Edna O' Brien

Edna O'Brien was born on December 15, 1930, in Ireland. She has written novels, short stories, and plays that stand out for their portrayal of women, evocative descriptions, and sexual frankness. She has been honored with the Premio Grinzane Cavour and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for her book "Lantern Slides" (published by Glaros). She also received the European Literature Prize in 1995 for her entire body of work. O'Brien is an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She resides permanently in London and frequently travels to Ireland. Her works have been translated into Greek. For her compatriots, Edna O'Brien is considered the black sheep of their literature. From her first book ("The Country Girls"), she sparked a storm of reactions. As she herself has notably stated: "The priest in my parish urged the faithful to burn my books. My mother took a pencil and scribbled out all the 'inappropriate' words." In the past, six of her books were banned in Ireland. The author herself claims that the novel "In the Forest" caused even more reactions in Ireland than her first book did, as mentioned in an interview with The Guardian.