Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin in 1955. he was elected to Aoisdána in 1989 and was Ansbacher Writer-in-Residence at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in 1990. His plays include The Pentagonal Dream (Damer Theatre, Dublin, 1986); Boss Grady's Boys (Abbey Theatre, Peacock Stage, Dublin, 1988), which won the first BBC/Stewart Parker Award; Prayers of Sherkin (Abbey Theatre, Peacock stage, Dublin, 1990); White Woman Street (Bush Theatre, London, 1992); The Steward of Christendom (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, 1995), which won numerous awards including the Writers' Guild Award for Best Fringe Play of 1995, the London Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play, Lloyds' Private Banking Playwright of the Year Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award; and The Only True History of Lizzie Finn (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 1995). More recent plays include Our Lady of Sligo (1998); Hinterland (2002); Whistling Psyche (2004); Fred and Jane (2004); The Pride of Parnell Street (2008); Dallas Sweetman (2008); Tales of Ballycumber (2009); and Andersen's English (2010). He has also published several works of poetry and fiction.
