Lionel Shriver Biography

Lionel Shriver is the author of several novels, the most well-known being We Need to Talk About Kevin, made into a feature film in, starring Tilda Swinton.

Raised in the American south and a graduate of Columbia University in New York, Shriver has spent most of her adult life in the United Kingdom, including 12 years in Northern Ireland.

She worked as a caterer for years and wrote for U.K. publications. Shriver began writing novels early on in her career, but it was her seventh published novel, 2003’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, that raised more attention than any, winning the Orange Prize in 2005 and becoming a bestseller.

The story of a mother whose son has killed others in a school shooting, the novel was timely and forced an examination of American culture as well as motherhood. Lionel Shriver became a literary sensation.

Shriver spent decades waiting for the spotlight, and since becoming a bestselling author she has managed to make waves and generate headlines, often staking out unpopular and/or misunderstood political positions.

Her other novels include Checker and The Derailleurs (1988), So Much for That (2010) and The Mandibles (2016).