E.L. James, whose own husband is Irish, was the queen of the Irish book market in 2012. Her worldwide smash hit sexy trilogy ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ sold an approximate $4 million in Ireland, making her the highest earning writer in the Irish market for the year.

According to the latest Nielsen figures for book sales in Ireland for 2012, James’ ‘Fifty Shades’ books sold about $3.7 million in Ireland.

The books outline an S&M relationship in intricate detail and have become a world-wide phenomenon

The first book of the trilogy, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ was the highest selling not only in 2012, but the highest selling ever for an adult book in a single year in Ireland. The first book sold enough to make almost $1.3 million in Ireland alone in 2012.

While E.L. James was the highest earner in Ireland, the highest earning Irish writer was the late Maeve Binchy. During her lifetime, Binchy's books sold more than 40 million copies in 37 languages.

Binchy died in July of 2012, only shortly after having finished her ‘A Week in Winter’ novel, which was later published with permission from her husband.