Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith pays tribute to Edna O’Brien

Image: Edna O’Brien at the Hay Festival

A fearless writer who scandalised 1960s Ireland

The Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith has paid tribute to the writer Edna O’Brien, who has died at the age of 93. She was often described as ‘fearless’ and shocked 1960s Ireland, still then very conservative and Catholic, by writing about women’s sexuality.

The team at The Irish Cultural Centre saya they are ‘deeply saddened by the news of the passing of the incomparable Irish writer, Edna O’Brien, who has been the ICC’s most treasured and valued Patron since our Centre first opened in 1995.

‘With heavy hearts and profound sorrow, we bid farewell to this great luminary of Irish literature, whose powerful words and spirit have left an indelible mark on the world, inspiring countless readers and writers through her storytelling.’

Rosalind Scanlon, Cultural Director at the ICC, and Emma Byrne have written the tribute. Here it is in full.

Images: The Country Girls trilogy; Edna O’Brien

Edna O’Brien – Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer

Rosalind Scanlon and Emma Byrne

‘Edna O’Brien, born in Tuamgraney, County Clare, Ireland, on 15 December 1930, was not only a novelist but a visionary whose literary prowess transcended boundaries.

‘She had an unparalleled ability to capture poignant portrayals of women and of Irish women’s experiences. Her evocative storytelling and fearless exploration of societal norms, at a time when talking about topics like sex and the female body were of great taboo in Catholic Ireland, have forever changed the landscape of Irish literature.

‘Her novel The Country Girls was banned, burned and scorned as ‘filth’ in Ireland, leading it to become one of the most famous and best loved novels of the 20th Century.

‘Although, like her mentor James Joyce, she lived in exile from Ireland for much of her literary life, Edna remained deeply rooted in her Irish heritage. Edna’s works resonate with authenticity, painting vivid portraits of life in Ireland and a universal human condition.

‘Like a master painter, she crafted narratives that spoke to the heart, illuminating the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of existence with unparalleled grace and depth. She was one of the bravest of writers, her storytelling, always beautiful, defiant, fierce and strong, broke boundaries, shattered silences and dared to shine a light in the darkest of places.

‘In her late 80s, Edna twice travelled alone to Nigeria to do research for her last novel, Girl, based on the Nigerian schoolgirls who were kidnapped and escaped from Boko Haram. The result was a profound and extraordinary, courageous work of enduring and towering feminine strength and deep humanity.

‘To read Edna O’Brien is to know love; of words, of literature and of life itself.’ – Eimear McBride

Image: Edna O’Brien promoting her book ‘The Love Object’

‘Throughout the past sixty years of her career, Edna O’Brien wrote more than twenty works of fiction along with many collections of short stories, five theatre plays, a screenplay, four non-fiction books (on James Joyce and Nora; on Byron…) and an autobiography.

‘She was the recipient of multiple awards, including: The Irish PEN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature; The American National Art’s Gold Medal; The Ulysses Award; The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and The PEN / Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature.

‘In 2019 Edna was winner of The David Cohen Prize for Literature, a major biennial award considered as a Nobel in the UK and Ireland. In 2021 France made Edna O’Brien ‘Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’.

‘She also became an elected member of ‘Aosdána’, (the official collective of the most distinguished artists in Ireland). In 2015 Edna was granted the title ‘Saoi’, the highest honour a living member of ‘Aosdána’ can receive from the Irish Government and the President of Ireland.

‘In October 2021, The Irish Cultural Centre was honoured when Edna O’Brien agreed to appear on film, as part of the ICC’s Irish Literature Festival, in which she gave a very rare interview: Edna O’Brien in conversation with Dr Maureen O’Connor (Lecturer of English at The University of Cork)

‘Most recently, in September 2023, Edna’s theatre play, ‘Joyce’s Women’, played to packed houses and received standing ovations every night during its run at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre.  At the time of her death, Edna was in the process of completing her major nonfiction biography about the life and work of T.S Eliot.

‘Edna said she wished to go out “as someone who spoke the truth”. She always said, writing remains as essential to her as breathing.

“I would be so lonely on earth if I didn’t have the possibility and freedom to write. I will go to my grave changing a word and there is always the absolutely right word.” – Edna O’Brien.

‘The Irish Cultural Centre’s Board of Trustees, our patrons, staff and all of our team here in Hammersmith send our deepest condolences to Edna’s two sons, Sasha and Carlo and to all of their families. We also send our sincere sympathies to all of Edna’s relatives, friends and colleagues around the world. May our dear friend Edna O’Brien, our most esteemed ICC Patron, sleep easy now and rest in eternal peace.’

The Irish Cultural Centre is displaying a shrine in memory of Edna OBrien and also a book of condolences, which everyone who wishes to pay tribute to her is welcome to come into the Centre to sign.

This coming Friday 2 August, in the evening, there will be a special Open Mic event held in Edna’s memory. The Centre invites everyone to bring a piece of Edna’s writing to read in tribute to her. All are welcome to come to read, to share and to listen.

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