Brian Keenan

Brian Keenan CBE was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, into a working-class household. He left Orangefield School early and started working as a heating engineer. However, he continued his curiosity in literature by attending evening courses and in 1970 gained a spot on the University of Ulster in Coleraine. In the mid 1980s Keenan returned to the Magee College campus for his postgraduate studies. Afterwards he accepted an instructing place at the American University of Beirut, where he worked for about 4 months.

On the morning of 11 April 1986, Keenan was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad. After spending two months in isolation, he was moved to a cell he shared with the British journalist John McCarthy. He was saved blindfolded all through most of his ordeal, and was chained by hand and foot when he was taken out of solitary. His book An Evil Cradling is an account of the 4 and a half years he spent as a hostage in Beirut, Lebanon from 11 April 1986 to 24 August 1990.

He now lives in Dublin.