Irish-born Perth resident Dervla McTiernan is standing out on the world literary stage, having had two of her thrillers named The New York Times bestsellers and selling over 1 million copies.

Press PLAY to hear Dervla McTiernan on Who are you really?

Once a lawyer, the bestselling author told 6PR Drive host Jamie Burnett about discovering she had a brain tumour on the same day she secured representation with a literary agent for her first book – a life event she now describes as a blessing in disguise.

“It was such a gift that that came at the same time in my life when I was dealing with something else really rough”, she said.

Image: 6PR