Who Is Patrick O'Brien?

Patrick O'Brien was a prolific Irish author who had a wide and varied writing career. He showed promise at an early age; he wrote the story Caesar when he was just fourteen. Caesar is an enchanting and bloodthirsty tale of a panda and snow leopard offspring, and the originality of the work is still enjoyed today.

Patrick O'Brien was the author of the acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin stories, and his novel Testimonies and Collected Short Stories have been reprinted several times. Patrick O'Brien translated many texts from French into English, including Jean Lacouture´s biography of Charles de Gaul and the memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir. He also famously wrote biographies on Joseph banks and Pablo Picasso.

Patrick O'Brien was the first person to receive the Heywood Hill prize for a lifetime contribution to literature. He was also awarded the CBE for his literary achievements. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by Trinity College in Dublin in 1997.