A household name, known as a natural story teller, Maeve Binchy has sold more than 40 million books worldwide in multiple languages. Her works were often set in Ireland and she was well known for depicting a special kind of 'Irishness' in her characters. A number of her books have been adapted for the screen and made into Hollywood films, including 'Circle of Friends' and 'Tara Road.'
Binchy trained as a teacher before moving into journalism, working as the woman’s editor at the Irish Times before heading to London. It was here that she wrote her first novel, Light a Penny Candle, published in 1982. It went on to become a best-seller.
Many authors have paid tribute to Maeve Binchy over Twitter:
Ian Rankin tweeted: "Maeve Binchy was a gregarious, larger than life, ebullient recorder of human foibles and wonderment."
Cathy Kelly wrote: "The world is truly a darker place without the golden light of lovely Maeve Binchy. We'll all miss her genius."
In 2000 Binchy was ranked third in the World Book Day poll of favourite authors, ahead of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.
She also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Book Awards in 2010, the same year her last novel, Minding Frankie, was published.
The author said that her secret was to write the way she spoke.She also received a lifetime achievement award from the Irish Book Awards in 2010, the same year her last novel, Minding Frankie, was published.
"I don't say I was 'proceeding down a thoroughfare', I say I 'walked down the road'. I don't say I 'passed a hallowed institute of learning', I say I 'passed a school'.
"You don't wear all your jewellery at once," she went on. "You're much more believable if you talk in your own voice." (BBC Website, Jul 12)
Binchy was known for her support of fellow writers. She believed that anyone is capable of writing a novel, no matter where they come from or what their background is.
She is survived by her husband, writer Gordon Snell.
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