By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Acclaimed Irish author Edna O'Brien has passed away at the age of 93. Her literary agent, PFD, and her publisher, Faber, announced that she died peacefully on Saturday following a long illness. Their thoughts are with her family and friends, especially her sons, Marcus and Carlo.
O'Brien was born in rural County Clare in 1930. Finding her education by nuns stifling, she moved to Dublin to escape, eventually spending much of her life in London. Her debut novel, The Country Girls, was published in 1960. This groundbreaking work, depicting the lives and sexuality of two female friends, shocked Ireland and, along with its sequels The Lonely Girl and Girls in Their Married Bliss was banned by the Irish government. Copies of the books were even burned, including in O'Brien's own village. Nevertheless, the novels were hugely successful and are credited with challenging traditional societal views.
O'Brien authored more than 20 novels, as well as dramas and biographies. Her work often explored the struggles of women in a male dominated society. She received numerous awards, including the Pen Nabokov Prize.
Ireland's president, Michael D. Higgins, expressed his "great sorrow" at her passing, praising O'Brien as a "fearless teller of truths" and a superb writer who had the moral courage to confront Irish society with uncomfortable realities. He noted that her insightful work, rich in humanity, gave a true voice to the experiences of Irish women across generations and played a significant role in transforming the status of women in Ireland. While her work was immediately acclaimed abroad, Higgins highlighted the hostile reaction it provoked in Ireland, with her books being shamefully banned upon their initial publication.
In a 2020 interview with the Guardian, O'Brien reflected on her life, stating that it had not been "that brilliant" in many ways. She acknowledged the difficulties she faced but emphasized that the mystery and miracle of language had sustained her, likening it to the song Carrickfergus that speaks of being carried over by the richness of great language.
