“I was born with this ability, and demon, to write. I was punished for it constantly.” So begins Blue Road - The Edna O’Brien Story, a deeply personal and final reckoning from one of the great literary voices of the 20th and 21st centuries.

In 1960, Irish writer Edna O’Brien became a sensation with her debut novel The Country Girls, a bold, intimate exploration of female sexuality and agency. Banned in her home country and denounced from the pulpit, O’Brien’s work marked her as both a literary outlaw and a beloved figure of feminist rebellion.

Sinead O’Shea’s tender and spirited documentary assembles O’Brien’s final on-camera reflections, alongside archival footage, excerpts from her journals read by Irish actor Jessie Buckley, and tributes from friends and fellow writers. The result is a portrait as stylish, sharp and emotionally generous as O’Brien herself. From rural Ireland to London bohemia and global literary fame, Blue Road is not just a tribute, but a last work in its own right – a lucid summation of a woman who lived, wrote and endured with fierce resolve and lyrical clarity.