Sally Rooney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sally Rooney
Born	(1991-02-20) 20 February 1991 (age 34) Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
Occupation	Author screenwriter
Language	English
Nationality	Irish
Education	Trinity College Dublin (B.A., 2011; M.A. 2013)
Genre	Literary fiction, psychological fiction
Notable works	Conversations with Friends (2017) Normal People (2018) Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021) Intermezzo (2024)
Notable awards	Costa Book Awards (2018) Irish Book Awards (2018) Encore Award (2019)
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Sally Rooney (born 20 February 1991) is an Irish author famous for her popular novels. Her books include Conversations with Friends (2017), Normal People (2018), Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), and Intermezzo (2024).

Many people consider Rooney to be one of the most important writers of her generation. Her first two books were turned into popular TV shows, Normal People (2020) and Conversations with Friends (2022). Her four novels have been very successful and have been translated into more than 47 languages. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Rooney's books are especially popular with young adult readers. They have become bestsellers in countries like China and the United States. Besides her novels, she has also written short stories and poems. She has won several major awards for her writing.

As of 2024, she lives and works in her hometown of Castlebar, Ireland.

Early Life and School

Sally Rooney was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1991. She grew up there and lives there today. Her father, Kieran, worked for a telephone company, and her mother, Marie, ran an arts center. Sally has an older brother and a younger sister.

After high school, she studied English at Trinity College Dublin, a famous university in Ireland. She was a very good student and was named a "scholar" in 2011. She later earned a master's degree in American literature in 2013.

While at university, Rooney was a star debater. In 2013, she became the top debater at the European Universities Debating Championships. Before she became a full-time writer, she worked in an office for a restaurant.

Writing Career

How She Started

Rooney wrote her first novel when she was only 15, but she has said it wasn't very good. She started writing seriously in late 2014. She wrote her first published novel, Conversations with Friends, while she was still in school studying for her master's degree.

In 2015, a literary agent named Tracy Bohan read an essay Rooney had written about her time as a debater. Bohan was impressed and asked if Rooney had written anything else. Rooney sent her the manuscript for Conversations with Friends. Many publishers wanted to buy it, and it was eventually sold in 12 countries.

Her Famous Books

Conversations with Friends (2017)

Rooney's first novel, Conversations with Friends, was published in 2017. The book tells the story of two college students and their friendship with an older married couple. It was a big success and was nominated for several awards. It won the 2017 Young Writer of the Year Award from The Sunday Times.

Normal People (2018)

Rooney's second novel, Normal People, came out in 2018. It follows the complicated relationship between two teenagers, Marianne and Connell, from their school days into college. The book was a huge hit and won many awards, including Irish Novel of the Year and the Costa Book Award. It was praised by famous people like former U.S. President Barack Obama and singer Taylor Swift.

Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021)

Her third novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, was published in 2021. It is about four friends trying to find their way in the modern world. The book explores themes of friendship, love, and politics.

Intermezzo (2024)

Rooney's fourth novel, Intermezzo, was released in 2024. The story is about two brothers dealing with sadness after their father dies. It explores how families handle difficult times and different kinds of love.

TV Shows Based on Her Books

Two of Rooney's novels have been turned into television series.

• Normal People: A 12-part series was made in 2020. It was very popular with viewers and critics. The show starred Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne and Paul Mescal as Connell.
• Conversations with Friends: This book was also made into a 12-episode series in 2022. The same creative team that made Normal People worked on this show.

Political Beliefs

Rooney has described herself as a feminist, which means she believes in equal rights for women. She also calls herself a Marxist, which is a person who believes in a political and economic system where the community, rather than private individuals, owns major industries.

In 2018, she supported a campaign in Ireland to change a law to give women more rights.

Rooney also supports the rights of Palestinian people. In 2021, she decided not to sell the Hebrew translation rights for Beautiful World, Where Are You to a publisher based in Israel. She said she did this to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a non-violent campaign that puts pressure on Israel. Many other writers supported her decision.

In 2025, she spoke out in support of a protest group called Palestine Action. The UK government had banned the group, but Rooney said she respected their actions and would continue to support them.

Television Work

Awards

• 2017 The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year
• 2018 Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year – Normal People
• 2018 Costa Book Awards – Normal People
• 2019 Encore Award – Normal People
• 2022 Dalkey Literary Awards – Beautiful World, Where Are You
• 2024 Irish Book Awards Author of the Year

Personal Life

Rooney is married to John Prasifka, who is a math teacher. She lives in Castlebar, the same town where she grew up.

See also

In Spanish: Sally Rooney para niños