Geraldine O'Neill
Geraldine is an international author living in Daingean, County Offaly since 1991. She was born and educated in Lanarkshire, Scotland to Irish parents. Described as having 'irresistible warmth and spellbinding storytelling', her novels are published in Ireland by Poolbeg, and worldwide by Orion, and are also available in foreign translation, audio and large print.
She has had short stories published in a variety of anthologies with other leading authors and in magazines. Geraldine O'Neill has been writing since the early 90's and had gained a number of awards for her short stories before embarking on her first novel. She has also had a number of poems published. She has been involved in many community projects to do with writing, and regularly gives readings at literary festivals. and gives workshops and talks on her writing career. She has given numerous workshops in Ireland, the UK and Europe.
Geraldine has run courses in creative writing with members of Dochas - the Offaly Cancer Support Group (based in Tullamore) on several occasions. In 2008 she was the Creative Director in Creative Writing of Eyes Wide Open, a published collection of photography and creative writing by the members of the support group.
Geraldine was awarded the Artists' Residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre by Offaly Arts Council in 2004. Her titles to date are: Tara Flynn, Tara's Fortune, Tara's Destiny (Trilogy, Aisling Gayle, (also published as Cara Gayle), The Grace Girls and The Flowers of Ballygrace. Her latest book, Leaving Clare was the Ireland AM (TV3) Book Club choice for August 2009, and Geraldine appeared on the show to discuss her writing.
Geraldine is a founder member of The Offaly Writers' Group which started in 1992. She also founded the original Tullamore Book Circle which has been running since 1999.
You can view Geraldine O'Neill's work on her website: www.geraldine-oneill.com
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Creative Inspiration
Geraldine O'Neill's books are set in the almost forgotten Ireland of the 1950's and 1960's.
Her writing covers many themes, but the common thread that runs through her work is that of emigration. People leaving their place of birth and moving to new surroundings - often in new countries.
This is something that Geraldine has experienced herself, albeit in a very different time and different situations to her characters. She left her native Scotland to move to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England to train as a teacher. She returned to Scotland for some years and then subsequently lived in London and Stockport. In 1991 she came to settle in County Offaly in Ireland where her maternal family is from.
Geraldine's mother and her husband's parents emigrated from Ireland (Co. Offaly, Co. Limerick and Co. Clare) to Scotland and Stockport (near Manchester) in the 1950's. Her father's family emigrated from County Carlow to Scotland back in the 1920's.
Geraldine uses some of the places she lived in as the settings for her books.
Geraldine's books deal with many issues that face emigrants such as isolation, separation, racial, religious and class bias.
Although written with a light hand and heart-warming humour, her storylines focus on gritty, real-life issues.
Geraldine has just completed her eight book "Sarah Love" and is currently working on a contemporary novel set in New York & Ireland and titled "As Fears Go By".