Emma Donoghue Quotes

Powerful Emma Donoghue for Daily Growth

About Emma Donoghue

Emma Donoghue is a celebrated Irish-Canadian author, playwright, and academic whose poignant and thought-provoking works have resonated with readers worldwide. Born on March 25, 1969, in Dublin, Ireland, Donoghue spent her early years immersed in the rich tapestry of Irish storytelling before emigrating to Canada at the age of eight. The move marked a pivotal moment in her life as it introduced her to new cultures and experiences that would later shape her writing. After earning a degree in English and French Literature from Trinity College Dublin, Donoghue pursued a Ph.D. in modern drama at the University of Ottawa, eventually becoming an assistant professor there. However, her passion for storytelling could not be contained within the confines of academia, leading her to focus on writing full-time. Donoghue's debut novel, 'Hoodwink', was published in 1997, but it was her second book, 'Stir Fry', that garnered critical acclaim and established her as a versatile writer. Her breakthrough came with the novel 'Room' (2010), an unforgettable tale of a young boy and his mother living in confinement, narrated entirely from the perspective of the child. The novel was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film in 2015, further cementing Donoghue's reputation as a master storyteller. Throughout her career, Emma Donoghue has explored various themes, including history, gender, and identity, often through unique narrative structures that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Her works include 'Slammerkin' (2000), 'The Sealed Letter' (2008), and 'Frog Music' (2014). Emma Donoghue continues to captivate readers with her compelling narratives, weaving tales that touch hearts and provoke thought.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Fury is just another kind of passion."

Emma Donoghue's quote suggests that anger, or fury, is an intense emotion like passion, albeit a negative one. Passion, in this context, refers to strong and heated emotions characterized by a deep love or enthusiasm for something. The implication of the quote is that just as passion can drive individuals to achieve great things, fury or anger can also spur action, often in response to injustice or adversity. However, it's essential to channel this energy constructively to bring about positive change rather than allowing it to consume and harm oneself or others.


"Every time a woman stands up for herself, she's standing up for all women."

This quote by Emma Donoghue emphasizes the interconnectedness and solidarity among women. When a woman asserts her rights or speaks out against injustice, it serves as a beacon of empowerment not just for herself, but for all women. By standing up for themselves, they are challenging societal norms that often suppress women, thus paving the way for future generations to enjoy greater equality and freedom. The quote underscores the importance of individual actions in fostering change and promoting gender equity on a broader scale.


"Children have an astonishing capacity for coping with the unthinkable."

Emma Donoghue's quote underscores a profound aspect of human resilience, particularly in children. It suggests that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable ordeals, often beyond the comprehension of adults (the "unthinkable"), children possess an innate ability to adapt and persevere. This capacity for coping serves as a reminder of the remarkable strength and adaptability present within the young generation. It also encourages us to appreciate their fortitude and nurture it, so they can navigate through life's challenges with grace and tenacity.


"The worst thing about childhood is that you can never get back to it."

This quote by Emma Donoghue highlights the sense of loss and longing that many people feel as they grow older, looking back at their carefree, innocent, and uncomplicated childhood years. The implication is that we can't revisit those times, and although adulthood offers us new experiences and responsibilities, it may lack some of the magic and wonder we experienced as children. This sense of nostalgia can be both melancholic and poignant, reminding us to cherish and appreciate our current moments while acknowledging that they too will pass.


"I think I've learned not to be so afraid of endings."

This quote by Emma Donoghue suggests a maturity in embracing change, acceptance of life's transient nature, and a recognition that every ending paves the way for a new beginning. It underscores the importance of not being consumed by fear or apprehension about endings, as they are an integral part of growth and personal development.


I'm not at all snobby about book prizes and how they pollute the world of literature. Just like with the Olympics, a little bit of competition gets people truly engrossed in the business of literature.

- Emma Donoghue

Business, Book, Like, Snobby

Kids delight in 'magical thinking', whether in the form of the Tooth Fairy or the saints: whether you see these as comforting lies or eternal verities, they are part of how we help kids make sense of the world.

- Emma Donoghue

Comforting, Tooth Fairy, Delight

I got in the habit of giving away a book as soon as I've finished it because I lived in a housing co-op at Cambridge and had no space to keep books.

- Emma Donoghue

Book, Housing, Away, Cambridge

I'm finding that success is way more time-consuming than failure ever was.

- Emma Donoghue

Success, Success Is, Ever, Time-Consuming

For all that being a parent is normal statistically, it's not normal psychologically. It produces some of the most extreme emotions you'll ever have.

