Cathy Kelly (born September 12, 1966) is an Irish former journalist and writer of women's fiction. In 2001, her novel Someone Like You won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award granted by the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Belfast but raised in Dublin, Kelly studied at a convent school. She worked as a journalist for the Sunday World, where she published an advice column and film criticism.
Kelly published her first international bestseller, Woman To Woman, in 1997. She published two more books, She’s The One and Never Too Late, before retiring from journalism in 2001.
Someone Like You, What She Wants, Just Between Us and Best of Friends followed in successive years. Always and Forever was her first hardback number one and then topped the overall UK bestseller list in October 2005.
Her books—Lessons in Heartbreak and Homecoming—were shortlisted for the Eason Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. Once in a Lifetime topped the UK bestsellers for Kelly again for multiple weeks. In March 2011, Homecoming achieved the same feat. Her recent short story collection, Christmas Magic, was Christmas number one in Ireland. She is popular around the world: a number one bestseller in Australia and New Zealand, where she tours annually, and published in many different languages.
Kelly is involved with many charities and had been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since 2005.
In 2022, Kelly appeared on the fifth series of the Irish version of Dancing With the Stars.
Bibliography
Novels
Woman to Woman (1997) She's the One (1998) Never Too Late (1999) Someone Like You (2000) What She Wants (2001) Just Between Us (2002) Best of Friends (2003) Always and Forever (2005) Past Secrets (2006) Lessons in Heartbreak (2008) Once in a Lifetime (2009) The Perfect Holiday (2010) Homecoming (2010) The House on Willow Street (2012) The Honey Queen (2013) It Started With Paris (2014) Between Sisters (2015) Secrets of a Happy Marriage (2017)
Novellas
Letter from Chicago (2002)
Collections
Christmas Magic (2011)