Who Was Edna O'Brien? All About The Country Girls Series Author As She Passes Away At 93

Renowned Irish author Edna O'Brien, known for The Country Girls series, has died at 93. Celebrated for her feminist perspectives, she revolutionized Irish literature and earned numerous accolades.

By Shovan Roy

Published on Jul 29, 2024 | 08:32 PM IST | 49.2K

Edna O’Brien (Image via Getty Images)

Trigger warning: This article contains a reference to a tragic death.

Edna O'Brien, the eminent Irish creator of The County Girls series, succumbed to death at the age of 93. According to her publisher, Faber Books, this was revealed on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, July 28. On Saturday, July 27 O'Brien died quietly after a long illness. Her family is requesting privacy as they grieve.

Early life and career

O’Brien, born in County Clare Ireland in 1930 achieved literary fame with her first book The Country Girls which was published in 1960. It is about Cathleen and Baba who are friends from school throughout their married lives till they eventually reach their dreams.

But even though it became very successful in Britain and the USA as well, The Country Girls was banned in Ireland because it had contents that were viewed to be contrary to the strict catholic values of the state.

Before she became a writer, she worked as a pharmacist. She married the writer Ernest Gébler with whom she has two children; Marcus and Carlo. In 1964 the couple got divorced. By1959 O’Brien had moved to London and begun work with Hutchinson who then commissioned her first novel.

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Literary impact and feminist voice

O'Brien's works have been praised for their feminist approach towards women living under male-dominated systems’ rule. For example, apart from novels she wrote screenplays and plays like Country Girl (2011), biographies on James Joyce or Lord Byron, etc., and memoirs among others. Some of her other notable novels include The Little Red Chairs (2015), House of Splendid Isolation (1994), and Girl (2019).

Far from being politically correct, feminists often criticized her but O’Brien insisted on portraying women’s experiences truthfully all along this time period too; during an interview with Faber in 2015 she said that writers should be true to their feelings and that life is complicated.

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Legacy and honors

Her contributions to literature were widely acknowledged. She was awarded the Irish PEN Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, while Irish President Michael D. Higgins conferred upon her the Saoi of Aosdána, which is Ireland’s highest literary honor in the year 2015. The president praised her as a fearless truth-teller who has had an enormous effect on literature and society in Ireland.

Faber Books called O'Brien “one of the greatest writers of our age,” recognizing her radical impact on Irish writing along with her ability to depict existence itself through a luminous and stark language.

O’Brien’s work not only gave voice to women in Ireland but it also played a great role in changing their status in society. Her sons Sasha Gébler and Carlo are still alive. This legacy continues today through her influential works that have inspired many other writers.

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