This is a list of writers born or who have lived in Northern Ireland. __NOTOC__

B

Tony Bailie Tony Bailie is a novelist, and journalist from Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. Works Tony Bailie is an Irish writer and journalist who, as of 2018, has published three novels and two poetry collections. His first novel, ''The Lost ...

(born 1962) *

Jo Bannister Jo Bannister (born 31 July 1951 in Rochdale, Lancashire) is a British crime fiction novelist. Life and work She began her career as a journalist and rose to become editor of the '' County Down Spectator'' before resigning to devote all her tim ...

(born 1951) *

Colin Bateman Colin Bateman (known mononymously as Bateman) is a novelist, screenwriter and former journalist from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Biography Born on 13 June 1962, Bateman attended Bangor Grammar School leaving at 16 when he was hired ...

(born 1962) * Ronan Bennett (born 1956) *

Maureen Boyle Maureen Boyle (born 1961) is a Northern Irish poet. Biography Maureen Boyle was born and raised near Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. She studied English at Trinity College, Dublin, graduating B.A in 1984. Her poems have been pub ...

(born 1961) *

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

(born 1960) *

Colette Bryce Colette Bryce is a poet, freelance writer, and editor. She was a Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of Dundee from 2003 to 2005, and a North East Literary Fellow at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne from 2005 to 2007. She was the ...

(born 1970) *

Eve Bunting Anne Evelyn Bunting (née Bolton) (born December 19, 1928), also known as Eve Bunting, is a Northern Ireland-born American writer of more than 250 books. Her work covers a broad array of subjects and includes fiction and non-fiction books. Her n ...

(born 1928) * James Burke (born 1936) * Anna Burns (born 1962)

C

Lucy Caldwell Lucy Caldwell (born 1981) is a Northern Irish playwright and novelist. She was the winner of the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award. Biography Born in Belfast in 1981 in what she later described as into one of the darkest and most turbulent y ...

(born 1982) *

Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the ...

(1879–1944) *

William Carleton William Carleton (4 March 1794, Prolusk (often spelt as Prillisk as on his gravestone), Clogher, County Tyrone – 30 January 1869, Sandford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin) was an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his ''Traits and St ...

(novelist) (1794–1869) * Thomas Carnduff (1886–1956) *

Ciarán Carson Ciaran Gerard Carson (9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist. Biography Ciaran Carson was born in Belfast into an Irish-speaking family. His father, William, was a postman and his mother, Mary, wo ...

(1948–2019) *

Joyce Cary Arthur Joyce Lunel Cary (7 December 1888 – 29 March 1957) was an Anglo-Irish novelist and colonial official. Early life and education Arthur Joyce Lunel Cary was born in his grandparents' home, above the Belfast Bank in Derry, Ireland in 1 ...

(1888–1957) *

James Cousins James Henry Cousins (22 July 1873 – 20 February 1956) was an Anglo-Irish writer, playwright, actor, critic, editor, teacher and poet. He used several pseudonyms, including Mac Oisín and the Hindu name Jayaram. Life Cousins was born at 18, ...

(1873–1956) *

Kathleen Coyle Kathleen Coyle (23 October 1886 – 25 March 1952) was an Irish novelist, best known for her autobiographical work. Early life Kathleen Coyle was born in Derry on 23 October 1886. She was the eldest child of John and Catherine Coyle (née M ...

(1886–1952) * Mairtín Crawford (1967–2004) * Sam Cree (1928–1980) * Eric Cross (1905–1980)

D

* Gerald Dawe (born 1952) * Seamus Deane (1940–2021) * Anne Devlin (born 1951) *

Susannah Dickey Susannah Dickey is a novelist and poet from Derry in Northern Ireland. Dickey received an Eric Gregory Award The Eric Gregory Award is a literary award given annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of ...

Richard Doherty James Richard Doherty (born 19 May 1948), known as Richard Doherty, is a British military historian and author from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Educated at St. Columb's College, he has written more than twenty books about British and ...

* Moyra Donaldson (born 1956) * Charles Donnelly (1914–1937) * John Dougherty (born 1964) *

Garbhan Downey Garbhan Downey (born 24 February 1966) is a novelist and editor from Derry, Northern Ireland. He is the former Director of Communications and Marketing for Culture Company 2013, which delivered Derry's City of Culture year. Biography Derry-born ...

E

* St. John Greer Ervine (1883–1971)

F

Padraic Fiacc Padraic Fiacc (born Patrick Joseph O'Connor; 15 April 1924 – 21 January 2019) was an Irish poet, and member of Aosdána, the exclusive Irish Arts Academy. Biographical information Born Patrick Joseph O'Connor in Belfast to Bernard and Annie ( ...

(1924–2019) *

Leontia Flynn Leontia Flynn (born December 1974) is a poet and writer from Northern Ireland. She grew up between the towns of Dundrum and Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. She is the second-youngest of five siblings. She has worked at The Seamus He ...

(born 1974) * Brendan Foley (born 1964) *

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...

