About Orna Ross

Born: Aine McCarthy, in Waterford, Ireland.

Nationality: Irish (Rover).

Raised: Murrintown, Co. Wexford in nuclear Irish Catholic family. Eldest of five, three brothers and a sister.

Now Living In: London, England, best city in the world.

Education: Murrintown National School. Loreto Convent Wexford. University College Dublin (BA, MA).

Religious Views: Wide ‘n’ Deep.

Marital Status: Till Death Do Us Part.

Children: Two, a girl Ornagh and a boy Ross (they lent me their names for my pseudonym), now all grown up and gone.

Politics: Yes we can! Can’t We?

Day jobs Past: Schoolteacher, waitress, aerobics instructor, journalist, university lecturer, writing mentor, literary agent.

Current day job: Blogging and speaking about Creative Intelligence.

Diet: Vegetarian since 1995, when I visited an abattoir for a a newspaper feature I was writing. And almost a vegan since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and read about the links between eating hormone-saturated dairy cows and cancer.

Interests: Reading. Walking & jogging. Yoga & tennis. Movies. Music. Travel. Meditation. Buddhism. Philosophy. Human Potential. Beaches. Wild swimming. History. Web surfing. Theatre. Tango. Talking to audiences about creative intelligence.

Not so keen on: Spectator sport.

Proudest creations (so far): Ornagh. Ross. My 24-year marriage to their dad. The novels of Orna Ross. And the understanding that creation is not a thing — but a way of life.