Joseph Victor O'Connor (born 20 September 1963) is an Irish novelist. His 2002
historical novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...
''
Star of the Sea'' was an international number one bestseller. Before success as an author, he was a journalist with the ''
Sunday Tribune'' newspaper and ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
''. He is a regular contributor to
RTÉ
(; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
and a member of the Irish artists' association
Aosdána.
Early life
O'Connor is the eldest of five children and brother of singer
Sinéad O'Connor. He is from the
Glenageary
Glenageary ( ) is an area on the Southside, Dublin, Southside of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. While it has no formal boundary, it is surrounded by the areas of Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthule, Johnsto ...
area of south Dublin. His parents are Sean O'Connor, a structural engineer who later turned
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...
, and Marie O'Connor.
Educated at
Blackrock College, O'Connor graduated from
University College Dublin with an M.A. in Anglo-Irish Literature. He did post-graduate work at
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
and received a second M.A. from
Leeds Metropolitan University's
Northern School of Film and Television in screenwriting. In the late 1980s, he worked for the British Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign; his second novel, ''Desperadoes'', drew on his experiences in
revolutionary Nicaragua.
Career
O'Connor's novel ''Cowboys and Indians'' (1991) was on the shortlist for the
Whitbread Prize
The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in United Kingdom, UK and Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first ...
.
On 10 February 1985 his mother was killed in a car accident. The mother of his character Sweeney in ''The Salesman'' (1998) died in the same manner.
In 2002, he wrote the novel ''
Star of the Sea,'' which ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...
'' listed as one of the top books of 2003. His 2010 novel, ''Ghost Light'' is loosely based on the life of the actress
Maire O'Neill, born Mary "Molly" Allgood, and her relationship with the Irish playwright
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909), popularly known as J. M. Synge, was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, essayist, and collector of folklores. As an important driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, Ir ...
. It was published by
Harvill Secker of London in 2010.
O'Connor was a Research Fellow at the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
and Visiting Professor of Creative Writing/Writer in Residence at
Baruch College, the City University of New York.
In 2014, he was announced as the inaugural
Frank McCourt Chair in Creative Writing at the
University of Limerick, where he teaches on the MA in Creative Writing.
He was a regular contributor to ''
Drivetime'', an evening news and current affairs programme on
RTÉ Radio 1.
O'Connor's ''Shadowplay'', published in 2019, was shortlisted for the 2019 Costa Book Prize in the Novel category.
Personal life
O'Connor is married to television and film writer
Anne-Marie Casey. They have two sons. He and his family have lived in London and Dublin, and occasionally resided in New York City.
Awards and Honours
Selected publications
* ''Cowboys and Indians'' (1991)
* ''True Believers'' (Short Stories)
* ''Even the Olives Are Bleeding: The Life and Times of Charles Donnelly'' (1993)
* ''Desperadoes'' (1993)
* ''The Secret World of the Irish Male'' (1994)
* ''The Irish Male at Home and Abroad'' (1996)
* ''Sweet Liberty: Travels in Irish America'' (1996)
* ''The Salesman'' (1998)
* ''Inishowen'' (2000)
* ''The Comedian'' (2000)
* ''The Last of the Irish Males'' (2001)
* ''
Star of the Sea: Farewell to Old Ireland'' (2002)
* ''Redemption Falls'' (2007)
* ''Ghost Light'' (2010)
* ''Where Have You Been?'' (2012) (Short Stories)
* ''The Thrill of It All'' (2014)
* ''Shadowplay'' (2019)
* ''My Father's House'' (2023)
* The Ghosts of Rome (2025)
Stage plays
* ''
Red Roses and Petrol''
* ''The Weeping of Angels''
* ''
My Cousin Rachel'' – stage adaptation of the
Daphne du Maurier novel.
* ''Handel's Crossing ''
References
External links
www.doollee.com – The Playwrights' Database
Barnesandnoble.com interviewPersonal Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Joseph
1963 births
20th-century Irish people
21st-century Irish people
Living people
Alumni of University College Dublin
Aosdána members
Irish dramatists and playwrights
Irish male dramatists and playwrights
Irish novelists
People from Glenageary
Sunday Tribune people
People educated at Blackrock College
Irish PEN Award for Literature winners
Irish male novelists