(1929–2015) *

Seamus Finnegan Seamus Finnegan (born 1949) is a Northern Irish playwright. He lives in London, and was born in Belfast Northern Ireland on 1 March 1949. Early life Born in Belfast Northern Ireland, he is the son of Mary (née Magee) and Billy Finnegan, a br ...

(born 1949)

G

Stephen Gilbert Stephen Gilbert (15 January 1910 – 12 January 2007) was a painter and sculptor from Scotland. He was one of the few British artists fully to embrace the avant-garde movement in Paris in the 1950s. Early years Gilbert was born in Worm ...

(1912–2010) * Robert Greacen (1920–2008)

H

* Sam Hanna Bell (1909–1990) *

Francis Harvey Major Francis John William Harvey, VC (29 April 1873 – 31 May 1916) was an officer of the British Royal Marine Light Infantry during the First World War. Harvey was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gall ...

(1925–2014) *

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

(1939–2013) * John Hewitt (1907–1987) * Sir John Heygate, 4th Baronet (1903-1976) * Gareth Higgins (born 1975) * Bulmer Hobson (1882–1969)

J

* Carolyn Jess-Cooke (born 1978) * Fred Johnston (born 1951)

K

* Brian Keenan (born 1950) * Brian Kennedy (born 1966) * Benedict Kiely (1919–2007)

L

Nick Laird Nicholas Laird (born 1975) is a Northern Irish novelist and poet. Education Laird was born in Cookstown, County Tyrone, where he attended the local comprehensive school. He then gained entry to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he init ...

(born 1975) * Maurice Leitch (born 1933) * Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) *

Antonia Logue Antonia Logue is an Irish novelist from Park, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Logue was born in Derry in 1972. She is the only daughter of Hugh Logue (politician and economist) and Anne Logue (a lawyer). She grew up in the village of Park ...

(born 1972) *

Michael Longley Michael Longley, (born 27 July 1939, Belfast, Northern Ireland), is an Anglo-Irish poet. Life and career One of twin boys, Michael Longley was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to English parents, Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast A ...

(born 1939) * Robert Wilson Lynd (1879–1949)

M

Bernard MacLaverty Bernard MacLaverty (born 14 September 1942) is an Irish fiction writer and novelist. His novels include ''Cal'' and ''Grace Notes''. He has written five books of short stories. Biography ''MacLaverty'' was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a ...

(born 1942) *

Louis MacNeice Frederick Louis MacNeice (12 September 1907 – 3 September 1963) was an Irish poet and playwright, and a member of the Auden Group, which also included W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender and Cecil Day-Lewis. MacNeice's body of work was widely ...

(1907–1963) * Deirdre Madden (born 1960) * Derek Mahon (1941–2020) *

Philip MacCann Philip MacCann is a British author. Born in Manchester, he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and studied creative writing at the University of East Anglia under Malcolm Bradbury. His first book, ''The Miracle Shed'' (1995), a collection of ...

(born 1967) *

Owen McCafferty Owen McCafferty (born 1961) is a playwright from Northern Ireland. Early life Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, McCafferty in 1961 he was brought up in London from the age of 1 until aged 10 when his parents returned to Belfast. He was educat ...

(born 1961) *

Eamonn McCann Eamonn McCann (born 10 March 1943) is an Irish politician, journalist, political activist, and former councillor from Derry, Northern Ireland. McCann was a People Before Profit (PBP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 201 ...

(born 1943) * Hugh McFadden *

Roy McFadden Roy McFadden (14 November 1921 – 15 September 1999) was a Northern Irish poet, editor, and lawyer. McFadden's first poem was published before he was thirteen. His earliest influences were from magazines and journals that his Father brought home, ...

(1921–1999) * Medbh McGuckian (born 1950) * Christina McKenna *

Adrian McKinty Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of crime and mystery novels and young adult fiction, best known for his 2020 award-winning thriller, ''The Chain'', and the Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. He is a winner ...

* David McKittrick (born 1949) * Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1966) * Nigel McLoughlin (born 1968) * George McWhirter (born 1939) * Eoin McNamee (born 1961) *

Sam Millar Sam Millar (born 1955) is a crime writer and playwright from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Millar was also a member of the Irish Republican Army from around the age of 15 after first seeing the events of Bloody Sunday and then, a few days after Blo ...

(born 1955) * Alice Milligan (1865–1953) *

Gary Mitchell Gary Mitchell (born 3 May 1965) is a Northern Irish playwright. By the 2000s, he had become "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright". ...

(born 1965) * Frances Molloy (1947–1991), novelist * Brian Moore (1921–1999) * Sinéad Morrissey (born 1972) * Danny Morrison (born 1953) *

Paul Muldoon Paul Muldoon (born 20 June 1951) is an Irish poet. He has published more than thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. At Princeton University he is currently both the Howard G. B. Clark '21 University P ...

(born 1951) * Paul Murray (born 1947) *

Tony Macaulay (writer) Tony Macaulay (born 23 July 1963) is a Northern Ireland author, leadership consultant, peace builder and broadcaster. Background Macaulay was born in Lisburn and grew up in the Upper Shankill area of West Belfast. He attended Belfast Royal Academ ...

