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15 Irish Authors You'll Love

With St. Patrick’s Day coming up, we want to spotlight the contributions of Irish and Irish-American authors to literature. From Oscar Wilde to James Joyce and Tana French, Irish authors have contributed a lot to the literature canon. Here are 15 Irish authors we think everyone will love!

Brendan Behan

Irish poet, shorty story writer, playwright, and novelist Brendan Behan is a staple of Irish literature. His works touch on the politics of life in Ireland in the 1950s.

Maeve Binchy

One of the most beloved Irish authors of all time. Maeve's works are character driven, leaving you with new friends when you're done with a book. She was born in Dalkey and studied at University College Dublin.
A Week in Winter Book Cover
A Week in Winter
from $4.29
Circle of Friends Book Cover
Circle of Friends
from $4.79

Anna Burns

Burns' first novel, Milkman, won the Man Booker prize, one of the highest honors in literature. Burns says she was inspired by Stephen King, so you know you are in for a thrilling ride.
Milkman Book Cover
Milkman
from $4.79
Little Construction Book Cover
Little Construction
from $4.99

Emma Donoghue

Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin in 1969. In addition to her award-wining novel, Room, she also writes middle-grade fiction. Talk about range!
Room Book Cover
Room
from $3.59
The Wonder Book Cover
The Wonder
from $4.19

Jennifer Egan

Born in Chicago, Pulitzer prize winning author Jennifer Egan is an Irish-American who is intensely proud of her Irish heritage. She has received the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
A Visit from the Goon Squad Book Cover
A Visit from the Goon Squad
from $4.09
Manhattan Beach Book Cover
Manhattan Beach
from $4.79

Anne Enright

Enright has published half a dozen novels in addition to short story collections. Born in Dublin, she completed a BA in English at Trinity College. Enright has won the Booker Prize for The Gathering and continues to publish novels that garner critical praise.
The Gathering Book Cover
The Gathering
from $4.69
Actress Book Cover
Actress
from $4.39

Tana French

French is an Irish-American author, born in Vermont but currently a long-time resident of Ireland. Her mystery books are set in Dublin and are authentically Irish, earning her the nickname "The First Lady of Irish Crime."
In the Woods Book Cover
In the Woods
from $3.99
The Witch Elm Book Cover
The Witch Elm
from $4.29

James Joyce

Joyce is regularly touted as being one of the best authors in of all English language literature. His novel Ulysses, written in his groundbreaking stream of consciousness style, changed the study of literature forever.
Ulysses Book Cover
Ulysses
from $3.99
Dubliners Book Cover
Dubliners
from $3.59

C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis's legacy barely needs introduction. His Chronicles of Narnia series has reached all over the world and enchanted generations. His nonfiction world is also notable, with writings on religion and faith that are still read today.
Mere Christianity Book Cover
Mere Christianity
from $4.79
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Book Cover
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
from $3.59

Frank McCourt

Originally born in Brooklyn to an Irish-immigrant family, McCourt's family moved back to Ireland during the great depression and it is where he spent most of his life. He reflects on his time in Ireland in his memoir Angela's Ashes, which won a Book Critics Circle Award.
Angela
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
from $4.19
'Tis: A Memoir
from $4.79

Liz Nugent

Nugent won an Irish Book Award in 2014 for her debut novel, Unraveling Oliver, a telling of the unwinding of a psychopathic mind. She has continued the award streak with her second novel, Lying in Wait. Nugent was born in Dublin in 1967 and currently lives there with her husband.
Unravelling Oliver Book Cover
Unravelling Oliver
from $6.39
Lying in Wait Book Cover
Lying in Wait
from $4.19

Sally Rooney

Rooney won Novel of the Year at the 2018 Irish Books Awards with Normal People and since then has been an author no one wants to miss!
Normal People Book Cover
Normal People
from $7.59
Conversations with Friends Book Cover
Conversations with Friends
from $7.39

Jonathan Swift

Swift was born in Ireland in 1645 and lived there all his life. While most welll known for his novel Gulliver's Travels, Swift is also very well regarded for his political satire.

Colm Tóibín

For his immense contributions to Irish literature, Toibin was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Book Awards in 2019. His works depict Irish society and personal identity.
Brooklyn Book Cover
Brooklyn
from $4.69
The Master Book Cover
The Master
from $4.89

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in none other than Dublin, Ireland. He attended Trinity College there before moving on to Oxford. An accomplished and well-known playwright, Wilde might be most famous for his only novel, the picture of Dorian Gray.
The Picture of Dorian Gray Book Cover
The Picture of Dorian Gray
from $3.99
Collected Works Book Cover
Collected Works
from $8.09
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