John Banville

John Banville is an acclaimed Irish novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is widely recognized for his distinctive writing style, which is characterized by dark humor, precision, and a dense, poetry-like quality. Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland, on December 8, 1945, and is the youngest of three siblings. His brother, Vincent, is also a novelist who has written under the names Vincent Lawrence and his own. Banville's sister, Vonnie Banville-Evans, has written both a children's novel and a reminiscence of growing up in Wexford.

Educated at a Christian Brothers' school and at St Peter's College in Wexford, Banville initially intended to become a painter and an architect but did not attend university. Instead, he worked as a clerk at Aer Lingus, which allowed him to travel extensively in Greece and Italy. Banville lived in the United States during 1968 and 1969 and subsequently became a sub-editor at the Irish Press, rising to the position of chief sub-editor. His first book, Long Lankin, was published in 1970. After the Irish Press collapsed in 1995, he became a sub-editor at the Irish Times and was appointed literary editor in 1998. Banville has been a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books since 1990.

In addition to writing under his own name, Banville also publishes novels under the pen name Benjamin Black. His first novel under this pseudonym, Christine Falls, was published in 2006, followed by The Silver Swan in 2007. Banville has two adult sons with his wife, the American textile artist Janet Dunham, whom he met during a visit to San Francisco in 1968. He also has two daughters from his relationship with Patricia Quinn, former head of the Arts Council of Ireland. Banville has a strong interest in vivisection and animal rights and is often featured in Irish media speaking out against the practice in Irish university research. He lives in Dublin and has received a literary award from the Lannan Foundation.