Sebastian Barry author page

Sebastian Barry biography

Sebastian Barry is an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet known for his works exploring themes of history, memory, and identity. He was born in Dublin and studied at Trinity College Dublin. Barry’s early career focused on poetry and playwriting, with his first collection of poems, The Water Colourist, published in 1983. He later gained recognition as a playwright with works such as The Steward of Christendom (1995), which was staged at the Royal Court Theatre and won several awards.

Barry’s novels often draw on Irish history and his own family background. His 2005 novel A Long Long Way was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Dublin International IMPAC Award. In 2008, his novel The Secret Scripture was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Costa Book of the Year Award. Barry continued to receive critical acclaim with subsequent novels, including On Canaan’s Side (2011), which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and Days Without End (2016), which won the Costa Book of the Year Award.

Barry’s work is published by Faber & Faber. He has also served as the Laureate for Irish Fiction from 2018 to 2021. In 2023, his novel Old God’s Time was published by Faber & Faber and was longlisted for the Booker Prize.