Literature Award sponsored by Waterford Crystal.

THIS year’s Irish Post Literature Award went to Dublin author Sheila O’Flanagan.

The talented writer’s work has won a legion of admirers and the sales figures for her books have been hugely impressive.

Before she began her literary pursuits she enjoyed a very successful career in banking and foreign exchange dealing and even went on to become Ireland’s first woman chief dealer.

She gave all that up to follow a life-long passion for writing and started writing her first novel Dreaming of a Stranger when she was 35.

She has since written several international best-sellers including My Favourite Goodbye, Far From Over, Suddenly Single and He’s Got To Go.

Her books have all been best-sellers which have been translated into 20 languages. Together they have sold a million copies. Sheila still has a keen interest in finance, writing a weekly newspaper column.