With Christmas Day fast approaching, it can be difficult to find a perfect last-minute gift for friends and family.
With local bookstores filled with endless choice, it can be overwhelming to browse for a particular book to give someone this festive season.
In Derry, both Foyle Books and Little Acorns Bookstore are filled with local authors and Derry books to suit all those native to the city or those who just fell in love with it on the way.
From historical books to political books and satire books depicting the particular humour only found in the Walled City, there are plenty of options to delight Derry bookworms.
Here are some fantastic Derry books that will make the perfect last-minute Christmas purchase for Derry friends and family this year:
- Derry's Streets
This special Columban Anniversary of John Bryson's Derry's Streets was released to mark the 1500th anniversary of the birth of Columba. The book is full of photographs and artists depictions of the streets of Derry, allowing those who read it to be immersed in their city's history by seeing the changes in the streets that surround them.
- Erin's Diary
A must-have for any Derry Girls fan is Erin's Diary, written by Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee. This funny and charming book gives the reader Erin's inner take on everything that has happened in the TV series so far. The book both dives deeper into the events we have seen unfold on the screen and unveils brand new stories and never-before-revealed details about characters.
- Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?
Biography of the Year winner at the An Post awards, Séamas O'Reilly's 'Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?' has been a book that has stunned Derry audiences all year. Derry natives can all relate to the humour to be found within this moving memoir, with references to businesses and places that no longer exist to make for fond reminiscing.
- The Wile Big Derry Phrasebook
Everyone native to the city or even know someone from Derry know that often, Derry people have their own language. Proud Derryman Seamus McConnell has established the definitive collection of Derryisms. This funny and easy-to-read guide will remind you of all the sayings and phrases that make our city unique.
- Monica McWilliams: Stand Up, Speak Out
Derry native Monica McWilliams is best known for trailblazing the way for women in politics through the Women's Coalition party. With a seat at the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, Monica McWilliams' new book takes the reader through the journey of her life, to the seat in Stormont and beyond.
- Get Beethoven!
Derry is a city full of musical talent, and Paul Cassidy's Get Beethoven is a book that draws you into the significance of music during the city's most difficult times. Overcoming adversity in his younger years, Paul recounts tragedy, joy, horror and humour in his journey as a musician. Informative and entertaining, the book charts his journey up to joining the Brodsky Quartet in 1982.
- John Hume: In His Own Words
This tremendous book is all the more important and poignant since the passing of Pat and John Hume. Through this book the reader will gain a comprehensive overview of Hume's political thoughts, comments on critical events and developments, from the civil rights movement to the establishment of the Credit Union, and Hume's proposals for resolving the Northern Irish conflict.
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