Michelle Dunne

Born and raised in the harbour town of Cobh, Co Cork, Michelle joined the Irish army at the age of 18, where she went from recruit, to infantry soldier, to Peacekeeper with the UN, to one of the first female instructors back home in Ireland.

During her time in Lebanon, tracer rounds lit up the sky above her and artillery rained down, while she got to experience first-hand the camaraderie between soldiers and the reality of their lives. She also got to see what it’s like for ordinary families, forced to live in conflict zones. These experiences have inspired much of her work to date.

Grace is Michelle’s third thriller and takes a long look at the darker side of life. Her other work includes While Nobody Is Watching and The Invisible, a series of thrillers featuring former soldier, Lindsey Ryan as she tries to adapt to her new life in the clutches on PTSD. The series is currently in development for television.

​Michelle is also organiser and programmer of the Spike Island Literary Festival, which takes place on Ireland’s very own Alcatraz.