In The Irish Times tomorrow, Irish-American film-maker Edward Burns tells Donald Clarke about his debut novel, The Kid from Marlboro Road. Noel Russell writes about Belfast’s version of Oskar Schindler, subject of his new book, The Saved and the Spurned: Northern Ireland, Vienna and the Holocaust. And there is a Q&A with Janice Hallett about her late-blooming but stellar career as a cosy crime author.
Reviews are Chris Kissane on The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years by Sunil Amrith; Tony Clayton-Lea on the best new music books; Claire Hennessy on YA fiction; Paschal Donohoe on On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century by Tony Blair; Neil Hegarty on Ghosts of a Family by Edward Burke; John Boyne on The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet; Mei Chin on A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater; Maurice J Casey on The Party is Always Right: The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism by Aidan Beatty; Karl Whitney on Wild Twin by Jeff Young; John Walshe on A History of Ireland in Ten Body Parts by Dr Ian Miller; and Mia Levitin on Playground by Richard Powers.
This weekend’s Irish Times Eason offer is Holly by Stephen King, just €5.99, a €6 saving.
Cork-based writer Freyja Hellebust has won the 2024 Gerald Griffin Competition for First Original Adult Fiction with her manuscript novel submission Head First, From a Height.
The official announcement took place on Friday, September 20th at The People’s Museum of Limerick, Pery Square, where the author was recognised for her outstanding submission to Ireland’s newest literary prize, organised by The Limerick Writers’ Centre.
“We are thrilled to recognise Freyja Hellebust’s exceptional talent,” said Dominic Taylor, director of the centre. “Her manuscript stood out in a field of impressive entries, showcasing the vibrant state of original fiction writing in Ireland today and we look forward to publishing her novel in the coming months.”
Judges Ciaran O’Driscoll and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin were particularly impressed with Hellebust’s work. O’Driscoll said: “It is quite remarkable how this novel brings us beyond the particular group and even the writer’s generation to experience the compassion which compelled Edna O’Brien to remark ‘poor people’ and James Joyce to define pity as “the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings”.
Ní Chuilleanáin said: “The first thing that struck me about this novel was the quality of the writing. There was an instant sense that the author has imagined it clearly and has seamlessly brought it into convincing language. What gives the story its ballast is the fullness of the material setting: physical experiences of light, sun, clothing and bodies, food and hunger and drink, the sea, work and fatigue.”
The competition, named after the 19th-century Irish novelist, aims to discover and promote new voices in Irish literature, part of the Limerick Writers’ Centre’s ongoing efforts to nurture literary talent and expand awareness of its activities beyond the local area.
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Belfast International Arts Festival returns for its 62nd year from October 16th to November 26th, welcoming the very best international and home-grown authors, poets and writers.
The hugely diverse line-up of award-winning writers includes David Peace, celebrating Munichs, the third novel in his football-themed trilogy, following The Damned Utd and Red or Dead.
Continuing its collaboration with Bocas Lit Fest, the festival welcomes three writers from Trinidad and Jamaica: Monique Roffey, the author of eight books, including the award-winning The Mermaid of Black Conch; Kevin Jared Hosein, whose first adult novel, Hungry Ghosts, won the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction; and Safiya Sinclair, whose recent memoir was shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-fiction.
Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and bestselling author of The Power, Naomi Alderman will delve into her latest novel, The Future, a lightning-fast thriller which explores the shadowy world of mega-rich tech companies.
Ingrid Persaud’s debut novel, Love After Love won three awards including the Costa First Novel Award and her follow-up The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh is tipped for similar success. Ingrid joins the festival alongside Sunjeev Sahota, author of the Booker shortlisted The Year of Runaways and the recently published The Spoiled Heart.
David Park’s work has illuminated Northern Ireland’s people and politics for over three decades. He joins Hugh Odling-Smee for a career-retrospective conversation to mark his literary archive becoming part of The Linen Hall’s collections.
Michael Longley, one of the great Northern Ireland poets, will host a special event at The Seamus Heaney Centre to mark his 85th birthday and the publication of his new selected poems collection, Ash Keys. Michael will look back on his extraordinary career in a conversation with fellow poet Nick Laird.
On Monday, the winners of the annual Oireachtas na Gaeilge Publishing Awards were announced in An Taibhdhearc, Galway, the first time in many years that the presentation was held outside of Dublin.
Gradam Réics Carló 2024 was awarded to Na Trí Mhuicín, written by Áine Ní Ghlinn, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly and published by Futa Fata. Athmáthair, written by Michela Muglia and translated by Máire Nic Mhaoláin and published by Éabhlóid scooped the Gradam de Bhaldraithe award, and the most coveted award, Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin, was awarded to Crainn agus Toir, written by Máirín Nic Conchubhair and published by Dingle Publishing.
Spiddal-based publisher Futa Fata and its imprint Barzaz had five titles shortlisted across the three categories.
