Nuala O'Faolain
Encyclopedia
Nuala O'Faolain (1 March 1940 9 May 2008) was an Irish
journalist, TV producer, book reviewer, teacher and author. She became internationally well-known for her two volumes of memoir, Are You Somebody? and Almost There; a novel, My Dream of You; and a history with commentary, The Story of Chicago May. The first three were all featured on the New York Times Best Seller list
. Her posthumous novel Best Love, Rosie was published in 2009.
, the University of Hull
, and Oxford University. She taught for a time at Morley College
, and worked as a television producer for the BBC
and Radio Telefís Éireann.
O'Faolain described her early life as growing up in a Catholic country which in her view feared sexuality and forbade her even information about her body.. In her writings she often discusses her frustration at the sexism and rigidity of roles in Catholic Ireland that expected her to marry and have children, of which she did neither.
O'Faolain was engaged at least once, but she never married. In Are You Somebody?, she speaks candidly about her fifteen-year relationship with the journalist Nell McCafferty
, who published her own memoir, Nell. From 2002 until her death, O'Faolain lived much of the time with Brooklyn-based attorney John Low-Beer and his daughter Anna. They were registered as domestic partners in 2003.
O'Faolain split her time between Ireland and New York City. She had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer
and was interviewed on the Marian Finucane
radio show on RTE Radio One on 12 April 2008 in relation to her terminal illness.
She told Finucane, "I don’t want more time. As soon as I heard I was going to die, the goodness went from life".
On 9 May 2008 it was announced that O'Faolain had died during the night.
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...
journalist, TV producer, book reviewer, teacher and author. She became internationally well-known for her two volumes of memoir, Are You Somebody? and Almost There; a novel, My Dream of You; and a history with commentary, The Story of Chicago May. The first three were all featured on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. Her posthumous novel Best Love, Rosie was published in 2009.
Personal life
O'Faolain was born in Dublin, the second eldest of nine children. Her father was a well-known Irish journalist, writing the "Dubliners Diary" social column under the pen name Terry O'Sullivan for the Dublin Evening Press. She was educated at University College DublinUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
, and Oxford University. She taught for a time at Morley College
Morley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
, and worked as a television producer for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and Radio Telefís Éireann.
O'Faolain described her early life as growing up in a Catholic country which in her view feared sexuality and forbade her even information about her body.. In her writings she often discusses her frustration at the sexism and rigidity of roles in Catholic Ireland that expected her to marry and have children, of which she did neither.
O'Faolain was engaged at least once, but she never married. In Are You Somebody?, she speaks candidly about her fifteen-year relationship with the journalist Nell McCafferty
Nell McCafferty
Nell McCafferty is an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and feminist. In her journalistic work she has written for The Irish Press, The Irish Times, Sunday Tribune, Hot Press and The Village Voice....
, who published her own memoir, Nell. From 2002 until her death, O'Faolain lived much of the time with Brooklyn-based attorney John Low-Beer and his daughter Anna. They were registered as domestic partners in 2003.
O'Faolain split her time between Ireland and New York City. She had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
and was interviewed on the Marian Finucane
Marian Finucane
Marian Finucane is an Irish broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She has worked with the national broadcaster since in 1976, starting as a continuity announcer. She was the first presenter of Liveline...
radio show on RTE Radio One on 12 April 2008 in relation to her terminal illness.
She told Finucane, "I don’t want more time. As soon as I heard I was going to die, the goodness went from life".
On 9 May 2008 it was announced that O'Faolain had died during the night.
Awards
- 1985: Jacob's Award as producer of RTÉRTÉ OneRTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
television programme Plain Tales - Journalist of the year
- 2006: Prix Femina, The Story of Chicago May
Books
- Best Love, Rosie, New Island Books, 2009. ISBN 978-1848400450.
- The Story of Chicago May, Riverhead Books, 2005. ISBN 1-57322-320-4.
- Almost There: The Onward Journey of a Dublin Woman, Riverhead Books, 2003. ISBN 1-57322-374-3.
- My Dream of You, Riverhead Books, 2001. ISBN 1-57322-177-5.
- Are You Somebody? The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman, New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. ISBN 0-8050-5663-7.
Further reading
- Brady, Deirdre. (2005). Thank you for the days. Dublin: TownHouse.
External links
- Author Profile: Nuala O'Faolain, Bookreporter.com.
- NPR interview with Nuala O'Faolain, 14 March 2001.
- CBC radio interview: Nuala O'Faolain, 2003.
- http://www.eigsemichaelhartnett.ie/michael-hartnett-memorial-lectures.htmlRecording of 'The times that were in it' 2007 Michael Hartnett Memorial lecture by Nuala O'Faolain.