Eileen Battersby facts for kids

Eileen Battersby (née Whiston; 4 June 1956 – 23 December 2018) was a well-known literary critic for The Irish Times newspaper. She was famous for her strong opinions on books. Some people, like author John Banville, called her "the finest fiction critic we have." Her first novel, Teethmarks on My Tongue, came out in 2016.

About Eileen Battersby

Eileen Battersby was born in Los Angeles County, California, in the United States. Her family later moved to Ireland. There, she went to secondary school at Loreto in Bray, County Wicklow.

Her Education and Career

Eileen studied at University College, Dublin. She earned a degree with honours in English and History. Later, she got another honours degree focusing on the American writer Thomas Wolfe.

She started reviewing books in 1984. Her reviews of books and sports writing led her to a job in journalism. She became a staff arts writer for The Irish Times. Eventually, she became their main literary correspondent. She wrote about many topics, including archaeology, history, and horses. She also strongly supported books translated from other languages.

Her Published Works

Eileen Battersby wrote a memoir called Ordinary Dogs: A Story of Two Lives. This book, published in 2011, was about her two rescue dogs. She also released a collection of 52 of her reviews. This collection was titled Second Readings (2010).

Awards and Recognition

Eileen Battersby won several important awards. She was named the National Arts Journalist of the Year four times. In 2012, she also won the National Critic of the Year prize. These awards show how respected she was in her field.

She was known for being a very honest critic. Sometimes, her reviews caused discussion. For example, in 2011, she gave a critical review of a novel by Dermot Healy. However, other writers, like Jon McGregor, respected her honesty. He said her criticisms of his first novel were exactly what he would now say about it.

Her Passing

On 22 December 2018, Eileen Battersby and her daughter were in a car accident. This happened in Oldbridge, near Drogheda. Both were taken to the hospital. Sadly, Eileen Battersby passed away the next day. She was 62 years old.

Tributes and Legacy

President Michael D. Higgins of Ireland spoke about her death. He said that literary criticism had "suffered a great loss." He thanked her for helping people discover great writers from around the world. He also praised her high standards and her passion for the arts.

Eileen was survived by her daughter, Nadia, her mother, and three siblings. Poet Mary O'Donnell wrote a poem called "Elegy for a Writer" in her memory.

See also

• List of Irish Times employees
• List of people who died in traffic collisions