(born 1963){{div col end

N

Stuart Neville Stuart Neville (born 1972) is a Northern Ireland, Northern Irish author best known for his novel ''The Twelve'' or, as it is known in the United States, ''The Ghosts of Belfast''. He was born and grew up in Armagh, Northern Ireland. Works ''The ...

O

Flann O'Brien Brian O'Nolan ( ga, Brian Ó Nualláin; 5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966), better known by his pen name Flann O'Brien, was an Irish civil service official, novelist, playwright and satirist, who is now considered a major figure in twentieth c ...

(1911–1966) *

Conor O'Callaghan Conor O'Callaghan (born 1968) is an Ireland, Irish novelist and poet. Biography O'Callaghan was born in Newry in 1968 and grew up in Dundalk. His first novel, ''Nothing on Earth'', was published to acclaim in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Ke ...

(born 1968) *

Malachi O'Doherty Malachi John O'Doherty (born 1951, Muff, County Donegal, Ireland) is a journalist, author and broadcaster in Northern Ireland. He is the producer and presenter of the audio blog ''Arts Talk''. Career O'Doherty was one of the longest runni ...

(born 1951) *

Moira O'Neill Moira O'Neill was the pseudonym of Agnes Shakespeare Higginson (1864–1955), a popular Irish-Canadian poet who wrote ballads and other verse inspired by County Antrim, where she lived at Cushendun. In 1895, she and her husband Walter Skrine li ...

(1864–1955) *

Séamus Ó Néill Séamus Ó Néill, (died 1981), was an Irish writer from Clarkhill, Castlewellan, County Down, Ireland. Following a primary degree from Queen's University, Belfast, he did historical research under Eoin MacNeill at University College, Dublin. ...

(1910–1986) *

Frank Ormsby Francis Arthur Ormsby (born 1947) is a Northern Irish author and poet. Life Frank Ormsby was born in Irvinestown, County Fermanagh. He was educated at St Michael's College, Enniskillen and then Queen's University Belfast. From 1976 until his r ...

(born 1947) * James Orr (1770-1816)

David Park

Stewart Parker James Stewart Parker (20 October 1941 – 2 November 1988) was a Northern Irish poet and playwright. Biography He was born in Sydenham, Belfast, of a Protestant working-class family. His birthplace is marked by an Ulster History Circle blue ...

(1941–1988) *

Glenn Patterson Glenn Patterson (born 1961) is a writer from Belfast, best known as a novelist. Biography Patterson was born in Belfast where he attended Methodist College Belfast. He graduated from the University of East Anglia (BA, MA), where he was a produc ...

(born 1961) *

Tom Paulin Thomas Neilson Paulin (born 25 January 1949 in Leeds, England) is a Northern Irish poet and critic of film, music and literature. He lives in England, where he was the G. M. Young Lecturer in English Literature at Hertford College, Oxford. Ea ...

(born 1945) * William Peskett (born 1952)

Q

R

Zane Radcliffe Zane Radcliffe (born 1969 in Bangor, Northern Ireland) is an author from Northern Ireland. Early life Radcliffe graduated from Queen's University Belfast, where he was the editor of their student newspaper. After graduation, he briefly worked ...

* Christina Reid *

Forrest Reid Forrest Reid (born 24 June 1875, Belfast, Ireland; d. 4 January 1947, Warrenpoint, County Down, Northern Ireland) was an Irish novelist, literary critic and translator. He was, along with Hugh Walpole and J. M. Barrie, a leading pre-war novelist ...

(1875–1947) * Graham Reid (born 1945) *

Amanda McKittrick Ross Anna Margaret Ross (née McKittrick; 8 December 1860 – 2 February 1939), known by her pen-name Amanda McKittrick Ros, was an Irish writer. She published her first novel '' Irene Iddesleigh'' at her own expense in 1897. She wrote poetry an ...

(1860–1939) * Richard Rowley (1877–1947) *

George William Russell George William Russell (10 April 1867 – 17 July 1935), who wrote with the pseudonym Æ (often written AE or A.E.), was an Irish writer, editor, critic, poet, painter and Irish nationalist. He was also a writer on mysticism, and a centr ...

(1867–1935)

S

* Ian Sansom (born 1966) *

Bob Shaw Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" ...

(1931–1996) * George Shiels (1886–1949) * James Simmons (1933–2001) * Geoffrey Squires (born 1942)

T

Gerald J. Tate Gerald J Tate (born 6 February 1954, Belfast) is a Northern Irish horror writer, who is also an aircraft engineer. Writings His first book, ''Cappawhite'', was released in 2006, and re-edited in 2009. Director Ron Howard was in talks with t ...

(born 1954) *

Sam Thompson Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...

(1916–1965) * Joseph Tomelty (1911–1995)

W

* James White (1928–1999) * Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1964)

Y

* Ella Young (1865–1951)

References

Irish Playography
*''The Encyclopaedia of Ireland'', Gill and Macmillan, Dublin, 2003
Irish Writers OnlineCulture Northern IrelandArts Council of Northern Ireland

Writers A writer is a person who uses writing, written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, Short story, short stories, books, poetr ...

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

Writers,Northern