Megan Nolan

Megan Nolan (born 1990) is an Irish author and journalist known for introspective fiction and polemic essays. She gained critical prominence after releasing her debut novel, Acts of Desperation, concerning complexities of desire and self-doubt; it received a Betty Trask Award in 2022. Her second novel, Ordinary Human Failings, was shortlisted for a number of awards. Described as a “huge literary talent” by Karl Ove Knausgaard, Nolan also writes essays, fiction and reviews.

Early life Nolan was born in Waterford city in the southeast of Ireland. Her parents separated when she was young. She has two brothers. She studied film studies and French at Trinity College Dublin, but dropped out before completion of her course.

Writing career Nolan was signed by an agent who heard her reading an essay at a public event. in the New York Times that expressed her hate for English people, she gained critical prominence after releasing her well-received debut novel, Acts of Desperation, which dealt with the complexities of desire and self-doubt through the lens of a young woman navigating a tumultuous relationship. Her second novel, Ordinary Human Failings, follows the investigation into the death of a young British girl, with the daughter of an immigrant family serving as the scapegoat. These works explore psychological and structural forces that shape families, communities, and romances.

She also writes essays, fiction, reviews and literary criticism,

Having moved from Waterford to London, where her publishing career took off, Nolan moved to New York in 2024.

Recognition Nolan has been described as a “huge literary talent” by Karl Ove Knausgaard. Ordinary Human Failings was shortlisted for the 2023 Gordon Burn Prize for "books that push boundaries, cross genres or otherwise challenge readers' expectations", as well as for the 2024 Encore Award, given by the Royal Society of Literature to celebrate the "difficult second novel" that follows an author's literary debut.

Awards