Ronan Bennett was born on 14 January 1956 in Belfast, Ireland.
He was educated at King’s College, London, and was a research fellow at the Institute of Historical Research in London from 1986-7.
His first novel, The Second Prison (1991), a thriller about a member of a group of Irish republican activists, was shortlisted for the Irish TimesIrish Literature Prize for First Book. His second novel, Overthrown by Strangers (1992), is set in Latin America. The Catastrophist (1997), the story of an Irish journalist working in the Belgian Congo in the 1950s, won the Irish Post Literature Award and the Belfast Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award. Havoc, in its third year (2004), is an historical novel set in seventeenth-century England. It won the 2004 Hughes & Hughes/Irish Independent Irish Novel of the Year. Zugwang (2007), was published in serial instalments in The Observer over seven months in 2006.
Bio extract from British Council
Ronan Bennett was born on 14 January 1956 in Belfast, Ireland.
He was educated at King’s College, London, and was a research fellow at the Institute of Historical Research in London from 1986-7.
His first novel, The Second Prison (1991), a thriller about a member of a group of Irish republican activists, was shortlisted for the Irish TimesIrish Literature Prize for First Book. His second novel, Overthrown by Strangers (1992), is set in Latin America. The Catastrophist (1997), the story of an Irish journalist working in the Belgian Congo in the 1950s, won the Irish Post Literature Award and the Belfast Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award. Havoc, in its third year (2004), is an historical novel set in seventeenth-century England. It won the 2004 Hughes & Hughes/Irish Independent Irish Novel of the Year. Zugwang (2007), was published in serial instalments in The Observer over seven months in 2006.
Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
VideoMay 12 2026
Laurent Binet – Perspective(s) Q&A
Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
VideoMay 8 2026
Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A
Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.
