Stuart Rosenberg - student of Irish Literature

The well known film director Stuart Rosenberg who passed away recently was a student of Irish Literature at New York University, did this influence the literary quality of his work, the majority of which present heros rather that anti-heros much like the great works of Irish literature.

Pat McCabe wins Irish Novel of the Year for Winterwood

Last night at Trinity College Dublin, the Irish author Patrick McCabe was named as the winner of the Irish Novel of the Year award for his book Winterwood. Other winners on the night include: The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas _ John Boyne - The Tubridy Show's listeners' choice award, Back From the Brink _ Paul McGrath _ Best Sports Book, Connemara _ Tim Robinson _ Best Non-Fiction.
A Lifetime Achievement award was given posthumously to John McGahern for his outstanding body of work

Britons unable to finish Ulysses - James Joyce Unread

The Teletext Reading Report reported on 4,000 British people on what they are reading and what their reading habits are. Among the results of their findings were the top ten works of fiction and non-fiction that readres have left unfinished, and at number three came James Joyce's Ulysses. I would have suspected Finnegans Wake would have been more unfinished, not by Joyce mind, by readers but perhaps too few begun the book in the first place.

Wexford Book Festival – 21st-25th March 2007

The speakers for the Wexford Book festival have been announced:
UK Poet - Roger McGough, Impac Award Winner Colm Toibin (The Master), Poet, Author and Playwright Billy Roche (Tumbling Down), Scottish Author - Vivian French, Mega popular UK author - Linda Chapman (My Secret Unicorn), Emerging Irish Author – Siobhan Parkinson, Irish Author – Louis de Paor, Irish Author – Gabriel Rosenstock

modern irish literature is chick lit

The majority of Irish book sales are now devoted to Chick lit, a term used to denote books written by and for women based in and around the model of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary.

Many Voices Literature Festival

If you didn't make it to the University of Ulster Many Voices Festival, this is what you missed:

ues 20 Feb 8.00pm A Reading by Robert Welch L ink Lounge, University of Ulster,
Coleraine campus (UUC)
Wed 21 Feb 8.00pm R eadings by Cathal O’Searcaigh and Frank Sewell A ntrim Arms,
Castle Street, Ballycastle
T hurs 22 Feb 1.15pm Reporting on Politics and Conflict
with Conor O’Clery, Malachi O’Doherty and Chris Ryder.
Chaired by Greg McLaughlin L ink Lounge, UUC
T hurs 22 Feb 8.00pm R eadings by Conor O’Clery, Malachi O’Doherty Flowerfield Arts Centre,
and Chris Ryder Portstewart
Fri 23 Feb 8.00pm R eadings by Colin Bateman and John Connolly Ballymoney Town Hall
S at 24 Feb 10.00am Filling The White Page
A creative writing workshop with Kate Newmann R oom L116, UUC
S at 24 Feb 1.30pm A Lunchtime Reading with Kate Newmann R oom H215, UUC
Musical accompaniment by Bill Campbell
S at 24 Feb 2.00pm A Creative Workshop for Children Flowerfield Arts Centre,
with illustrator Paul Howard Portstewart
S at 24 Feb 8.00pm A Reading by Bernard MacLaverty R oom H215, UUC

rare book find - copies of O'Neills of Ulster books saved from a skip

Last night a rare cloth-bound version of the valuable book The O'Neills of Ulster, their History and Genealogy by Thomas Mathews, originally published in Dublin Ireland at the start of the 20th centuary has been found in a skip in Vienna, Virginia, in the USA. It is believed the work were dumped along with a vintage copy of James Joyce's Ulysses and some rare poetry books by William Butler Yeats. I have checked on ebay and there is no sign of them appearing yet.

Long List for 2007 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

The long list of all of the book titles and who the judges will be for the 2007 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award were announced from Dublin City Hall. Last years winner was Colm Tóibín for his book "The Master", and was given the world's largest literary prize, 100,000 euros. Previous winners include:
2005 The Known World by Edward P Jones.
2004 This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun
2003 My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
2002 Atomised by Michel Houellebecq
2001 No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
2000 Wide Open by Nicola Barker
1999 Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller
1998 The Land Of Green Plums by Herta Muller
1997 A Heart So White by Javier Marias
1996 Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

Ennis Book Club Festival - List of Events

Festival Registration
15.00 Onwards
Clare Museum
FRIDAY 2ND MARCH
Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat”
18.30
Barrack Street
FREE EVENT
Wine Reception
20.00
Temple Gate Hotel
FREE EVENT
Festival Launch by Niall Williams, Cantare Choir and Ennis Players
20.30
Temple Gate Hotel
FREE EVENT
Readings by Niall Williams and Evelyn Conlon
20.40
Temple Gate Hotel
FREE EVENT
Book Club Table Quiz
22.00
Temple Gate Hotel
FREE EVENT
Late Film – The Butcher Boy
22.30
Empire Movieplex
€7
SATURDAY 3RD MARCH
‘How to Read a Novel’ by Kate Bateman
09.30 – 11.30
Old Ground Hotel
€8/€5
‘How to Read Poetry’ by Mary O’Malley
10.00 – 11.30
Clare Museum
€8/€5
Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat”
10.30
Barrack Street
FREE EVENT
Poetry reading with Mary O’Donnell and Thomas McCarthy
11.30 – 12.30
Clare Museum
€6
Ré Ó Laighléis – a bilingual reading
11.45 – 12.45
DeValera Library
FREE EVENT
Eddie Stack – a reading
11.45 – 12.45
The Ennis Bookshop
FREE EVENT
Anne Enright – a reading
12.30 – 13.30
Clare Museum
€12
Walking tour of Ennis with Seán Spellissy
12.30 – 13.30
DeValera Library
€8
A “how to” session on book clubs by Austin Vaughan
13.00 – 13.30
Old Ground Hotel
FREE EVENT
Cookery demo with Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso, Cork
14.30 – 16.00
Holy Family School
€10/5
Patrick McCabe – a reading
14.30 – 15.30
Old Ground Hotel
€12
Rita Ann Higgins – poetry reading
16.00 – 17.00
Old Ground Hotel
€10/8
Poetry reading with Mary O’Malley and Michael Coady
16.00 – 17.00
Clare Museum
€6
Chocolate tasting at “Chocolat”
17.00
Barrack Street
FREE EVENT
“John McGahern Papers” with Archivist Fergus Fahy
17.15 – 17.45
Clare Museum
€5
Edna O’Brien, reading and interview – chaired by Noel Crowley
20.00 – 21.30
Glór
€15/12
Festival Club with Ennis Singers Club
22.00 ‘til late
Old Ground Hotel
FREE EVENT
Late Film – Breakfast on Pluto
22.30
Empire Movieplex
€7
SUNDAY 4TH MARCH
Sunday Symposium:
Charlie Bird, Rosita Boland, P.J. Curtis, Carlo Gébler: “Selling your Book – the Thrill and the Terror” chaired by Caimin Jones
10.00 – 12.00
Old Ground Hotel
€12
“Kate O’Brien Papers” with Archivist Róisin Berry
12.15 – 12.45
DeValera Library
FREE EVENT
“Edward MacLysaght” léacht as Gaeilge ó Seán Ó Ceallaigh
12.45 – 13.15
Scéal Eile Bookshop
FREE EVENT
Dermot Healy – reading and lunchtime chat (Lunch €10 Extra)
13.30 – 15.00
Glór
€10