Sally Rooney is a prominent Irish author and screenwriter recognized for her millennial-centric narratives. Her acclaimed novels include Conversations with Friends (2017), Normal People (2018), and Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), with the first two adapted into successful television miniseries.
Sally Rooney was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. Rooney attended Trinity College Dublin, studying English and American literature. She distinguished herself in academia by being elected a scholar in 2011 and excelled outside the classroom as well, becoming a top debater at the European Universities Debating Championships in 2013.
"Conversations with Friends," a novel she wrote as part of her master's studies, sparked her literary career. As a follow-up to this debut, she wrote Normal People, which won the Costa Book Award and received global recognition, being longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and translated into 46 languages. Its adaptation into a television series expanded Rooney's influence.
In 2021, Rooney released Beautiful World, Where Are You, which explores the complexities of personal relationships against a backdrop of global and political turmoil.
Sally Rooney explains her approach to writing and the unexpected outcomes of her fame, stating, "Every day I wonder why my life has turned out this way… I never advertised myself as a psychologically robust person, capable of withstanding extensive public inquiries into my personality and upbringing."
Her work resonates with a broad audience due to her incisive observations about the existential anxieties of the millennial generation. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Sally Rooney currently lives in the rural West of Ireland, near Castlebar.
