Sinn Féin adviser's book deal after impressing Richard & Judy

First-time author and mother of four tweeted she was “celebrating while breastfeeding”

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan started their successful book club when they presented a daytime television programme
Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan started their successful book club when they presented a daytime television programme

A senior Sinn Féin economic adviser has secured a two-book crime fiction publishing deal after impressing influential book club hosts Richard and Judy.

Joanne Spain, a mother of four who wrote her first novel last year, said her advance was "reflective of our modest times" and "not anything six-figure-like".

Revealing her good news in a tweet, Ms Spain said: “Oh my . . . just got offered 2 bk deal from the publishers. Celebrating while breastfeeding . . . this will be a bit of craic!”

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan started their successful book club when they presented a daytime television programme. Its influence has endured since their screen partnership ended.

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Prize

Ms Spain’s book, With Our Blessing, made the seven-author shortlist in the pair’s annual Search for a Bestseller competition in March. She missed out on the top prize of a deal worth £50,000 with publisher Quercus, but received encouraging news from them.

“I got an email saying I hadn’t won, but it was a close call and they wanted to talk to me about publishing this book and the next in the series. The baby was 13 days old when I got the news!” she said.

“The book itself is crime fiction and focuses on a team of detectives – hence the series . . . I think I can tell you the murder is committed in the present day but is linked to a time in Irish history which the country is only latterly starting to deal with,” she said.

The former parliamentary assistant to Sinn Féin's finance spokesman Pearse Doherty is also vice-chairwoman of IntertradeIreland, which promotes cross-Border trade. She wrote late at night when her children, aged nine, five, three and 10 weeks, were in bed.

Mary Minihan

Mary Minihan

Mary Minihan is Features Editor of The Irish Times