Did you use a telephone book to search for the one hundred names, or did you make them all up?
Yes, I spent a long time going through the phone book looking for the names that jumped out at me. I put myself in Constance’s shoes and tried to think of what she would have done. Knowing what she was trying to achieve, I tried to see what names would jump out at her.
Constance and I agree on there being a lot of Murphys in Ireland.
One of the many ideas in One Hundred Names is that everyone could secretly be a diamond in the rough – is this something you believe in as well?
I simply think that everybody has a story to tell. While those stories may not be interesting to everybody, I don’t believe anybody is boring and nobody should feel that they are. People are fascinating creatures and we don’t have to go far to hear an interesting story or find a hero, or hear a genuine love story, or something that will break our heart. Those stories are all around us, and exist within the people we see and talk to everyday. We just have to ask, then listen.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you…
My precious family; David, Robin and Sonny.
Thank you…
Bertie, Mimmie, Terry, Georgina, Nicky, Rocco and Jay, Neil and Breda.
My agent Marianne Gunn O’Connor.
Lynne Drew, Thalia Suzuma, Kate Elton, Belinda Budge, Victoria Barnsley, Lucy Upton, Louise Swannell, Liz Dawson, Moira Reilly, Tony Purdue and the huge and wonderful HarperCollins team worldwide.
Vicki Satlow and Pat Lynch.
All the booksellers who have supported my books and the readers who have welcomed me into their lives. I’m eternally grateful for the honour and hope I have succeeded in delivering something which will move and entertain you.
About the Author
Before embarking on her writing career, Cecelia Ahern completed a degree in journalism. In addition to her bestselling novels, all of which have reached number 1, Cecelia has written for TV and for the stage. She lives in Dublin with her family.
Cecelia’s books are hugely popular internationally, and she is published in over forty countries around the world. Log into her Facebook page for exclusive updates and to be the first to find out about the next book. Find out more here: www.facebook.com/CeceliaAhernofficial