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The Red Line Book Festival is coming up on October 14th-20th with comedy as its central theme. More than 40 literary events will take place in venues across South County Dublin over the week with an eclectic mix of established writers and new voices. Highlights include an evening with international bestselling author Marian Keyes. Comedian Emma Doran also provides some comic relief as she chats about her debut book, Mad Isn’t It with award-winning actor, writer and ‘humourista’ Amy Huberman.
The festival also aims to foster local writing talent, with a range of writing workshops in different genres taking place in our libraries, as well as the Comedian in Residence programme with Sharon Mannion who is mentoring aspiring comics in a series of workshops looking at all aspects of comedy writing and performance, culminating in a showcase event in the Coach House, Palmerstown on October 20th.
The events will take place in The Civic, Rathfarnham Castle, Brú Chrónáin – Clondalkin Round Tower Visitor Centre, and the Pearse Museum as well as dynamic new venues such as Work IQ in Tallaght Innovation Quarter.
The festival also features a True Crime Night with former detective Pat Marry and investigative journalist Mick Clifford in conversation with Muireann O’Connell. Authors Sean Murray, Nicky Ryan and Christine Bohan will discuss the Stardust Tragedy, subject of their book, The Last Disco. Donal Ryan will be chatting about his new book Heart Be at Peace and Rory King, Pól Ó Conghaile and Fionn Davenport will chat to travel blogger Nadia El Ferdaoussi.
Now in its 13th year, The Red Line Book Festival is produced by South Dublin Libraries and Arts at South Dublin County Council. redlinefestival.ie
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The TS Eliot Lecture returns to the Abbey Theatre on December 15th. This year’s lecture, the ninth in a series inspired by Eliot’s impact on modern literature, will feature Ralph Fiennes reading and then discussing his relationship wit Eliot’s poem Four Quartets, marking the 80th anniversary of its first publication as a single volume in 1944. After his reading, Fiennes and Ingrid Craigie will discuss the poem, the relationship between performer and work, the challenges of poetic performance and many other aspects of a fascinating collision between poet and interpreter. This year’s lecture will be introduced by Catherine Heaney.
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On 3pm on Saturday, November 9th, in the Abbey Centre, Ballyshannon, the 2024 Allingham Festival will feature a programme of interviews and readings by three leading Irish writers of memoir, hosted by journalist and author Sinéad Crowley. Of Memoirs and Memories will feature actor and director Phyl Herbert, author of The Price of Silence, recalling her experience as a young woman of Mother and Baby Homes. Liz McManus, author of When Things Come to Light, discusses the story of her grandparents and a tragic family rift in northeast India in the early 20th century. Mary Rose Callaghan, author of The Deep End, relates how a once-well-off family was forced to struggle with extreme poverty in 1940′s Dublin.
The festival will run from November 6th-10th in Co Donegal. Highlights will include a keynote address on Artificial Intelligence by broadcaster Richard Curran, the gripping documentary In the Shadow of Beirut by Garry Keane, and a concert by Muireann Bradley. allinghamfestival.com
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Chloe Michelle, who was born and raised in west Cork, has been shortlisted for the The Polari First Book Prize for her debut novel Sunburn.
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Becky Walsh of John Murray Press has acquired world rights from Lucy Luck at C&W for Eden’s Shore, the second novel by Oisín Fagan whose acclaimed, multi-shortlisted debut Nobber (2019) announced him as ‘a striking new talent’ (The Times).
Set in an era of global upheaval, Eden’s Shore is an epic and intricate tale of greed, revenge and love.
Fagan said: ‘I am delighted to be with the team at John Murray again. I can’t think of a better home for my novels, nor of better people to work with. And I’m so proud that Eden’s Shore, after many years of working and dreaming, is at last going out into the world.’
Walsh said: ‘Oisín Fagan is the kind of author who doesn’t come around very often. His writing is kaleidoscopic, full of wit, energy and humour and I couldn’t be happier to be welcoming him back to John Murray with his second novel, Eden’s Shore.’
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The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast has announced the appointments of Fiona Benson, Jan Carson, and Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson as the new Seamus Heaney Centre Fellows for 2024-25.
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In Their Shoes is a podcast created by Rebekah Guilar (Becks) and Ciaran Gaffney (Gaff), founder of the global storytelling brand Seanchoiche.
Having a strong foundation in the Irish storytelling tradition of the seanchaí, the brand aims to foster more connection and empathy through personal life stories. The podcast sets out to break the four walls of the events but bringing a unique storytelling experience to audiences worldwide, promoting raw emotion, realness, and authentic connections that are often missing in today’s society.
Each episode features two guests who share their stories based on a specific theme, followed by a story swap where they read each other’s narratives. Notable guests include Maude Apatow (Euphoria), HIV activist Robbie Lawlor, and singer-songwriter Shiv. Sponsored by Mubi, the podcast has released its first season and is preparing for an exciting second season.
