Binchy, Maeve (1940-2012), was an Irish journalist, novelist, and short-story writer. Her fiction is notable for its strong, believable story lines and sympathetic characters. Both her fiction and her journalism are known for their unique humor and beautifully detailed descriptions of small Irish towns and also of London.
Binchy entered the world of journalism from teaching. She wrote travel articles during the summer holidays while working at various girls’ schools in Ireland during the 1960’s. In 1969, she joined the staff of The Irish Times as an editor for the women’s section. She also contributed travel features to the newspaper and soon became a popular columnist, writing amusing pieces from various parts of the world. She moved to London in 1972 and continued to work for The Irish Times as a correspondent.
Binchy began her career as a fiction writer with the publication of two sets of short stories about life in London, Central Line (1978) and Victoria Line (1980). These two collections were later republished in a single volume, London Transports (1983). Her wry observations about middle-class life in Dublin were included in her next collection of short stories, Dublin 4 (1982).
Binchy’s first novel, Light a Penny Candle, appeared in 1982. It chronicles the ups and downs in a lifelong relationship between two women. Light a Penny Candle was followed by a succession of well-crafted and popular works. They included the novels The Lilac Bus (1984), Echoes (1985), Firefly Summer (1987), Silver Wedding (1988), Circle of Friends (1990), The Copper Beech (1992), The Glass Lake (1995), Evening Class (1996), Tara Road (1998), Scarlet Feather (2001), Quentins (2002), Nights of Rain and Stars (2004), Whitethorn Woods (2006), Heart and Soul (2008), and Minding Frankie (2010). Later collections of short stories include Dublin People (1993), Cross Lines and This Year It Will Be Different (both 1996), The Return Journey (1998), and Chestnut Street (published in 2014, after her death). A small collection of her humorous writing about illness, Aches and Pains, was published in 1999.
Binchy also achieved success as a stage and television playwright. Her plays End of Term (1976) and Half Promised Land (1979) were staged at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin. Her television play Deeply Regretted By (1979) won an award at the Prague Film Festival. Several of her novels have also been adapted for television and the cinema.
Binchy was born on May 28, 1940, in Dublin, Ireland, and grew up in Dalkey. Educated at the Holy Child Convent in Killiney, she later obtained a history degree in 1960 from University College, Dublin. Binchy died on July 30, 2012.
