Maura McHugh

Maura McHugh (Splinister) was born in the USA, but raised and educated in Co. Galway, Ireland. She has lived in the USA, and travels there often. At the moment she is resident in South Galway, Ireland. She is the webmaster and blogger for the Irish Playwrights and Scriptwriters Guild, and writes scripts, short stories, novels, and plays. She is not afraid to call herself a feminist.

From 1992 - 1996 she pursued a Ph.D. in Trinity College, Dublin in modern women's science fiction, and during that time she served as Information Officer (twice) and President (once) of the Graduate Students' Union. As Information Officer she edited the academic journal, Alumnus for two years. She also worked on the organisational committee for the Irish National Science Fiction Convention, Octocon for four years, and wrote articles and conducted interviews for the Irish Science Fiction Association's monthly newsletter (now defunct). She left academia eventually with no regrets to enter the IT industry.

In the following period she worked in a number of different companies as Lotus Notes Administrator, System Administrator, and IT Manager. She was the technology host for Online.ie from 2000-2002, and wrote articles about the IT industry.

In 2001 she left full-time employment to work freelance as a web designer and consultant, and to focus once again upon her writing. In 2002 she moved from Dublin to her home county of Galway. A love of cinema and scriptwriting drove her back to college.

Maura is a member of the fortnightly Galway Screenwriters and Playwrights Workshop, and the Irish Playwrights