Do You Remember the First Time?

First love has the power to change us forever. Join Seán Hewitt as he explores themes of possibility and sacrifice in his debut novel, Open, Heaven — the poignant story of two teenage boys falling in love in the English countryside. Described by Brandon Taylor as ‘God’s Own Country meets Heartstopper’, Open, Heaven has already garnered acclaim, earning spots on the Guardian, Irish Times, and BBC’s lists of ‘Books to Look Out For’ in 2025.

On the cusp of adulthood, James dreams of another life far away from his small village. As he contends with the expectations of his family, his burgeoning desire – an ache for autonomy, tenderness and sex – threatens to unravel his shy exterior.

Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. Luke comes with a reputation for danger, but underneath his bravado lie anxieties and hopes of his own.

With the passing seasons, the two teenagers grow closer and the bond that emerges between them transforms their lives. James falls deeply for Luke, yet he is never sure of Luke’s true feelings. And as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make – will he risk everything for the possibility of love?

Seán will be in conversation with Costa Book Award-winning author Monique Roffey. Together, they will explore the craft of first novels, the profound impact of first love, and how these pivotal moments can alter the course of a life.

Seán Hewitt was born in 1990. He is the author of two poetry collections, Tongues of Fire and Rapture’s Road, and a memoir, All Down Darkness Wide. He collaborated with the artist Luke Edward Hall on 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World. Hewitt has received the Laurel Prize and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and been shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. He lectures at Trinity College Dublin and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Website / Instagram @seanehewitt

‘Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace; in Open, Heaven, beauty, longing and the natural world form a single chord that strikes the heart of the reader with love’s impossibility. The heightened, poetic state of adolescence is perfectly captured here’ — Anne Enright, Booker Prize-winning author of The Wren, The Wren

‘A searchingly poignant and beautiful novel about how a first love can shape a whole life, Open, Heaven is a deeply felt, lyrical and impossibly tender read.’ — Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk

Read: Varsity: How Seán Hewitt writes the books he wished for as a child

Monique Roffey was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She is the author of eight novels and a memoir. The Mermaid of Black Conch won the Costa Book of the Year and the Costa Novel Award 2020. It was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2021, the Goldsmiths Prize 2020 and the Republic of Consciousness Prize 2021, and longlisted for the Orwell Prize, the Ondaatje Prize and the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature 2021. Her highly acclaimed previous books are sun dog, The White Woman on the Green Bicycle (shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010), Archipelago (winner of the OCM Bocas Award for Caribbean Literature 2013), House of Ashes (shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2014),

The Tryst and With the Kisses of His Mouth. Monique Roffey is a Professor at the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University and a tutor for the National Centre for Writing. Website / Instagram @moniqueroffey