Liam O'Flaherty

1896, Ireland — 1984

Liam O'Flaherty (Irish: Liam Ó Flaithearta ; 28 August 1896 – 7 September 1984) was an Irish novelist and short-story writer, and one of the foremost socialist writers in the first part of the 20th century, writing about the common people's experience and from their perspective. Others are Seán O'Casey, Pádraic Ó Conaire, Peadar O'Donnell, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, and Seosamh Mac Grianna all of them Irish language speakers who chose to write either in Irish or English. Liam O'Flaherty served on the Western Front as a soldier in the British army's Irish Guards regiment from 1916 and was badly injured in 1917. After the war, he was a founding member of the Communist Party of Ireland. His brother Tom Maidhc O'Flaherty (also a writer) was also involved in radical politics and their father, Maidhc Ó Flaithearta, was before them. O'Flaherty wrote almost exclusively in English, except for a play, a notable collection of short stories and some poems in the Irish language. Their work has been subject to censorship or banning challenges.