UCD Press and the UCC School of English are pleased to invite you to the launch of Marian Keyes and the Politics of Commercial Fiction.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us for the Cork launch of Marian Keyes and the Politics of Commerical Fiction by Maria Butler on Thursday, 19 November 2026 at 6.00pm.

Get a signed copy of the book at the event or preorder the book at https://www.ucdpress.ie/page/detail/marian-keyes-and-the-politics-of-commercial-fiction/?k=9781068502361

ABOUT THE BOOK

Marian Keyes is one of Ireland’s most important fiction authors but is often not celebrated as such. Keyes’ novels draw on the author’s trademark charm, wit, and pathos, yet her girly packaging and light-hearted marketing resulted in far too little critical attention and celebration compared to her literary contemporaries.

Since Marian Keyes first started publishing in 1995, Ireland has changed significantly, from the legalisation of divorce to same-sex marriage and abortion, to the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger. Marian Keyes and the Politics of Commercial Fiction analyses how the trappings of commercial fiction underpinning Keyes’ literary marginalisation – affable persona, book covers, social media presence – have in fact helped her engage with these societal changes through socially inclusive messaging, encouraging readers towards social activism. Focusing on her depiction of three significant Irish loci of shame: addiction, depression, and abortion, this original study draws upon Keyes’ novels, essays, interviews, and online posts to demonstrate how her writings serve as a counterpoint to culturally prevalent, stigmatising depictions of people coping with addiction and mental illness. Maria Butler engages with Keyes’ longstanding abortion activism – present since her first novel, Watermelon – to emphasise the literary, political, and societal importance of feminine-coded commercial literature.

This groundbreaking study seeks to challenge the existing narrative on Keyes and open a window to her extraordinary writings for future readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maria Butler is a postdoctoral researcher on the SFI Insight Gender, Culture, and Data project at University College Dublin. She has authored several articles about Marian Keyes, commercial fiction, and the political benefits of the genre for RTÉ Brainstorm. She also has several peer-reviewed journal articles which are due to be published in The Irish University Review, Contemporary Women's Writing, and The Journal of Popular Romance this year.

REVIEWS

'Marian Keyes and the Politics of Commercial Fiction is the first academic book focused on the writing of Marian Keyes. The claim that Keyes is a social activist is both compelling and convincing, and this work provides interesting social and cultural contexts for the novels, as well as suggesting the value of cognitive and affective theory in reading commercial fiction.'

– Prof. Paige Reynolds, Stephen J. Prior Professor of Humanities, College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts

'Keyes’ oeuvre showcases a profoundly interesting combination of universality and local specificity. This book will be of most interest to scholars in the field of Irish literary studies but will also appeal also to scholars working on commercial fiction and women writers and readers more generally.'

– Dr Chris Cusack, Radboud University, The Netherlands

Description supplied by the event organiser.