Maeve Binchy

Maeve Binchy
Binchy in 2006
Binchy in 2006
BornAnne Maeve Binchy
(1939-05-28)28 May 1939
Dublin, Ireland
Died30 July 2012(2012-07-30) (aged 73)
Dublin, Ireland
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
Period1978–2012
Genre
Literary movementPost-war Irish fiction
Notable works
Notable awards
Spouse
​
(m. 1977)​
Relatives

Anne Maeve Binchy Snell (28 May 1939[1] – 30 July 2012) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Her novels were characterised by a sympathetic and often humorous portrayal of small-town life in Ireland, and surprise endings.[2][3] Her novels, which were translated into 37 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at age 73, announced by Vincent Browne on Irish television late on 30 July 2012, was mourned as the death of one of Ireland's best-loved and most recognisable writers.[4][5][6][7]

She appeared in the US market, featuring on The New York Times Best Seller list and in Oprah's Book Club.[8] Recognised for her "total absence of malice"[9] and generosity to other writers, she finished third in a 2000 poll for World Book Day, ahead of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King.[4][10]

  1. ^ Born 1939 as per biography, Maeve Binchy by Piers Dudgeon, Thomas Dunne Books 2013; ISBN 978-1-250-04714-4 (hardcover), pp. 4, 280, 302; ISBN 978-1-4668-4750-7 (ebook)
  2. ^ "Maeve Binchy". Guardian Unlimited Books. 22 July 2008. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
  3. ^ "Maeve Binchy". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bbc_death was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference irish_times_death was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference rte_death was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference journal_death was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Maeve Binchy, bestselling Irish author, dies". CBC News. 31 July 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  9. ^ Greenslade, Roy (31 July 2012). "Maeve Binchy, a journalist whose head was full of stories". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference award_relief_anxious was invoked but never defined (see the help page).