This is a real treat of a novel; a gorgeous, immersive story which manages to be both epic and intimate, funny and wise. It is, among many things, a beautiful portrait of Dublin, and a story about difficult love, the lure of ambition and finding your creative voice. Tender and unexpected, the story of Frida Slattery and John Reddan will stay with me for a very long time’

‘I inhaled this consuming and addictive novel about love, artistic agency, and the charged complexities of creation, collaboration and power. Frida Slattery and John Reddan will stay with you long after you close the pages of this utterly absorbing debut’

‘An expansive, deeply felt love letter to artistic expression, Frida Slattery As Herself is as compelling and ambitious as it is beautifully written. Ana Kinsella handles big themes – power, desire, success – with great subtlety and skill. I loved it’

‘Sublime’
 

‘Frida Slattery As Herself is a deft, profound, and seemingly effortless portrayal of how a series of artworks – as well as the personal and professional lives of the artists – take shape over fifteen years, spanning the 2008 financial crisis, MeToo, and COVID. Ana Kinsella manages to deliver all the pleasures of a comic-romantic novel, while thinking through a satisfying number of big themes: gender politics and financial precarity, the mysteries of artistic collaboration, and the relentless tug-of-war between freedom and security. Moving, thought-provoking, and utterly delightful’