Beth O'Leary

Last updated
Beth O'Leary
Born
Beth Alice O'Leary

May 1992 (age 32)
Hammersmith, London, England
Alma mater St John's College, Oxford
Years active2019–present
SpouseSam Hodgson
Children2
Website www.betholearyauthor.com

Beth Alice O'Leary (born May 1992) [1] is an English author of romantic comedy novels. Her first novel The Flatshare (2019), [2] [3] sold over a million copies [4] [5] , is available in over 30 languages [6] [5] and was nominated for a Comedy Women in Print Prize. [7] [8] Since then she has published four more books, namely: The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call; [4] [9] with her upcoming sixth novel, Swept Away, set to be published in Spring 2025. [10] [11]

Contents

Life and career

University of Oxford Circlet Oxford-University-Circlet.svg
University of Oxford Circlet

O'Leary was born in West London and grew up in Winchester, the youngest of six children. [12] [13] Her family also fostered children, so there were often more than her five siblings in the house. [12] [14] She has some Irish heritage. [15] O'Leary attended the Westgate School and Peter Symonds College. [16] She graduated from St John's College, Oxford in 2010 with a degree in English. [16] [17] [18]

O'Leary is an introvert and often used reading as an escape from the activity of life. She loved to visit her local library, which she still visits today. She credits her parents' patience taking her to this library often for her becoming a writer. [17] She wrote from a young age and always dreamed of becoming an author. [3] She began sending her writing to literary agents in her late teens. [3]

Following university, O'Leary worked at an academic press and in children's publishing. [16] [17] She lived in London for a few years before moving back to Winchester. [13] She began writing young adult fiction, and wrote her debut novel whilst commuting between Winchester and her job in London. [14] [16] It was her debut novel The Flatshare that allowed her to realise she could be successful as an author. [16] Tanera Simons, a literary agent at Darley Anderson Agency, wrote back to O'Leary to discuss her manuscript and helped her develop it before bringing it to editors and publishers. [3] [19] It was published by Quercus Books in the UK and Flatiron Books in the US, followed by the rest of the world. It was printed in over 30 countries. [3] [14]

Hampshire on UK Locator Map (O'Leary's current county of residence) Hampshire UK locator map 2010.svg
Hampshire on UK Locator Map (O'Leary's current county of residence)

O'Leary now lives in Hampshire and is a full-time writer. [3] [5] She is married to Sam Hodgson [20] , who is a doctor [13] [16] . They had their first child, a baby boy, on 6th July 2021. [4] She gave birth to their second child, daughter, in 2024. [21] They live together along with their golden retriever. [5] [22]

Adaptations

There was a ten part abridged reading adaptation of The Flatshare on BBC Radio 4 on 19th April 2021. This was originally published in January 2020 on BBC Sounds. [23] [24] Since then, it has been adapted into a comedy drama series of the same name for Paramount+ [25] and premiered on the platform on 1st December 2022. [26] [27]

Rights were acquired by Amblin Pictures to adapt The Switch into a film in May 2020. [4] [28]

O'Leary's novel The Road Trip has been adapted into a TV series for Paramount+ and is set to release on 26th December 2024. [29] [30]

Inspiration

O'Leary's favourite authors include Marian Keyes; David Nichols; Jane Austen; Charles Dickens; Maria Edgeworth [16] and Gillian McAllister. [12] Growing up, she read fantasy novels and enjoyed love stories. In her childhood years she read books by Terry Pratchett and Tamora Pierce. [14] Some books O'Leary has enjoyed include Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen [12] and Half a World Away by Mike Gayle. [14]

The Flatshare was a unique instance of her writing, as usually her ideas come together from different ideas over the course of time. [3] Her debut novel, however, was inspired by a situation from O'Leary's personal living situation. Her and her now-husband shared a flat but rarely saw each other due to their work shift times. She began to wonder if it would be possible for two strangers to live this way, and how it might develop. [16] [3]

O'Leary's characters do not arrive to her fully formed. She says that she learns about them as she writes their story. [3]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<i>Fatal Attraction</i> 1987 film by Adrian Lyne

Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film Diversion. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, the film follows Dan Gallagher (Douglas), an attorney who cheats on his wife Beth (Archer) with editor Alex Forrest (Close) following a chance encounter at a work function. When Dan decides to end the affair, Alex grows increasingly unstable and begins stalking him and his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Jones</span> Welsh actress, producer, and writer (born 1966)

Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. She later co-wrote and starred in the Sky One comedy-drama Stella (2012–2017), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance and won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter.

