Roddy Doyle is a highly acclaimed Irish novelist, dramatist, and screenwriter, who was born on May 8, 1958, in Dublin, Ireland. Doyle grew up in Kilbarrack, a suburban area of Dublin, where he was surrounded by a middle-class family. His mother, Ita Bolger Doyle, was related to Maeve Brennan, a well-known writer of short stories, which may have sparked Doyle's early interest in literature.
Doyle's writing career began after he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from University College Dublin. He spent several years working as an English and geography teacher before deciding to pursue writing full-time in 1993. This decision proved to be a successful one, as Doyle has since published eight novels, a collection of stories, and a memoir of his parents titled Rory & Ita.
One of Doyle's earliest successes came in 1991 when his novel, The Commitments, was adapted into a successful film. This adaptation marked the beginning of a series of successful film adaptations of Doyle's work, which helped to establish his reputation as a prominent Irish writer. In 1993, Doyle won the prestigious Booker Prize for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, further solidifying his status in the literary world.
Doyle continues to live and work in Dublin, where he remains an influential figure in Irish literature. His work often explores the complexities of working-class Irish life, drawing from his own experiences growing up in Kilbarrack. Through his writing, Doyle has made a significant contribution to Irish culture and continues to be a respected and admired figure in the literary world.
The Barrytown Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
The Commitments
1987
2
The Snapper
1990
3
The Van
1991
The Last Roundup Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
A Star Called Henry
1999
2
Oh, Play That Thing
2004
3
The Dead Republic
2010
Rover Adventures Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Giggler Treatment
2000
2
Rover Saves Christmas
2001
3
The Meanwhile Adventures
2004
4
Rover and the Big Fat Baby
2018
Elsewhere Collections (with Jackie Kay, with Michel Faber)
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Somewhere
2012
Standalone Novels
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1993
2
The Woman Who Walked Into Doors
1996
3
Paula Spencer
2006
4
A Greyhound of a Girl
2011
5
The Guts
2013
6
Brilliant
2014
7
Smile
2017
8
Love
2020
Short Stories/Novellas
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
Charlie Savage
2019
Collections
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Brownbread & War
1993
2
The Deportees
2007
3
Bullfighting
2011
4
Two Pints
2012
5
Two More Pints
2014
6
Two for the Road
2019
7
Life Without Children
2021
's Childrens Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Not Just for Christmas
1999
2
Wilderness
2007
3
Her Mother's Face
2008
Non-Fiction Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Rory & Ita
2002
2
The Second Half
2014
3
Kellie
2022
Roddy Doyle Anthologies
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
My Favorite Year of Football Writing
1993
2
New Writing From Ireland
1994
3
Finbar's Hotel
1997
4
Brandon Book of Irish Short Stories
1998
5
Speaking With the Angel
2000
6
Yeats is Dead!
2001
7
Rotten English: A Literary Anthology
2007
8
Click
2007
9
Free?: Stories About Human Rights
2009
10
The United States of McSweeney's
2009
11
From the Republic of Conscience
2010
12
Beyond the Stars: Twelve Tales of Adventure, Magic and Wonder