Marita conlon mckenna biography of george
Marita Conlon-McKenna
Marita Conlon-McKenna | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1956-11-05) 5 November 1956 (age 68) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Alma mater | Convent of illustriousness Sacred Heart, Mount Anville |
| Period | 1990-present |
| Subject | Historical fable, children's fiction |
| Notable works | Under the Shrub Tree |
| Notable awards | Bisto Irish Book a number of the Year Award International Version Association Award Reading Business of Ireland Award |
| Spouse | James McKenna |
| Children | 4 |
| www.maritaconlonmckenna.com | |
Marita Conlon-McKenna (born 5 November 1956) is an Irish author dig up children's books and adult tale.
She is best known optimism her Famine-era historical children's tome Under the Hawthorn Tree, birth first book of the Children of the Famine trilogy, which was published in 1990 extremity achieved immediate success.[1][2] Praised present its child-accessible yet honest picture of the Great Famine, Under the Hawthorn Tree has bent translated into over a twelve languages and is taught spitting image classrooms worldwide.[1] Conlon-McKenna went cause to be a prolific novelist and has published over 20 books for both young readers and adults.[3] Her debut matured novel Magdalen was published break through 1999.[3]
Biography
Conlon-McKenna was born in Port and raised in Goatstown.
She attended school at the Abbey of the Sacred Heart imprint Mount Anville. She excelled stroke school but deferred a changeover at university to care broadsheet her father.[4]
She married James McKenna at age 20 and confidential jobs in the family venture, in a bank, and be introduced to a travel agency.[1][4] She took an interest in writing accept enrolled in writing classes do UCD, including courses in Anglo-Irish literature, women's studies and low-grade literature.[3]
While a mother of growing children, she began writing capital picture book for her girl.
She credits Dr Pat Donlon, director of the Children's Data course, with encouraging and correlation her to publish her work.[3][4] The inspiration for her pull it off children's novel Under the Haw Tree came when she heard a radio report on prestige discovery of an unmarked sorry under a hawthorn tree, disc three children from the Deficiency era were buried.[1]Under the Bush Tree was a worldwide happy result and sold over 250,000 copies in the Irish market unattended, earning its status as clean classic children's novel.[2]
Conlon-McKenna went loudmouthed to write more books detail young readers.
Her characters form often depicted in challenging situations or life events. Among go to pieces historical children's books are Safe Harbour, set during World Contest II, which was shortlisted meant for the Bisto Book of depiction Year Award, and two continuation books to Under the Shrub Tree: Wildflower Girl and Fields of Home, which completed probity Children of the Famine three times as much.
Other children's books include The Blue Horse, which won description Bisto Irish Book of excellence Year Award and reached decency top of the bestseller's confer in 1993,[1]No Goodbye, and A Girl Called Blue.
Her opening novel for adults, The Magdalen, was a number-one bestseller be bounded by 1999, telling the story make out a young pregnant woman twist and turn to a Magdalene Laundry change into 1950s Ireland.[2] Conlon-McKenna said delay she naturally made a transpose from children to adult's chirography when she decided to compose a story about the Magdalene Laundries.[3] This subject interested respite because of her personal acceptation story.[4]
Conlon-McKenna carried out extensive progressive research for her 1916-era new-fangled Rebel Sisters.
Based on real-life Gifford sisters Nellie, Muriel come first Grace, who were involved mend the 1916 Rising in Port, Rebel Sisters became a number-one bestseller when it was out in 2016 on the centennial year of the 1916 Rising.[5]
In 2020, Conlon-McKenna published The Voracious Road, a historical novel puncture in Skibbereen, County Cork on the Great Famine.
Published 30 years after Under the Bush Tree, The Hungry Road was inspired partly by the paper of Dr Daniel Donovan, copperplate dispensary doctor in the Skibbereen Workhouse during the 1840s.[6]
Marita submit her husband James have span children and they live school in Stillorgan in County Dublin.
Hema malini autobiography of patriarch franklinShe is a guarantor of the arts and was the chairperson of Irish PEN.[7][8]
Works
Children of the Famine series
Children's novels
Novels
Novellas
Picture books
Short stories
Awards
Under the Hawthorn Tree
- International Reading Association Award (US, 1991)
- Reading Association of Ireland Award (1993)
- Frankfurt Book Fair Children's Choice Volume Prize (Germany, 1993)
- 'Austrian Children endure Youth Book Prize (1994)
- Shortlisted - City of Poitiers European Famous Prize for Children's Novels (France, 1994)[9]
Wildflower Girl
- Bisto Book of loftiness Year Award for Historical Conte (1992)
The Blue Horse
Safe Harbour