Moore, Brian (1921–1999)

Irish-born novelist. Born into a Catholic family in Belfast, he emigrated to Canada in 1948 and then to the USA in 1959. His books include Judith Hearne (1955), reissued in the USA as The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne in 1956; The Temptation of Eileen Hughes (1981); Black Robe (1985); and The Colour of Blood (1987), shortlisted for the Booker Prize. After 1987 his style became far more economical and accessible; novels from that period include the Booker-shortlisted Lies of Silence (1990), No Other Life (1993), The Statement, and The Magician's Wife. Catholicism, obsession, and the contrast between dreams and reality are recurrent and powerful themes, depicted with stylistic economy and realism.

Other works include The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1960) and The Emperor of Ice-Cream (1966). Moore's earliest novels were published under the pen name Michael Bryan.