Colm Tóibín (b. 1955) is an Irish novelist. 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ...

(it's pronounced like "toe-bean", if that was a word).

Tóibín was educated at University College Dublin, graduating in 1975. Immediately after graduation, he left for Barcelona. His first novel, The South (1990), was partly inspired by his time in the Spanish city, more directly, his non-fiction Homage to Barcelona (1990). University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... Barcelona within Barcelonès Population ( 2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density ( 2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeastern Spain (41º 23 N, 2º 11 E). ... The term The South is often used to refer to the poorer, less technologically advanced nations of the world as opposed to The North, which is richer and more developed. ...

After returning to Ireland in 1978, he began studying for a Masters. He never handed in his thesis, and left academia behind (at least partly) for a career in journalism. The early 1980s were an especially bright period in Irish journalism, the heyday of the monthly newsmagazine Magill, and Tóibín became editor of that magazine in 1982, remaining in the position until 1985. Events January January 1 - The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. ...

The Heather Blazing, his second novel, was published in 1992, and was followed in 1999 by The Blackwater Lightship. The latter was shortlisted for the 1999 Booker Prize and the 2001 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His novel The Master was shortlisted for the 2004 Booker, and was listed by The New York Times as one of the most notable books of 2004. The Blackwater Lightship is a moving novel written by Irish novelist Colm Tóibín, and was short-listed for Britains Booker Prize. ... The Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best novel written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. ... The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

He has continued to work as a journalist, both in Ireland and abroad.

Tóibín is gay. For people whose family name is Gay see the list of people by name. ...