More tales from fateful voyage
IT’S one of the most enduring, intriguing, yet heartbreaking stories in our history, and Drogheda writer Nicola Pierce has once again turned her literary talents to the tragic tale of the Titanic.
The Tallaght-born woman is no stranger to the subject, having won praise and accolades for her 2011 young readers book ‘Spirit of the Titanic’, but ‘ Titanic: True stories of her passengers, crew and legacy’ - which is being launched next week - delves deeper into the history of all those involved in that fateful voyage.
‘You know, this couldn’t be happening at a better time,’ says Nicola, who is about to start chemotherapy to prevent the return of her recent breast cancer.
‘It is definitely keeping me sane, and when you think about, the Titanic has kept me afloat for many years, pardon the pun!’
She says the ship changed her life, after she first wrote about it in the children’s novel, and revisiting the story now has brought back wonderful memories.
‘I had so many wonderful conversations with children who love it, and it opened up doors in 2012 (the centenary of the sinking) which made me feel so lucky,’ she adds.
Nicola says the big challenge was making this new book different to all the other thousand which have been written about the tragic event.
‘My story is one of all those bound together on that fateful voyage. On board were: writers, artists, honeymooners, sportsmen, priests, reverends, fashion designers, aristocrats, millionaires, children, crew and emigrants looking for a better life,’ she explains.
‘ There were tales that had never been told before, and photos that had never been published, and some of the women’s stories are just amazing.‘
Titanic: True stories of her passengers, crew and legacy’ will be launched by historian Sean Collins in Waterstones bookshop, Scotch Hall on Thursday April 5th at 6.30pm, where Nicola will read passages from her book. All are welcome to attend.