Like young girls everywhere, Katriona O'Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, and curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos, and after becoming pregnant and homeless at 15, she spent five years barely surviving. Today, Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her.
In Poor by Katriona O'Sullivan, she shares what set her on this unexpected path: the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. Teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or visited her home to convince her to sit at least one GCSE exam. A community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. A friend who introduced her to Trinity College’s access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that helped her turn her life around.
Told with warmth, clarity, and compassion—for her parents, her younger self, and others—Poor is both a powerful personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children.
Last Word Listeners' Choice Award, Irish Book Awards 2023
"One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty... one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet" – Guardian
