Former literary critic for Irish Times, Globe & Mail, Books Ireland, Books in Canada, newly-turned performance artist & playwright (short-listed Abbey Theatre new playwright programme).

She was born in Ireland, grew up in Canada & now lives in Ireland again.

Melling has published nine books internationally, bestsellers and critically acclaimed, with Penguin, HarperCollins & Abrams NY. Her work includes two adult novels of mythic fiction or magic realism & seven award-winning young adult fantasies (American Library Association”s Top Ten Fantasy For Youth).

Her work has been translated into many languages including German, Japanese, Chinese and Russian and has been adapted for youth ballet (New York) and theatrical stage (UK).

Her screenplays have been commissioned & optioned by producers in USA, Canada, UK & Ireland including Tim Palmer (Into the West), Simon Brooks (Love, Rosie) & Keith Thompson (Tudors, Vikings).

Praise for OR Melling

“The author’s gift is in granting ordinary events extraordinary causes, cloaking them with the potent license of mysticism”.

LA Times

“Quirky evanescent passages of hallucinatory power”

Publishers Weekly

“Once again, OR Melling weaves her visionary web of soul-searching explorations.”

Eugene McCabe

“Innovative, ambitious and courageous.”

Carlo Gebler