Victoria Smurfit Reveals 40,000 Words of New Novel
Victoria Smurfit says she is writing a novel and has 40,000 words done, adding a second professional track alongside acting. The 52-year-old said she is working on “a dark, funny beach read” and wants to get “plenty of crazy ideas” out of her head.
Smurfit’s 40,000-word draft
“Writer” was her answer when asked what other profession she would like to attempt, before she added: “I’m writing a novel at the moment. I’ve got 40,000 words, and it’s a dark, funny beach read,” Smurfit said. For a performer with credits in Ballykissangel, Once Upon A Time and Rivals, that is a practical move rather than a vanity project: 40,000 words is already a substantial draft, not a half-formed idea.
“I have plenty of crazy ideas in me which I need to get out,” she said. That line gives the project its edge. Smurfit is not talking about a someday ambition; she is describing work already underway, with a specific word count and a clear tonal target.
RNIB presidency after 14 years
Smurfit was also announced as president of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, taking the reins from Dame Gail Ronson DBE after 14 years of service. Her appointment carries a personal dimension: her daughter, Evie, was diagnosed with Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy as a child.
That link turns the role into more than a ceremonial title. It places Smurfit in a position where her public profile, family experience and advocacy work now overlap, and it broadens her reach beyond screen roles into institutional leadership.
From acting to authorship
The combination of a novel in progress and a new presidency gives Smurfit a more expansive public identity than the one audiences know from Ballykissangel, Once Upon A Time and Rivals. The acting work remains part of the picture, but the writing is now concrete enough to be counted in words, not aspiration.
For readers, the immediate takeaway is simple: Smurfit is not merely teasing a side project. She has 40,000 words on the page, a title she wants to inhabit as “Writer,” and a new role at RNIB that ties her profile to a cause with direct family relevance. That is a broader platform, and she is already using it.
