Authors: Piers Dudgeon
Maeve Binchy (39 page)
Author and editor became inseparable. Uniquely Maeve insisted it be written into her contract that if Rosie should move publishers she could move with her.
From the start, Maeve and Gordon worked alongside one another, with twin typewriters and a rule that when they showed each other their work they had to tell the absolute truth.
Gordon dancing with the host at Rosie’s fiftieth birthday party.
Maeve at her most matriarchal, holding court on her own float at the St Patrick’s Day parade in Chicago. Her American editor, Carole Baron, is walking alongside, front right, in white sneakers.
Gordon Snell and Maeve’s sister, Joan, at Maeve’s funeral. As the coffin was taken from the church Rita Connolly sang ‘Mo Ghile Mear’, the time-honoured lament of the female spirit of Ireland.
First published in Great Britain in 2013 by
The Robson Press (an imprint of Biteback Publishing Ltd)
Westminster Tower
3 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7SP
Copyright © Piers Dudgeon 2013
Piers Dudgeon has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the publisher’s prior permission in writing.
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ISBN 978-1-84954-638-6
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.