THE DEBUT NOVEL from Kildare writer Louise Nealon, ‘Snowflake’, has been named at the ‘One Dublin One Book’ choice for 2024. 

The competition, which is run by Dublin City Council, aims to encourage everyone in Dublin to read a designated book connected with the city during the month of April every year. 

The initiative is led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. 

‘Snowflake’ is the tender story of a college student from the country who is adjusting to her new life in Dublin.

Dublin City Librarian, Mairead Owens, said that the book aims to appeal to all readers as its explore’s “life’s milestones, family, mental health, and how we ultimately connect with others while facing big challenges”. 

Louise Nealon said that she is delighted that her novel has been chosen. 

“I could never have imagined, upon entering Dublin as a lost culchie, that my confrontation with the place would fuel the world of a novel. 

“Dublin has a habit of showing people who they are. In the early stages of writing Snowflake, the character stayed within the confines of their rural village. It was only when I sent them to Dublin that they began to reveal themselves to me. It is an honour to unleash this story into the imagination of a city that helped to bring it to life”, the author said. 

Details of the ‘One Dublin One Book’ programme will be announced in early 2024.

The ‘One Dublin One Book’ initiative is also funded by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.

‘Snowflake’ also won Nealon the award for newcomer of the year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021. 

The author is from Kildare, and she has a degree in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Queens University Belfast. 

In 2017, she won the Cork International Short story competition. 

‘Snowflake’ has been translated into several languages including German, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Croatian, Slovakian and Chinese. 

The book tells the story of 18-year-old Debbi White, who lives on a dairy farm with her mother and her uncle, who sleeps out in a caravan in the garden with a bottle of whiskey most nights. 

When she steps into student life at Trinity College Dublin, she navigates between sophisticated new friends and her family – and things soon begin to unravel.