Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin in 1958. He first came to prominence with his debut novel The Commitments, which he self-published in Ireland in 1987. The book was then published in the UK in 1988 by William Heinemann. The two books which followed, The Snapper (1990) and The Van (1991), completed his Barrytown Trilogy. All three books were subsequently made into extremely successful films.
In 1993 Doyle won the Booker Prize for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. The book was praised for Doyle’s ability to write convincingly in the idiom of his main protagonist, Paddy Clarke: a ten-year-old boy residing in Dublin in the 1960s.
Doyle’s popularity has continued to soar. He is the author of nine novels, two collections of short stories and a memoir about his parents, entitled Rory & Ita. He has also written for theatre, film, and television. Highlights include the play, Brown Bread (1987) his BBC drama, Family (1994) and the film, When Brendan Met Trudy (2000).
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