Marian Keyes, a bestselling Irish author, revealed during the Hay Literature Festival that she needs to be alone for 22 hours a day due to the long-term effects of peri-menopause and a severe bout of depression she experienced from 2009 to 2014. Keyes, 60, shared that she manages her mental health by frequently declining social plans and maintaining a smaller circle of friends.
Keyes emphasized the enduring joy she feels in everyday activities post-recovery. She has sold over 35 million copies of her novels worldwide and is currently working with Netflix to adapt her 2020 novel, Grown Ups. Keyes will serve as an executive producer for the project and possibly have a cameo role.
Additionally, Keyes marked 30 years of sobriety in January. She quit drinking following a suicide attempt and a consequent stay in rehab in 1994. Her first novel, Watermelon, was published a year after she became sober.
At the festival, Keyes spoke out against poorly executed Irish accents in film and TV adaptations, hoping for accurate representations in the upcoming Grown Ups series. The Hay Festival took place in Hay-on-Wye from May 23 to June 2, 2024.