Sebastian Barry: ‘When you get past 60, you do feel a licence to write fearlessly’

The Irish novelist and playwright on the positives of ageing, his struggles with depression and a golden age of Irish writingSebastian Barry, 68, is the author of 11 novels and 15 plays. Five of his books have been long- or shortlisted for the Booker prize, and his novels have won numerous awards, including the Costa book of the year (twice) and the Walter Scott prize for historical fiction. He was laureate for Irish fiction from 2018 to 2021. His latest novel, Old God’s Time, is about a retired policeman, Tom Kettle, and his struggles with the legacy of institutional child abuse in Ireland. It has been described as “a tour de force of transcendent power and complexity”. Barry was born in Dublin and lives in a converted rectory in the mountains of County Wicklow, Ireland.Was it good to be back in Ireland with Old God’s Time? Did it feel like coming home?I was in dread of coming home. I had spent two books [Days Without End and A Thousand Moons] in America, quite joyously… a kind of vast holiday. So, yes, it was coming home, but I was a bit… It’s not that I’ve been avoiding the whole strange cosmos of what we have done to children in this country, but I was certainly unable to write this book… until I did. When you get past 60, you do feel a sort of licence finally to write fearlessly about something that essentially is full of fear.Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry is published in paperback by Faber (£9.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-02-10 18:00:48 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Sebastian Barry: ‘When you get past 60, you do feel a licence to write fearlessly’"

20 Award-Winning Historical Fiction Books

From the Pulitzer and Booker to the Walter Scott Prize and more, these award-winning historical fiction books are the best in the genre! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-24 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

New Historical Fiction Books

These novels remind us of old-fashioned human connections that can’t be severed, for better or worse. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-28 09:01:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Riot Roundup: The Best Books We Read April-June 2023

Rioters share the best books they read last quarter, from historical fiction featuring badass lady pirates to essays by disabled parents. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-26 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

JO Morgan: ‘I think I do books that may sound strange’

The prize-winning poet and novelist on writing and book binding, his wariness of new technology and why literature is the ultimate immersive experienceJO Morgan has published book-length poems on subjects as diverse as the 10th-century battle of Maldon and a future Martian returning to his... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-22 17:00:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this

20 Must-Read Works of Historical Fiction Set in Mexico

Want to read more historical fiction set in Mexico? We've got you covered with these 20 absolute must-read books! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-11 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Book Review: ‘Thunderclap,’ by Laura Cumming

In her memoir “Thunderclap,” the British art critic Laura Cumming explores her passion for the virtuosic images of everyday life by painters from Dutch art’s golden age. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times: Life Under Occupation in WWII

Before you say it, I know: there are so, so many books about the Second World War. And when I set out to write my most recent novel, The Paris Deception, the thought crossed my mind—do we really need another book about Paris during the war? But historical fiction is a rich field, and there […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-30 08:55:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this

20 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books Set in India

India is a land of great linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity. Here are 20 of the best examples of historical fiction set in India. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-15 10:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

New Historical Fiction to Read This Summer

These books rewind time, depositing readers in the Cumbrian countryside, coastal Maine, rural Wyoming and beyond. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-05-26 15:30:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this

12 Book Clubs’ Excellent Picks For May 2023

Check out what all the online book clubs are reading in May, from dystopian fiction to historical fiction set in old Hollywood. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-05-08 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Quiz: Pick Your Favorite Period Piece Films, Get a Historical Fiction Recommendation

Pick your favorite period piece films and drama in this quiz to get a recommendation for a matching historical novel! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-18 10:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

20 Must-Read Indigenous Historical Fiction Books Set In North America

These compelling Indigenous historical fiction books cover hundreds of years and take place all across North America. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-11 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Chloé Zhao will direct a movie adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet.

After an extremely lucrative but creatively deadening sojourn on Marvel Money Island, Oscar-winning writer-director Chloé Zhao is returning to more cerebral fare. Deadline announced this morning that the one of the Nomadland and Eternals director’s next projects will be a film adaption of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-04 19:04:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this

New Historical Fiction Books

These hefty books explore the lives of a former poet, a polarizing artist and a Scottish rebel from unexpected angles. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-03-30 09:00:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this

20 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books Set in China

From sweeping epics of ancient history to stories set in the 1990s, here are 20 beautiful Chinese historical fiction books to read now. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-16 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Jennifer Rosner on Crafting Evocative Historical Fiction That Honors the Past

I first connected with Jennifer Rosner as fellow debut authors in early 2020 (you might recall what happened next). Historical fiction authors trip upon, excavate and fictionalize stories from the past that in turn inspire each other. I loved Jennifer’s brilliant debut The Yellow Bird Sings and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-16 08:52:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this

Attention: a new Zadie Smith novel is coming this fall.

This morning, Penguin Press announced that they will be publishing Zadie Smith’s next novel, The Fraud, on September 5, 2023. Here’s how the publisher describes the book: From acclaimed and bestselling novelist Zadie Smith, The Fraud is a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-02 14:57:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this

To Dine For Podcast: Journalist and Author Mary Calvi

On this week's episode of To Dine For, host Kate Sullivan welcomes Mary Calvi, Emmy-winning reporter and anchor at WCBS in New York City. Calvi is also the author of two historical fiction novels, including Dear George, Dear Mary: A Novel of George Washington's First Love. She has recently been... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-02-21 21:48:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this