Then We’ll Be Happy
If you’re always thinking that the next thing will make you happy … what happens to right now?
Seventeen-year-old Sam, who has cerebral palsy, wants some control over his life.
When he is excluded from yet another school trip and has to spend the day with his bully, it’s the tipping point.
In his campaign for change, Sam gets more than he bargained for. But if you’re always thinking that the next thing will make you happy, what happens to right now?
Additional information
| Genre | Contemporary, Literary Fiction |
|---|---|
| Age | Young Adult |
| Publisher | Independent |
| Imprint | Chicken House |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format(s) | eBook, Mass Market Paperback |
| Author | Alan Carrigan |
| Release Date | 30 July 2026 |
| Release Month | July Releases |
| Author Identity | Disabled |
| Content Rep | Disability, LGBTQIA+ |
About the Author
Alan Carrigan is an Irish novelist and screenwriter with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, specialising in young adult coming-of-age stories and children’s fantasy, with a focus on crafting character-driven, witty, and nuanced stories, most of which feature the types of authentically disabled characters he needed but rarely saw growing up.
During a creative writing course at university, he began working on a novel. He enjoyed writing so much that in his downtime, he turned his attention to the screen and was accepted into the Evolve animation writing program for underrepresented writers with Creative Skillnet and The National Talent Academy. Going on to work with companies such as Ink and Light Films and D11 Stories, and was selected as one of the writers for Screen Stories 2025 with Tilting the Lens and Screen Ireland.
