Sally Rooney named among TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2022

American news magazine TIME have released their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world – with Irish writer Sally Rooney included alongside some of the biggest names in global politics, art, activism, sports, show business, and more.

The honour comes less than a year after the release of her latest novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You, which follows 2017's Conversations with Friends and 2018's Normal People.

Rooney is included in the 'Titans' section of the list, alongside the likes of Tim Cook; Oprah Winfrey; Kris Jenner; and US soccer players Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Alex Morgan.

American writer, director and actress Lena Dunham – famed as the creator of the series Girls, and author of the 2014 memoir Not That Kind of Girl – penned the accompanying essay for Rooney's inclusion on the list. Dunham describes the Irish writer as having become "a signpost for all our needs and concerns, all our unanswered questions and anxious dreams."

"It’s an uncomfortable thing to be generationally anointed (something about which I have some knowledge), but Rooney has proven herself immune to the mounting pressures: Beautiful World, Where Are You goes meta, grappling with philosophical questions around success, the disconnection of the internet age, and the complexity of adult friendships," Dunham continues.

She goes on to describe Rooney as more than "the hottest young novelist of the year" – but rather "a permanent fixture, not just as a hardback in the hands of appealing youth but as a critic in the collective conscience."

The 'Artists' section of the list includes Zoë Kravitz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Pete Davidson, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis; while 'Innovators' includes Zendaya, Taika Waititi, and Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner.

Mary J. Blige, Keanu Reeves, Adele, Jon Batiste and Peng Shuai are listed as 'Icons'; while Questlove, Eileen Gu, Emmett Schelling and Candace Parker are named 'Pioneers'.

The 'Leaders' section features a selection of both celebrated and highly controversial names, including Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, Ursula Von Der Leyen, and Joe Rogan.

You can see the full TIME 100 list here.

.@lenadunham on Sally Rooney:

“Her ability to swerve means she won’t just be the hottest young novelist of the year—she will be a permanent fixture" #TIME100 https://t.co/2nxVFEdwKF

— TIME (@TIME) May 24, 2022