Banks, Lynne Reid (1929– )

English writer. She was widely acclaimed for her novel The L-Shaped Room (1961), the first of a trilogy completed with The Backward Shadow (1970) and Two Is Lonely (1974). Her novels deal with young working- and lower-middle-class people coming to terms with sexuality and family life, told from a female perspective.

Born in London, she trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and worked as an actor and journalist before turning to writing. She has also published plays, biographical fiction, and children's books, including Broken Bridge (1994).