Claire Keegan was born in 1968 and grew up on a farm in Wicklow, where she is the youngest of a large Catholic family. From a young age, Keegan was drawn to storytelling and writing, which would eventually become her career. After completing her undergraduate studies at Loyola University in New Orleans, she went on to earn a MA at The University of Wales and an M.Phil at Trinity College in Dublin.
Keegan's literary career took off with the publication of her first collection of stories, Antarctica, which was met with critical acclaim and named a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year. Her second collection, Walk the Blue Fields, received further praise and was chosen as Richard Ford's book of the year. Keegan's work has been widely recognized and awarded, including several prestigious prizes such as The Hugh Leonard Bursary, The Macaulay Fellowship, The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, The Martin Healy Prize, The Olive Cook Award, The Kilkenny Prize, The Tom Gallon Award, and The William Trevor Prize. She has also been the recipient of the Francis MacManus Award twice and was a Wingate Scholar.
Keegan's writing is known for its evocative and powerful prose, often exploring themes of family, identity, and the human condition. Her stories are deeply rooted in the Irish landscape and culture, yet they also have a universal appeal. Despite her success, Keegan remains a private person and lives in Wexford. She continues to write and publish, with her most recent work, Small Things Like These, published in 2021.