Emma Donoghue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Donoghue
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Donoghue in Toronto on 18 February 2015
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| Born | October 1969 (age 55) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Novelist, short story writer, playwright, literary historian |
| Nationality | Irish Canadian |
| Partner | Christine Roulston |
| Children | 2 |
Emma Donoghue, born in October 1969, is a talented writer from Ireland and Canada. She writes novels, movie scripts, plays, and even history books. She is famous for her 2010 novel Room, which was a huge success worldwide. This book was even nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize.
Emma's 1995 novel Hood won the Stonewall Book Award. Her book Slammerkin (2000) also won an award. She also won an Alex Award in 2011. Emma even wrote the movie script for Room, which earned her an Oscar nomination!
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About Emma Donoghue
Emma Donoghue was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1969. She was the youngest of eight children. Her father, Denis Donoghue, was a well-known professor and literary critic.
Emma studied English and French at University College Dublin. She also earned a PhD in English from Girton College, Cambridge. While studying, she lived in a special house with other women. This experience inspired her short story called "The Welcome". Her PhD research was about friendships between men and women in old books from the 1700s.
While at Cambridge, she met Christine Roulston, who would become her partner. Christine is Canadian and now teaches at the University of Western Ontario. Emma and Christine moved to Canada in 1998. Emma became a Canadian citizen in 2004. Today, she lives in London, Ontario, with Christine and their two children.
How Emma Writes Her Stories
Emma Donoghue has shared what inspires her writing. She mentions the poems of Emily Dickinson. She also loves the novels The Passion by Jeanette Winterson and Red Shift by Alan Garner.
Emma says she tries to be "industrious and unpretentious" when she writes. This means she works hard and doesn't make a big fuss about it. Her writing routine has changed since she had children.
Emma's Books
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Early Novels: Stir Fry and Hood
Emma's novel Stir Fry was a finalist for an award in 1994. In 1995, she released Hood. This book is a modern story about an Irish woman dealing with the loss of her girlfriend. Hood won the Stonewall Book Award in 1997.
Slammerkin
Slammerkin (2000) is a historical novel. It takes place in London and Wales a long time ago. This book was a finalist for the Irish Literature Prize for Fiction in 2001. It also won the Ferro-Grumley Award in 2002.
Landing
Her 2007 novel, Landing, tells the story of a long-distance relationship. It's about a museum curator from Canada and a flight attendant from Ireland.
The Sealed Letter
The Sealed Letter (2008) is another historical novel. It is based on a real-life divorce case from 1864 in Britain. This case was very scandalous at the time. The main character is Emily Faithfull. The Sealed Letter was considered for the Giller Prize. It also won the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction in 2009, sharing the award with another book.
Room
On July 27, 2010, Emma Donoghue's novel Room was listed for the Man Booker Prize. It made the final shortlist on September 7, 2010. On November 2, 2010, Room won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
Room was also shortlisted for the 2010 Governor General's Awards in Canada. It won the Irish Book Award in 2010. The book was also considered for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011.
Emma later wrote the movie script for Room (2015). For this, she was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. In 2017, she adapted it into a play. The play was performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
Frog Music
Emma Donoghue's novel Frog Music was published in 2014. It is a historical fiction book. It is based on the true story of a cross-dressing frog catcher from the 1800s who was murdered.
The Wonder
Donoghue's 2016 novel The Wonder was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. It tells the story of a young girl who claims she can survive without eating. An English nurse is brought in to watch her. The book also touches on the effects of the Crimean War and the Great Famine.
A movie based on the novel was released in 2022. It was directed by Sebastián Lelio. Emma Donoghue helped write the movie script. Florence Pugh plays the main role. Critics praised the acting and direction in the film.
Akin
Akin (2019) is a modern novel. It includes many discussions about events during World War II in France.
The Pull of the Stars
Donoghue's novel The Pull of the Stars (2020) was published earlier than planned. This was because it is set during the 1918 influenza pandemic in Dublin, Ireland. All the characters are fictional, except for Dr Kathleen Lynn. The novel received very good reviews from critics. It was also considered for the Giller Prize in 2020.
Haven
This novel, published in 2022, is about monks in the seventh century. It is set on Skellig Michael, an island off the coast of Ireland. One reviewer said that while it might not be her easiest book to read, it ends with a hopeful feeling. The book was shortlisted for the 2024 International Dublin Literary Award.
Learned by Heart
This novel, published in 2023, explores the friendship between Anne Lister and Eliza Raine. It takes place when they were at Miss Hargrave's Manor school. The book looks at their strong connection. It also includes Eliza's thoughts from an asylum. Some critics liked how it showed first love. However, some felt the school details sometimes took away from the main story.
Learned by Heart was shortlisted for the 2023 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
Books Made into Movies and Plays
- Pluck (2001), a short film directed by Neasa Hardiman. It is based on Emma's short story "Pluck".
- Room (2015), a movie directed by Lenny Abrahamson. It is based on Emma's novel Room.
- The Wonder (2022), a Netflix movie directed by Sebastián Lelio. It is based on Emma's 2016 novel The Wonder.