- Emma Donoghue

Parent, Normal, Some, Psychologically

I'm constantly saying, 'I read a fascinating article in 'The New Yorker'... ' I say it so often that sometimes I think I have nothing interesting to say myself, I merely regurgitate 'The New Yorker.'

- Emma Donoghue

Think, New, I Think, Article

I love it when novels contain a broad cast of characters, including queer ones.

- Emma Donoghue

Love, Cast, Characters, Novels

I think the only difference between me and other people is that when I hear of an interesting historical incident, I immediately write it down and Google it.

- Emma Donoghue

Think, Only Difference, Incident

You cannot predict literary success; the only way you can possibly aim for it is to do your thing and do it well.

- Emma Donoghue

Success, Aim, Literary, Possibly

I remember a period where my publisher said to me, 'Look, your historical work is selling much better than your contemporary work, so please give us more historicals.'

- Emma Donoghue

Give, I Remember, Period, Publisher

Some writers can produce marvelous plots without planning it out, but I can't. In particular I need to know the structure of a novel: what's going to happen in each chapter and each scene.

- Emma Donoghue

Chapter, Happen, Some, Plots

I'm named after Jane Austen's Emma, and I've always been able to relate to her. She's strong, confident but quite tactless.

- Emma Donoghue

Always, Been, Named, Austen

One thing I like about historical fiction is that I'm not constantly focusing on me, or people like me; you're obliged to concentrate on lives that are completely other than your own.

- Emma Donoghue

Other, Like, Lives, Concentrate

I am clumsy, a late and nervous driver, and despise all sports except a little gentle dancing or yoga.

- Emma Donoghue

Sports, Dancing, Yoga, Clumsy

I tend to be so lost in the work that I don't notice the weather. My partner will come home and say, 'Beautiful day, wasn't it?' and I'll say, 'Was it?' as I won't have noticed the real world at all.

- Emma Donoghue

World, The Real World, Tend, Notice

You know the way there are two kinds of actors - the De Niro kind who's always De Niro, and then somebody like Daniel Day-Lewis, who transforms himself eerily? Well, I aim to be the Daniel Day-Lewis kind of writer. I don't have a house style.

- Emma Donoghue

Aim, De Niro, Kinds, Daniel

I have never been depressed or thrown a plate, which I attribute to the cathartic effects of writing books about people whose lives are more grueling than mine.

- Emma Donoghue

Been, Which, Mine, Depressed

I come out of an academic background, and I'm aware that what I'm doing is simultaneously research and fiction. I want to meet both those obligations.

- Emma Donoghue

Doing, Want, Fiction, Simultaneously

Before I had kids, I thought you should never lie to a kid. But now I've had them, I realize you almost lie to them by definition, because if you're trying to summarize something for your 1-year-old, you put it in very simple terms. You only gradually complicate the explanation as they get older.

- Emma Donoghue

Thought, Before, Very, Complicate

There's no neutral language about travel. Either travel is described in ways that make it sound kind of shallow or just glossy or silly or a way for rich people to spend their time; or else travel is often described in quite derogatory ways, you know, like immigrants swarming across borders, for instance.

- Emma Donoghue

Sound, Derogatory, Instance, Shallow

Ah yes, the paradox of publicity is that even as we do it, we know it's killing off the chance of another reader happening across our book in the ideal state of innocence.

- Emma Donoghue

Chance, Innocence, Ideal, Publicity

It's painful to consider anything but writing.

- Emma Donoghue

Writing, Anything, Consider, Painful

You know, plenty of people headed off to Canada or America on the basis of government information, propaganda campaigns. Often you'd go off with a brochure in hand and you'd turn up and it wouldn't be like that at all.

- Emma Donoghue

Go, Like, Propaganda, Campaigns

The great thing about a short story is that it doesn't have to trawl through someone's whole life; it can come in glancingly from the side.

- Emma Donoghue

Through, Side, About, Great Thing

A memoir is always the most authentic telling of a situation, but a novel gets to different places.

- Emma Donoghue

Always, Memoir, Most, Authentic

I think it would be a shame for any writer to let their publishers in any way corral them into a single genre.

- Emma Donoghue

Think, Shame, I Think, Genre

I would say I have sort of a natural gift for character, and following one person's point of view at a time, and dialogue, but I'm not naturally good at strong plot.

- Emma Donoghue

Strong, Gift, Natural, Dialogue

The way to my heart is through Belgian milk chocolate.

- Emma Donoghue

Milk, Through, Way, Chocolate

Every parent has those moments where they look at their child and think, 'There's a demon in those eyes and no one can see it but me!'

- Emma Donoghue

Parent, Look, Think, Demon

Writers should be applauded for their ability to make things up.

- Emma Donoghue

Should, Things, Writers, Applauded

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.