Born in London, the daughter of Sean and Eileen (Gould) O'Faolain, Julia O'Faolain was educated at University College, Dublin, the University of Rome, and the Sorbonne, Paris. She has worked as a writer, language teacher, editor and translator and has lived in France, Italy, and the USA. Among her novels are Women in the Wall, No Country for Young Men, The Obedient wife, The Irish Signorina and The Judas Cloth. Her short story collections include Man in the Cellar and Daughters of Passion, and her work has also featured in many anthologies. Julia O'Faolain is married to American historian Lauro Martines, and has one son: she lives in London.