Hailed as one of the greatest short-story writers of all time, Frank O'Connor was also a poet, lecturer, linguist, playwright, broadcaster, critic and self-taught genius. His success is all the more remarkable given that he was born and brought up in the slums of Cork, his childhood characterised by poverty and sickness and his teenage years involved in the volunteer movement. Today, more than three decades after his death, O'Connor's works are as popular as ever. This biography, fully endorsed by his widow, is a timely portrait of an author who made such an impact on the literary world - and of the man behind the books.