The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is therefore open only to authors who have published no more than two or three books, depending on which category they are in. The prize is awarded by British book retailer Waterstones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Burton</span> British author and actress

Jessica Kathryn Burton is an English author; As of 2022, she has published four novels, The Miniaturist, The Muse, The Confession, The House of Fortune and two books for children, The Restless Girls and Medusa. All four adult novels were Sunday Times best-sellers, with The Miniaturist, The Muse and The House of Fortune reaching no. 1, and both The Miniaturist and The Muse were New York Times best-sellers, and Radio 4's Books at Bedtime. Collectively her novels have been published in almost 40 languages. Her short stories have been published in Harpers Bazaar US and Stylist.

Jane Harris is a British writer of fiction and screenplays. Her novels have been published in over 20 territories worldwide and translated into many different languages. Her most recent work is the novel Sugar Money which has been shortlisted for several literary prizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernardine Evaristo</span> English author and academic (born 1959)

Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo is an English author and academic. Her novel Girl, Woman, Other jointly won the Booker Prize in 2019 alongside Margaret Atwood's The Testaments, making her the first Black woman to win the Booker. Evaristo is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London and President of the Royal Society of Literature, the second woman and the first black person to hold the role since it was founded in 1820.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Sheridan</span> Scottish activist and writer

Sara Sheridan is a Scottish activist and writer who works in a variety of genres, though predominantly in historical fiction. She is the creator of the Mirabelle Bevan mysteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Rundell</span> English author and academic (born 1987)

Katherine Rundell is an English author and academic. She is the author of Impossible Creatures, named Waterstones Book of the Year for 2023. She is also the author of Rooftoppers, which in 2015 won both the overall Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story, and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. She is a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford and has appeared as an expert guest on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Start the Week, Poetry Please, Seriously.... and Private Passions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Stibbe</span> British writer

Nina Stibbe is a British writer born in Willoughby Waterleys and raised in Fleckney, Leicestershire. She became a nanny in the household of Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books. Her letters home to her sister became her first book, Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life, which was adapted into the 2016 BBC television series, Love, Nina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrice Lawrence</span> British writer and journalist (born 1960s)

Patrice Lawrence MBE, FRSL is a British writer and journalist, who has published fiction both for adults and children. Her writing has won awards including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Children and The Bookseller YA Book Prize. In 2021, she won the Jhalak Prize's inaugural children's and young adult category for her book Eight Pieces of Silva (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onjali Q. Raúf</span> British author and the founder of the NGO Making Herstory (born 1981)

Onjali Qatara Raúf is a British author and the founder of the two NGOs: Making Herstory, a woman's rights organisation tackling the abuse and trafficking of women and girls in the UK; and O's Refugee Aid Team, which raises awareness and funds to support refugee frontline aid organisations.

<i>On the Come Up</i> 2019 young adult novel by Angie Thomas

On the Come Up, published on February 5, 2019, by Balzer + Bray, is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It tells the story of Bri, a sixteen-year old rapper hoping to fill the shoes of her father and "make it" as an underground hip-hop legend. Overnight, Bri becomes an internet sensation after posting a rap hit which sparks controversy. As Bri defeats the odds to "make it" she battles controversy to achieve her dreams. It is set in the same universe as Thomas' first book The Hate U Give.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Hing Wen</span> American writer, film producer, lawyer and speaker

Abigail Hing Wen is an American writer, film producer, lawyer and speaker. Her debut young adult novel, Loveboat, Taipei, was purchased in a multi-house auction by HarperCollins in a two-book deal, along with Loveboat Reunion. It debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List where it remained for multiple weeks and has been adapted for film by ACE Entertainment and released through Paramount+ as of August 10, 2023.

<i>Queenie</i> (novel) 2019 new adult novel by Candice Carty-Williams

Queenie is a new adult novel written by British author Candice Carty-Williams and published by Trapeze, an imprint of Orion, in 2019. The novel is about the life and loves of Queenie Jenkins, a vibrant, troubled 25-year-old British-Jamaican woman who is not having a very good year. In 2023, Channel 4 announced that Queenie had been made into a television drama, created and executive produced by Carty-Williams which aired in June 2024.

