Bestselling Irish author Binchy dies

Agencies/London

Binchy: illustrious career

Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland’s most beloved writers, has died in Dublin after a short illness at the age of 72, Irish media reported yesterday.Binchy was revered for such novels as Light a Penny Candle, Tara Road, and Circle of Friends, which was adapted for the screen in 1995 starring Chris O’Donnell and Minnie Driver.She sold more than 40mn books worldwide.Her novels and short stories often examined the friction between tradition and modernity in Ireland. Binchy works have been translated into 37 languages.Born in the Dublin suburb of Dalkey in 1940, she began her career as a teacher before moving into a distinguished career as a newspaper journalist and writer.She then moved to London, where she became the London editor of The Irish Times newspaper.Her first novel, Light a Penny Candle, was published in 1982 and became a bestseller. She later published dozens of novels, novellas and collections of short stories, including The Copper Beech, Silver Wedding, Evening Class, and Heart and Soul.She announced her retirement in 2000, but continued writing.Her last novel, Minding Frankie, was published in 2010.She spoke last month at the Dalkey Book Festival in the suburb of Dublin. She read from her most recent short story, which she told the audience would probably be her last.On her website she wrote recently: “My health isn’t so good these days and I can’t travel around to meet people the way I used to. But I’m always delighted to hear from readers, even if it takes me a while to reply.”Binchy lived in Dalkey until her death, not far from where she grew up. She is survived by her husband, the writer Gordon Snell.