PADDY KELLY, B.A., M.Ed.

Paddy Kelly, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Kelly_(writer) , is a prominent Irish author and playwright based in Dublin, Ireland and London, England, who writes in a Roman à clef style focusing primarily on politics and history both in the Roman à clef and sometimes with a dark, comic twist. He holds B.A. and Masters of Education degrees and has served in the United States Navy and the United States Army. He has been a writer for 15 years, with 8  novels, a collection of novellae, short stories and half a dozen plays as well as a cook book.

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He immigrated to New York City in 1966 where he worked a number of jobs, finished secondary school and in 1971 attended the City University of New York on an athletic scholarship for gymnastics.  It was here that he was first introduced to theatre and first became interested in writing.

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In 1972 he was employed to coach the Icelandic National Olympic team, a post held for two years.  While in Reykjavik, Iceland he helped in the rescue efforts of Vestmannaeyiar Island following the eruption of the Heimaey volcano.

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In 1973 he became a Hospital Corpsman in the U. S. Navy and, in 1975, assisted in the evacuation of Saigon and the resettlement of tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to Westminster, Orange County, CA where he was first exposed to the world of film making, and later worked as a set carpenter and painter.

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Following naval service in 1976 Mr. Kelly returned to City University New York earning a B.A.  While at C.U.N.Y. he became involved in drama and subsequently acted in over a dozen plays in and around the New York area, again gaining work as a set carpenter and sign writer on films.

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Returning to California in 1982 Paddy further developed his interest in writing when he found employment as a script editor. It was during this period that Mr. Kelly wrote his first novel, "Politically Erect", a satire of the last days of the war in Viet Nam and the fall of Saigon.

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Mr. Kelly returned to the East coast and worked his way through graduate school earning his M. Ed. at Worcester State College in Boston.  He began writing plays and moved into writing and directing full time, focusing on farce, satirical and political comedy. Mr. Kelly has to date directed two dozen professional theatrical productions, written half a dozen feature film scripts and is a regular contributor to various film industry publications.