Edna O'Brien | |
|---|---|
.jpg) O'Brien in 2016 | |
| Born | 15 December 1930 Tuamgraney, County Clare, Ireland |
| Occupation |
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| Language | English (Hiberno-English) |
| Years active | 1960– |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | The Yorkshire Post Book Award (Book of the Year) 1970 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction 1990 Premio Grinzane Cavour 1991 Writers' Guild Award 1993 European Prize for Literature 1995 Irish PEN Award 2001 Ulysses Medal 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award in Irish Literature 2009 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award 2011 Saoi of Aosdána 2015 David Cohen Prize 2019 Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres 2021 |
Josephine Edna O'Brien DBE (born 15 December 1930) is an Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer. Elected to Aosdána by her fellow artists, she was honoured with the title Saoi in 2015 and the biennial "UK and Ireland Nobel"[1] David Cohen Prize in 2019, whilst France made her Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2021.
O'Brien's works often revolve around the inner feelings of women, and their problems in relating to men, and to society as a whole.[2] Her first novel, The Country Girls (1960), is often credited with breaking silence on sexual matters and social issues during a repressive period in Ireland following the Second World War. The book was banned, burned and denounced from the pulpit.[3] Faber and Faber published her memoir, Country Girl, in 2012. O'Brien lives in London.
O'Brien has been mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in literature.[4][5] Philip Roth described her as "the most gifted woman now writing in English",[6] while a former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, cited her as "one of the great creative writers of her generation".[7] Others to hail her as one of the greatest writers alive include John Banville, Michael Ondaatje and Sir Ian McKellen.[5] O'Brien received the Irish PEN Award in 2001. Saints and Sinners won the 2011 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the world's richest prize for a short-story collection.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
UK and Ireland Nobelwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
kirjastowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Country Girls at 50". The Gloss Magazine. 7 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Scott-Hainchek, Sadye (27 November 2019). "Irish author Edna O'Brien receives prize seen as possible Nobel preview". Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ a b Cain, Sian (26 November 2019). "Irish novelist Edna O'Brien wins lifetime achievement award". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ O'Brien, Edna (17 January 2009). "Watching Obama". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ Robinson, Mary (29 September 2012). "A life well lived, well told". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012.