THE WRITER Francis Stuart, who was formally elected to the position of Saoi of Aosdana yesterday, had been centrally involved in "internationalising the Irish imagination", according to the chairman of the Arts Council, Mr Ciaran Benson.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 94 year old writer's election to the highest position in Aosdana, Mr Benson recalled Mr Stuart's activities first as a republican and later as a writer of German wartime propaganda. "He has had controversial connections to the events of the outside world that marked him as quite unique in his activities and writings," said Mr Benson.
He quoted Ulick O'Connor's description of Stuart as "a committed outlaw", and said that one of the values of the Arts Council was "to protect the independence of the artistic mind".
The ceremony went ahead yesterday despite the absence of the President, Mrs Robinson, who had been due to present Mr Stuart with a gold plated torc, the symbol of the office of Saoi. Mr Benson said Mrs Robinson's absence was "entirely due to the Arts Council getting the date wrong". A formal presentation of the torc is now likely to take place within a fortnight.
With the election of Francis Stuart there are now four Saoithe, the others being Louis le Brocquy, Benedict Kiely and Tony O'Malley. Former Saoithe were Samuel Beckett, Sean O'Faolain, Patrick Collins and Mary Lavin. The honour recognises "creative work which has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland", according to the Arts Council.
Francis Stuart was born in Australia in 1902 of Irish parents and published his first novel, Women and God, in 1931. He published 15 subsequent novels, two plays, two poetry collections and a collection of prose. Controversy has been regularly associated with him, particularly over his decision to live in Germany during the second world war and to write propaganda on behalf of the Nazi regime.