Elizabeth O'Connor

Not to be confused with Elizabeth O'Conner.
Elizabeth O'Connor
Born1991 (age 34–35)
Birmingham, England
Alma mater
Years active2019–present

Elizabeth O'Connor (born 1991) is an English writer. Her debut novel Whale Fall (2024) won the Chautauqua Prize and a Betty Trask Award.

Early life and education

O'Connor is from Birmingham. Her Irish grandfather was from the Dingle Peninsula,[1] while her Welsh grandmother was from a fishing village in North Wales; both moved to English cities during World War II.[2]

O'Connor graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English literature from Durham University in 2012 and a Master of Arts (MA) in Shakespeare studies from King's College London in 2013.[1] She completed a PhD in 2019 at the University of Birmingham on the nature writing of H.D..[3]

Career

O'Connor's short story "Woman with a White Pekingese" won the 2020 White Review Short Story Prize.[4]

Via a 10-way auction in October 2022, Picador Books (an Pan Macmillan imprint) acquired the rights to publish O'Connor's debut novel Whale Fall in 2024.[5][6] The novel takes place in 1938 on a fictional small island off the coast of Wales and features 18-year-old Manod Llan seeking to leave as two English anthropologists Joan and Edward visiting the island hire her as a translator.[7] O'Connor had wanted to write about depopulated islands, reading memoirs of evacuees from Bardsey Island, St Kilda, the Blaskets and the Aran Islands.[8] Whale Fall won the Chautauqua Prize and a Betty Trask Award. It also made the ALA Notable Books list,[9] and was a BBC Two Between the Covers book club pick,[10] shortlisted for the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. O'Connor was named one of the 10 best new novelists of 2024 by The Observer.[1]

O'Connor is using her Chautauqua Prize to write her second novel.[11]

Bibliography

Novels

  • Whale Fall (2024)

Short stories

  • "Woman with a White Pekingese" (2019)
  • "Gororau (Borderlands)" (2021) in Granta

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2019 The White Review Short Story Prize "Woman with a White Pekingese" Won [4]
2024 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Whale Fall Shortlisted [12]
2025 Dublin Literary Award Longlisted [13]
Ondaatje Prize Longlisted [14]
Chautauqua Prize Won [15]
Betty Trask Award Won [16]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Meet the 10 best new novelists for 2024". The Guardian. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  2. ^ Salikoff, Ken (22 March 2024). "The Heart of the Seas: PW Talks with Elizabeth O'Connor". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  3. ^ "University of Birmingham postgraduate named in Top 10 new novelists of the year list". University of Birmingham. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b "The White Review Short Story Prize 2020". 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Picador wins 10-way auction for O'Connor's 'extraordinary' debut as rights snapped up around globe". The Bookseller. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  6. ^ Martin, Kristen (16 May 2024). "'Whale Fall' centers the push-and-pull between dreams and responsibilities". NPR. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  7. ^ Thomas-Corr, Johanna (26 April 2024). "Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor review — the joys of 'island lit'". The Times. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  8. ^ "The Little Interview with Elizabeth O'Connor - Whale Fall". The Little Bookshop. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  9. ^ Fabian, Elizabeth (27 January 2025). "Our 2025 ALA Award Winners and Honorees". Penguin Random House Library. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Between the Covers - Series 8 Episode 5". BBC Two. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  11. ^ Anderson, Susie (14 August 2025). "Elizabeth O'Connor's 'Whale Fall' honored with Chautauqua Prize". The Chautauquan Daily. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Barnes & Noble Announces Their 2024 Discover Prize Finalists". Barnes & Noble. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Authors: Elizabeth O'Connor". Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  14. ^ "RSL Ondaatje Prize Longlist - The Gallery Press". The Gallery Press. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  15. ^ "Elizabeth O'Connor's 'Whale Fall: A Novel' Wins 2025 Chautauqua Prize". Chautauqua Institution. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Betty Trask Award & Prize – 2025". iBrowse Books. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
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