“I realized that you didn't have to make self-deprecating remarks or turn yourself into the butt of some unspoken joke. I also discovered that being big didn't deter possible suitors.”

Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker

Maeve Binchy was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker. Born Anne Maeve Binchy Snell, she wrote in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and became known for fiction rooted in Irish life. Her novels often portray small-town Ireland with sympathy and a light, humorous touch, and many end with a surprise. They were translated into 37 languages and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her death at 73 in 2012 was widely mourned in Ireland, where she was regarded as a much loved and easily recognised writer.