Mary O'Donnell is a novelist and poet. Her first novel, The Light-Makers, was named the Sunday Tribune's Best New Irish Novel in 1992. She has published three poetry collections, most recently Unlegendary Heroes (1998), as well as a collection of stories, Strong Pagans. Her third novel, The Elysium Testament, was published in 1999 by Trident Press (UK), and her radio plays have been broadcast by RT╔. She recently received the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Travel Award to Australia and China, for May/June 2001. She has scripted and presented three series of poetry programmes for RT╔ radio and is a regular contributor to arts and books programmes. Her poems have been published in Ireland and abroad; and her essays, including translations from German poetry, have appeared in literary magazines and journals. She taught on the University of Iowa's summer writing programme at TCD for the past four years and has been writer in residence in a number of locations. Born in Monaghan, she lives near Maynooth, Co Kildare.