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Cathy Kelly (born 12 September 1966) is an Irish former journalist and writer of women's fiction since 1997. She has gained international recognition with her popular fiction novels, which are published globally in many languages. In 2001, her novel Someone Like You won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Kelly is one of the most successful female authors to come out of Ireland since Maeve Binchy, having once outsold both Dan Brown and J. K. Rowling in the UK.

Biography

Early life and career

Born in Belfast but raised in Dublin, she studied at a convent school. Kelly initially worked for 13 years as a newspaper journalist with the Sunday World, where she worked in news, features, along with spending time as an agony aunt and film critic.

Cathy Kelly: Woman to Woman · Cathy Kelly: She's the One · Cathy Kelly: Never Too Late

However, her overwhelming love was always fiction and she published her first international bestseller, Woman To Woman, in 1997. She did not become a full-time writer until she had written another two books (She’s The One and Never Too Late) and finally decided to leave the world of journalism in 2001.

Dan Brown · J. K. Rowling

Cathy Kelly: Someone Like You · Cathy Kelly: Just Between Us · Cathy Kelly: Best of Friends · Cathy Kelly: Always and Forever

Someone Like You, What She Wants, Just Between Us and Best of Friends followed in successive years. Always and Forever was her first hardback number one and then topped the overall UK bestseller list during October 2005, displacing Dan Brown and J. K. Rowling who had been on top most weeks.

Cathy Kelly: Lessons in Heartbreak · Cathy Kelly: Homecoming · Cathy Kelly: Once in a Lifetime

Her books Lessons in Heartbreak and Homecoming were shortlisted for the Eason Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Once in a Lifetime topped the UK bestsellers for Kelly again, for multiple weeks. In March 2011, Homecoming achieved the same feat. Her recent short story collection, Christmas Magic, was a Christmas number one in Ireland. She is hugely popular around the world: a number one bestseller in Australia and New Zealand, where she tours annually, and published in many different languages.

Kelly's trademark is warm story-telling; she writes books which deal with themes ranging from relationships and marriage to depression and loss, but always with an uplifting message and strong female characters at the heart.

Philanthropy

Kelly is involved with many charities and has been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since 2005. She works as a Global Parent for UNICEF, which means raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDs. Her role has seen her visit Rwanda and Mozambique.