author
Dora Sigerson Shorter
1866–1918
A vivid voice from the Irish Literary Revival, she wrote poetry and fiction shaped by folklore, feeling, and a deep sense of Ireland. Her work moves easily from ballad-like storytelling to intimate, lyrical reflection.
2 Audiobooks
The Story and Song of Black Roderick
by Dora Sigerson Shorter
The Fairy Changeling and Other Poems
by Dora Sigerson Shorter
About the author
Born in Dublin on August 16, 1866, she grew up in a literary household: her father, George Sigerson, was a physician, scholar, and poet, and her mother, Hester Varian, was also a writer. Their home was known as a meeting place for artists and writers, which placed her close to the energy of the emerging Irish literary revival from an early age.
She built her reputation as a poet and writer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, publishing verse that drew on Irish legend, landscape, and national feeling. After marrying the English journalist and editor Clement King Shorter in 1896, she wrote under the name Dora Sigerson Shorter, and she was also known for her work as a sculptor.
She died in January 1918 in England, but her writing remains part of the wider story of Ireland's literary revival. Readers who enjoy lyrical poetry, folklore-infused themes, and fin-de-siècle Irish writing may find her especially rewarding.