Edna O'Brien - Irish novelist, short story writer, and playwright. Born 15th december 1930 in Tuamgraney, County Clare, she trained as a pharmacist , but gave up pharmacy, eloped to County Wicklow with Czech/Irish writer Ernest Gebler, and read widely to combat the loneliness of being disowned by her family, discovering a literary ambition of her own. The couple moved to London, where she finished her first novel 'The Country Girls' (1960). Further books followed, including 'The Lonely Girl' (filmed as 'The Girl with Green Eyes'), Girls in their Married Bliss', and 'August is a Wicked Month'. Her dominant themes are loneliness, guilt and loss. Her frank portrayals of female sexuality have drawn both praise and criticism, and have caused her books to be banned in Ireland. Her short stories have been published regularly in 'The New Yorker'. 'Lantern Slides' won the Los Angeles Times book prize in 1990.