marianne Gunn O'Connor said: "Even before we publish 'The Gift', our latest figures show that Cecelia's books have now sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
"She's still only 26, she has written six novels, a hit TV series and now a play. Can you name anyone else who has done that at such a young age? I can't. She is now in the top five best-selling popular fiction writers in the world. It's a phenomenal achievement for her."
Ahern's finances are a closely guarded secret, but even without her substantial film and TV earnings, a conservative estimate would be that she has earned an average of €1.50 per book sold. At 10 million books, that means her fortune stands at €15m from the books alone.
'Mrs Whippy' is an adaptation of a novella she wrote in 2006 for the Open Door series of books for adult readers with developing reading skills.
Marianne Gunn O'Connor says that it became a stage play by accident.
"By chance, the director Michael Scott picked up a copy of the novella in a bookshop and thought it would make a great one woman show in the theatre. As it happens, I had been having the same idea, but it has taken this long to actually make it happen because Cecelia is just so busy."
Michael Scott is one of the most highly regarded theatre directors in Dublin. His work ranges from Ibsen's 'Ghosts' for the Abbey to 'Love Letters' at the Tivoli, starring David Soul of 'Starsky and Hutch' fame and Jerry Hall.
"We contacted Cecelia," he said, "and she liked the idea because she has always wanted to write for the stage.
"So she started on the script in January this year and we have been workshopping the play through the summer with two actresses. Cecelia has no problem writing for the stage and the workshopping process made it easier for her in adapting the book.
"The main thing is that Cecelia is a brilliant writer. She writes in a deceptively simple way but she has an extraordinary ability to touch your heart and move you. Her dialogue is wonderful and that makes it easy for her to write for the stage."
