Colm Tóibín is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, and critic. He was born in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland in 1955. He is best known for his novels The Master, Brooklyn, and The Testament of Mary. He has also written several collections of short stories, including Mothers and Sons and The Empty Family. His non-fiction works include Love in a Dark Time and New Ways to Kill Your Mother. Tóibín has won numerous awards for his writing, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Costa Book Award. He is currently a professor of the Humanities at Columbia University.