Evie Woods

Evie Woods
Evie Woods in 2023
Born
Evie Gaughan

1976 (age 49–50)
Galway, Ireland
Pen nameEvie Woods
OccupationAuthor
GenresBibliophilia, magical realism, fantasy, historical fiction, and romance
Years active2013–present
Notable worksThe Lost Bookshop
Website
eviewoods.com

Evie Gaughan (born 1976), who now writes under the pen-name Evie Woods, is an Irish novelist best known for The Lost Bookshop.

Early life

Gaughan was born in 1976 and was raised in Galway.[1][2][3] She attended Dominican College, Taylor's Hill in Galway.[2] Later she studied business at what is now the Atlantic Technological University, and went on to achieve a diploma in marketing in 1996, after a final year at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, as part of the Erasmus Programme.[1][4]

During her twenties, Gaughan lived and worked in Canada.[1][5] She suffered from panic attacks and developed social anxiety. As a result, she quit her job, returned to Galway, and took up writing.[1][5]

Career

Before The Lost Bookshop was picked up by One More Chapter, Gaughan's novels were self-published.[6] She signed a four-book agreement with One More Chapter for the three books that were originally self-published as well as one new book.[6] Her next book, The Story Collector was released in Ireland and the UK in July 2024 and was released in the US in August 2024.[6] The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris was released in March 2025.[7] The Violin Maker's Secret was released in February 2026.[8]

Bibliotherapy is one of the main themes of and motivations behind writing The Lost Bookshop.[1][3] Gaughan has named Claire Fuller, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Daphne du Maurier, Gail Honeyman, Elizabeth McKenzie, and Sally Rooney as her favourite authors.[2]

Bibliography

  • The Heirloom (2013)
  • The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris (2014, 2025)
  • The Story Collector (2018, 2024)
  • The Lost Bookshop (2023)
  • The Violin Maker's Secret (2026)[8]

Further reading

  • Gaughan, Evie (13 February 2014). "Evie Gaughan: Stay True to Yourself". writing.ie. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  • Gaughan, Evie (2 February 2016). "Will Female Writers Always Be Second Best?". writing.ie. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  • Gaughan, Evie (28 August 2017). "What's your story about? Let me explain why I can't". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  • Gaughan, Evie (23 July 2018). "How To Get Published: The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan". writing.ie. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  • Woodbury, Mary (30 October 2019). "Wild Authors: Evie Gaughan". Artists and Climate Change. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  • Woods, Evie (7 July 2023). "Books about bookshops? That's escapism to the power of infinity!". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  • Woods, Evie (7 October 2023). "Evie Woods interview" (Video). Interviewed by Caroline Rowan. Galway Public Libraries. Retrieved 24 June 2024 – via YouTube.
  • Woods, Evie (17 July 2024). "Page Turners: 'The Story Collector' author Evie Woods". Image (Interview). Interviewed by Sarah Gill. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  • Leonard, Sue (14 September 2024). "Beginner's pluck: Evie Woods self-published her first book in 2013". Irish Examiner. Blackpool, Cork. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  • "The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods". Bookcited (Podcast). Libraries NI. 8 October 2025.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Coffey, Edel (7 January 2024). "The best-selling Irish author you may not have heard of says social anxiety prompted her to write". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Leonard, Sue (14 September 2024). "Beginner's pluck: Evie Woods self-published her first book in 2013". Irish Examiner. Blackpool, Cork. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b Doyle, Martin (3 January 2024). "Paul Lynch's Booker Prize winner is Ireland's bestselling book of 2023". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  4. ^ Gaughan, Evie (7 March 2018). "Cover Story". Women Writers, Women's Books. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b Fraser, Katie (13 March 2024). "One More Chapter grabs four more from breakout star Evie Woods". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Donaghy, Kathy (22 June 2024). "Irish authors invite us into the spaces where they work: 'Women can write anywhere – we fit into little pockets of time'". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  7. ^ Hynes, Liadán (7 April 2025). "Evie Gaughan – the bestselling author you've never heard of". independent.ie. Retrieved 17 October 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ a b "The Violin Maker's Secret". HarperCollins. Retrieved 1 March 2026.