Maeve Binchy was born in 1939 in Dalkey, a small village outside Dublin. She graduated from University College in Dublin and then became a teacher. She worked for a time in Israel and, while there, had a letter published in The Irish Times, earning her £18 – more than her weekly salary. She then went on to pursue a career as a journalist. Maeve married the love of her life, children’s author Gordon Snell, in 1977 after the pair met at Broadcasting House, the home of the BBC.
Maeve Binchy’s literary career began in 1978 when her book of short stories Central Line was published. In total she had 11 books of short stories published and also wrote plays for radio, TV and the stage. But she is most famous for her 16 novels, several of which were best sellers and 3 of which have been made into films. She died in 2012 at the age of 73.
Maeve Binchy is unmistakeably Irish but did you know that she married an Englishman? Test your knowledge on Maeve Binchy and discover some more interesting nuggets of information in this quiz.