UCD academic Emilie Pine came to prominence last year after publishing a collection of essays titled Notes To Self. In her six essays, Pine delves into topics that often go untouched in Irish society. She explores the effects of having an alcoholic father, the gruelling process around fertility issues and the pain of misscarrying; menstruation; her parent’s fractured relationship; self-starvation and body shaming; the pressure of academia and the rape she suffered as a teenager.

Notes To Self was widely applauded for its resonance. It was refreshing to read previously taboo subjects discussed in precise detail. Speaking to The Observer, Pine said she “wrote the essays that she needed to read”. It’s unusual for an author to make their writing debut with personal essays, especially in Ireland, where we prize fiction. However, it is still an inspiring piece of literature and its authenticity is essential to its brilliance.

The book’s national acclaim reached a pinnacle once Pine bagged the Book of The Year gong at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2018. When she’s not writing nuanced and gut wrenching essays, Pine is an associate professor of modern drama at University College Dublin, and has published a variety of works on culture and memory.

Although Notes To Self is her first collection of essays, hopefully it won’t be her last. Keep an eye out for her wonderfully insightful and powerful work.