Mary Paulson-Ellis is a Scottish writer and novelist. She writes across the genres of literary, crime and historical fiction. Her work has appeared in the Guardian and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her books have received a number of awards. Paulson-Ellis’ first novel, The Other Mrs Walker (2016) became a Times bestseller and was named Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year in 2017.

<i>A Good Girls Guide to Murder</i> 12+ fiction series by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a young adult mystery crime debut novel by Holly Jackson. The novel is the first in a series of three novels and one novella: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019); Good Girl, Bad Blood (2020); As Good As Dead (2021); and Kill Joy (2021). All books were published by Electric Monkey in the United Kingdom and by Delacorte Press in the United States.

The Flatshare is a British comedy drama television series based on Beth O'Leary's 2019 novel of the same name. The series was developed by 42 in association with VIS for Paramount+. It premiered on 1 December 2022.

Bekka Bowling is a British stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Early in her career she was a runner-up at the Funny Women awards. She has acted for the BBC and she has been commissioned as a screenwriter.

The Road Trip is an upcoming comedy drama series based on Beth O'Leary's novel of the same name. The series is developed by 42 in association with VIS for Paramount+. The series will premiere on Paramount+ on 26 December 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "BETH O'LEARY LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  2. ↑ "Everything you need to know about 2019's best books so far". BBC . Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "About". BETH O'LEARY. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McDonald, Sally (April 20, 2022). "Meet the author: Beth O'Leary on new book The No-Show". The Sunday Post . Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Beth O'Leary". Incredible books from Quercus Books. 2019-01-22. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  6. ↑ "The Flatshare". BETH O'LEARY. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  7. ↑ "Comedy Women in Print prize unveils mythbusting shortlist". The Guardian . Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  8. ↑ "2020 Prize | Comedy Women in Print". CWIP. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  9. ↑ "Beth O'Leary". Waterstones. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  10. ↑ "Swept Away (Hardback)". Waterstones. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  11. ↑ Beth O'Leary [@betholearyauthor] (11 January 2024). "Lost at sea... with your one-night-stand. 🌊" . Retrieved 2024-02-25– via Instagram.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Ten Terrifying Questions with Beth O'Leary!". Booktopia. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 "Meet the hottest-tipped debut novelists of 2019". The Guardian . Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Beth O'Leary - Meet the Author - Suffolk Libraries". www.suffolklibraries.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  15. ↑ "David Nicholls, Sheila O'Flanagan and Beth O'Leary share which of their characters they would take on holiday!". Bookends. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Beth O'Leary". Sue Leonard. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 "'A Huge Part of My Life': Author of The Flatshare Beth O'Leary On Her Love of Libraries". Better Reading. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  18. ↑ "How Beth O'Leary Writes Her Bestsellers". The Novelry. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  19. ↑ "Contact". BETH O'LEARY. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  20. ↑ Finney, Joanne (31 August 2023). "'I'm a totally hopeless romantic'". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 29 August 2024.(subscription required)
  21. ↑ O'Leary, Beth. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
  22. ↑ "Beth O'Leary". www.greenstoneliterary.com. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  23. ↑ "The Flatshare - Radio 4 Comedy Drama". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  24. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, Audio Books". BBC. 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  25. ↑ Richardson, Jay (18 January 2022). "Paramount Plus adapts Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare as first UK comedy". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  26. ↑ "'The Flatshare' trailer: Jessica Brown Findlay from 'Downton' stars in new rom-com". British Period Dramas. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  27. ↑ "The Flatshare (TV Series 2022)". IMDB. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  28. ↑ "Amblin Partners and Rachel Brosnahan to Make The Switch". Business Wire. 12 May 2020.
  29. ↑ Whittock, Jesse; Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-11-12). "Paramount+ Series 'The Road Trip' Gets Launch Date & Teaser; Prime Video Sets Cast For 'Reina Roja 2'; ANICA President; Dark Horse Stages Expands; True To Nature Tracks Adventurer; S4C Names CEO — Global Briefs". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  30. ↑ "The Road Trip". IMDB. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.