Marita Conlon-McKenna is one of Ireland's favourite authors. Her books include the award-winning Under the Hawthorn Tree which is set during Ireland’s great famine. Widely translated and published, it is now considered an Irish classic. Her other books include bestsellers The Magdalen and Rebel Sisters.

She is a winner of the International Reading Association Award, USA and a former chairperson of Irish PEN.

Marita lives in Dublin with her husband and family.