
Fiction & Drama
The Italian Holiday by Catherine Mangan acquired by Sphere
07/06/2023
Catherine Mangan studied languages at University College Cork before moving to Italy (briefly) with friends, which was the inspiration for her warm, escapist women’s fiction novels. She is also an award-winning Irish entrepreneur and creator of the language-learning app Smigin, which has users in 175 countries. She now divides her time between Ireland and Silicon Valley.
Catherine Mangan
When Lily’s long-term relationship ends, she flees her life in New York to travel to her best friend’s wedding on the sun-drenched Italian island of Ischia – but could there be more to the secluded island than she ever imagined?
Ten days with nothing but sparkling seas, breath-taking beaches and delicious food sounds like the perfect cure for a broken heart. And Lily can hardly believe she’d never heard of Ischia before now. But Lily’s blissful break is short-lived as she discovers not only has she lost her boyfriend, she’s also lost her job.
As Lily searches for inspiration, she connects with local Matt, who shows her the magic the beautiful Italian island has to offer, and quickly inspiration strikes: Ischia needs more tourists and Lily knows just how to help.
As Ischia slowly heals Lily’s heart, will she in turn inject new life into the island? And will local Matt offer the possibility of a future she’d never dreamed of?
Catherine Mangan
Niamh Kelly has made a right pig’s ear of her life thus far. She’s thirty three, still living at home thanks to her mediocre job, which she can’t bring herself to go back to following a failed relationship with a colleague. When her sister invites her to tag along on a work trip to Italy’s Ligurian coast, impulsive Niamh jumps at the chance to leave Dublin, and discovers a world of wine, opportunity and friendship.
Having fallen in love with the town of Camogli, she decides to stay and open a coffee shop (hurrah), even though she has no idea what she’s doing (oops). After a sudden family tragedy and a tricky tourist season threaten her new business, Niamh comes close to throwing in the towel. But with help from her new-found community, can she make her new life a success?