Aisling (book series) explained

The Aisling (sometimes referred to as OMGWACA)[1] [2] series of novels are five adult fiction books by Irish journalists and authors Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. The series began with Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling The Novel, based on an Aisling (or Ais) character archetype created by the authors and discussed in the "oh my god what a complete aisling" Facebook group.[3] [4] To date there are five books in the series.[5] They are published by Gill Books and Penguin Books.[6] [7] The series was optioned as a film before being worked into a yet-to-be-produced TV series.[8] [9]

Description

Aisling began as a stock character type, a "culchie" from "Ballygobackwards" (BGB),[10] up in the "big smoke" Dublin. Other stock characters, Mad Tom[11] Deddeh, Memmeh, Niamh and Fionn, all from "Across The Road" (FATR) were used by users in posts to describe Aisling's life and eccentricities.[12] About Aisling, Sarra Manning, of Red Online, wrote that readers "laugh with her, never at her ... [admiring] her for the same traits that we don't necessarily value in ourselves. We love her because she's a complete Aisling and we wouldn't have her any other way".[13] To date, the series contains five books:[5]

Reception

Actress Tara Flynn, writing for The Irish Times, thought that it would have been easy to make a book of lists about the characters, but that the first novel gave "Aisling the flesh and bones she deserves, and a story that licks along at a pace". Flynn hoped for a movie adaptation, and suggested she might portray Memmeh. Síle Ní Choincheannain, of Mary I College has described the series as having "deftly captured a unique Irish archetype and modern heroine".[14] TheJournal.ie described the first book as a "publishing phenomenon".[15]

The Importance of being Aisling won the 2018 "Popular Irish Fiction" category at the Irish Book Awards,[16] with Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling winning the same prize in 2019,[17] and Aisling in the City in 2021.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: OMGWACA Series by Emer McLysaght . Goodreads.com.
  2. News: McLysaght . Emer . Emer McLysaght . 26 August 2023 . Farewell Aisling: Immense highs, excruciating lows and even heckling poor Graham Norton . registration . The Irish Times.
  3. News: Flood . Alison . 8 December 2017 . Six-figure deal for 'Irish Bridget Jones' series . The Guardian.
  4. Web site: oh my god what a complete Aisling facebook group . registration . Facebook.com.
  5. Web site: 27 June 2023 . Here's when the last Oh My God...What a Complete Aisling book comes out .
  6. Web site: O'Donoghue . Denise . 29 July 2021 . OMG! Aisling's back for a fourth book and she's jetting off to the biggest smoke yet . IrishExaminer.com.
  7. Web site: Emer McLysaght . Penguin.co.uk.
  8. Web site: 6 December 2017 . Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling authors sign two-book deal with possibility of film deal . TheJournal.ie.
  9. Web site: An 'Oh My God What a Complete Aisling' TV Series is in the Works . TodayFM.com.
  10. Web site: 31 July 2021 . What to expect in the next 'What A Complete Aisling' book out this Autumn . SHEmazing!.
  11. Web site: O'Donoghue . Anna . 16 June 2017 . 'Oh my God What a Complete Aisling' Facebook group is publishing a book . IrishExaminer.com.
  12. News: Flynn . Tara . Tara Flynn . Aisling is the decent, Dunnes-shopping heroine we need right now . The Irish Times.
  13. Web site: Manning . Sarra . Sarra Manning . 16 November 2018 . Why Aisling from Ballygobbard is our new hero . RedOnline.co.uk.
  14. Web site: Ní Choincheannain . Síle . 11 September 2023 . What the Aisling books have told us about Ireland and ourselves . RTÉ.ie.
  15. Web site: Barry . Aoife . 9 September 2017 . How the Facebook page Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling became a publishing phenomenon . TheJournal.ie.
  16. Web site: Buckley . Dan . 27 November 2018 . Female authors dominate at an Post Irish Book Awards . IrishExaminer.com.
  17. News: Doyle . Martin . 20 November 2019 . An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 winners revealed . The Irish Times.
  18. Web site: Meek . Andrea M. . 29 November 2021 . The best of the best! Irish Book Awards 2021 winners revealed . IrishCentral.com.

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