Marian Keyes
Encyclopedia
Marian Keyes is an Irish Book Awards
-winner Irish
novelist and non-fiction
writer
, best known for her work in women's literature. She has sold over more 22 million copies worldwide and been translated into 32 languages. She became known worldwide for their best-sellers, Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married and This Charming Man, which is considered one of the first authors to have the subject Chick Lit
in their books.
and raised in Monkstown
, Keyes earned a law degree from Dublin University, but immediately disregarded it, left Ireland and became a waitress in London
, feeling as though she did not deserve a well-paid career. Keyes began composing short stories after she found work in an accounts office, but initially had no intention of completing a novel, arguing that it would take too long.
In this period of her life, she underwent a severe struggle with alcoholism
, but overcame this in 1995 at a rehabilitation center in Dublin, Ireland.
However, following a letter back from the publisher whom she'd sent her manuscripts to, she began work on a book, and thus her first feature-length story, Watermelon, was born. Known for her self-deprecation, Keyes often says that she "became a writer by accident".
, they are often filled with dark themes including domestic violence
, drug abuse
, mental illness
, divorce
and alcoholism
, most of which are loosely based on her own life experiences.
She is regarded by her fans as a pioneer of the so-called 'chick-lit' genre; her stories usually revolve around a strong female character who overcomes numerous obstacles to achieve lasting happiness.
with her husband Tony, after moving back from London in 1997. She suffers from severe clinical depression
, and attempted suicide in 1994; she has since talked frankly about her battle with the disease.
Irish Book Awards
The Irish Book Awards is an annual Irish literary award given to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in...
-winner Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
novelist and non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for her work in women's literature. She has sold over more 22 million copies worldwide and been translated into 32 languages. She became known worldwide for their best-sellers, Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married and This Charming Man, which is considered one of the first authors to have the subject Chick Lit
Chick lit
Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit...
in their books.
Biography
Born in LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and raised in Monkstown
Monkstown
Monkstown is a placename shared by more than one area in Ireland:*Monkstown, County Cork, a town in County Cork.*Monkstown, County Dublin, a town or suburb on the outskirts of Dublin city in County Dublin....
, Keyes earned a law degree from Dublin University, but immediately disregarded it, left Ireland and became a waitress in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, feeling as though she did not deserve a well-paid career. Keyes began composing short stories after she found work in an accounts office, but initially had no intention of completing a novel, arguing that it would take too long.
In this period of her life, she underwent a severe struggle with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, but overcame this in 1995 at a rehabilitation center in Dublin, Ireland.
However, following a letter back from the publisher whom she'd sent her manuscripts to, she began work on a book, and thus her first feature-length story, Watermelon, was born. Known for her self-deprecation, Keyes often says that she "became a writer by accident".
Style
Although many of her novels are known as comediesComedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, they are often filled with dark themes including domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, most of which are loosely based on her own life experiences.
She is regarded by her fans as a pioneer of the so-called 'chick-lit' genre; her stories usually revolve around a strong female character who overcomes numerous obstacles to achieve lasting happiness.
Personal life
Keyes currently lives in Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
with her husband Tony, after moving back from London in 1997. She suffers from severe clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, and attempted suicide in 1994; she has since talked frankly about her battle with the disease.
Fiction
- Watermelon (1995)
- Lucy Sullivan is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting Married is an international best selling 1996 novel by Irish author, Marian Keyes. It chronicles the life of Lucy Sullivan, a 26-year-old perpetually broke, unlucky-in-love office worker from London, who has a penchant for bad boys, a needy, alcoholic and flawed father, a...
(1996) - Rachel's Holiday (1998)
- Last Chance Saloon (1999)
- Sushi for Beginners (2000)
- No Dress Rehearsal (2000)
- Angels (2002)
- The Other Side of the Story (2004)
- Nothing Bad ever Happens in Tiffany's (2005)
- Anybody Out There? (2006)
- This Charming ManThis Charming Man (book)This Charming Man is a 2008 novel by Irish author Marian Keyes. It centres on the engagement of popular politician Paddy de Courcy and the impact this has on the women in his life...
(2008) - The Brightest Star in the Sky (2009)
Non-fiction
- Under the Duvet (2001)
- Further under the Duvet (2005)
- Cracks In My Foundation in Damage Control - Women on the Therapists, Beauticians, and Trainers Who Navigate Their Bodies edited by Emma Forrest (2007)
Film & television adaptations
- Lucy Sullivan Is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting MarriedLucy Sullivan Is Getting Married is an international best selling 1996 novel by Irish author, Marian Keyes. It chronicles the life of Lucy Sullivan, a 26-year-old perpetually broke, unlucky-in-love office worker from London, who has a penchant for bad boys, a needy, alcoholic and flawed father, a...
(1999/2000) - Watermelon (16 April 2003)
- Au Secours J'ai Trente Ans (2004).
Awards
- 2009 - Irish Book AwardsIrish Book AwardsThe Irish Book Awards is an annual Irish literary award given to books and authors in various categories. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. First awarded in 2006, they grew out of the Hughes & Hughes bookstore's Irish Novel of the Year Prize which was inaugurated in...
; Irish Popular Fiction Book from This Charming Man (Won)
External links
- Official Site
- Harper Collins Site
- Readers' Blog (in Spanish)