Lionel Shriver

Infobox Writer
name = Lionel Shriver

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caption = Lionel Shriver
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birthdate = Birth date and age|1957|5|18|mf=y
birthplace = Gastonia, North Carolina, USA
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occupation = journalist, novelist
nationality = American
period = late 20th century
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Lionel Shriver (born Margaret Ann Shriver, May 18 1957) is an American journalist and author. She was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, into a deeply religious family - her father is a Presbyterian minister. She changed her name at the age of 15 from Margaret Ann to Lionel because she didn't like the name she had been given, and as a tomboy she felt that a conventionally male name fit her better. She was educated at Barnard College, Columbia University (BA, MFA). She has lived in Nairobi, Bangkok and Belfast, and currently lives in London.

She won the 2005 Orange Prize for her seventh published novel, "We Need to Talk About Kevin", a thriller and close study of maternal ambivalence, and the role it might have played in the title character's decision to murder seven of his classmates in a school shooting. The book created a lot of controversy, and achieved success through word of mouth. [cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4071564.stm | title=Honesty is key for Orange winner | publisher=BBC | date=June 7, 2005 | accessdate=2006-12-08]

Her previous novels include "The Female of the Species" (1986), "Checker and the Derailleurs" (1987), "Ordinary Decent Criminals" (1990), "Game Control" (1994), "A Perfectly Good Family" (1996) and "Double Fault" (1997). Her ninth novel, "The Post-Birthday World", was released in March 2007 by HarperCollins.

In July 2005, Shriver began writing a column [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Archive/0,5673,-1942,00.html] for "The Guardian", in which she has shared her opinions on maternal disposition within Western society, the pettiness of British government authorities, and the importance of libraries (she plans to will whatever assets remain at her death to the Belfast Library Board, from whose libraries she checked out so many books when she lived in Northern Ireland).

She is married to jazz drummer Jeff Williams.

Novels

*"The Female of the Species" (1986)
*"Checker and the Derailleurs" (1987)
*"The Bleeding Heart" (1990)
*"Ordinary Decent Criminals" (1992)
*"Game Control" (1994)
*"A Perfectly Good Family" (1996)
*"Double Fault" (1997), published by Serpent's Tail
*"We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2003), published by Serpent's Tail
*"The Post-Birthday World" (2007)

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.harpercollins.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=27687 Lionel Shriver] on HarperCollins.com
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/2003_41_wed_01.shtml Interview] at BBC Radio 4
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/review/4272090.stm Biography] at BBC
* [http://www.threemonkeysonline.com/article_we_need_to_talk_about_kevin_lionel_shriver_interview.htm Lionel Shriver Interview] in Three Monkeys Online
* [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,2062735,00.html Interview in The Guardian, 22/4/2007]
* [http://www.fortnight.org/archive/may2007/articles/articleb.html Opinion piece on Lionel Shriver, Fortnight Magazine]