John Broderick (1924-1989) was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland and died in Bath, England.He began his writing career as a journalist, becoming known as a scrupulous and often controversial literary critic. He authored twelve novels, including An Apology for Roses (1973), The Pride of Summer (1976), London Irish (1979) and The Trial of Father Dillingham (1982). Although The Pilgrimage (1961), his first novel, was immediately banned by the Irish Censorship Board, Broderick went on to be elected to membership of the Irish Academy of Letters in 1968, and in 1975 received the Academy's Annual Award for Literature.
