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 ]
A new collection of short historical fiction stories is characterized by its beautiful prose and its author’s gentle curiosity and sense of wonder. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-08-11 21:24:15 UTC ]
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A new collection of short historical fiction stories is characterized by its beautiful prose and its author’s gentle curiosity and sense of wonder. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-08-11 21:24:15 UTC ]
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A new collection of short historical fiction stories is characterized by its beautiful prose and its author’s gentle curiosity and sense of wonder. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-08-11 21:24:15 UTC ]
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Nadim Shamma-Sourgen’s words, evoking a ‘whole world full of hugs’, were spotted by the writer Kate Clanchy and will be published next summerKeats’s first book of poetry was published when he was 21; Mary Shelley was 18 when she started writing Frankenstein. But both of their youthful... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-22 11:17:39 UTC ]
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Mackintosh’s “The Water Cure,” longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2018, also dealt with women living restricted lives. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-06-30 08:26:14 UTC ]
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In foreword to report into diversity in publishing, Booker prize-winning author rails against ‘ridiculous’ beliefsBernardine Evaristo, the first black woman to win the Booker prize, has hit out at “ridiculous” and “misguided” beliefs in the publishing industry, where “black and Asian people are... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-23 11:06:09 UTC ]
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I'm fairly new to the genre and historical fiction audiobooks have been an excellent way to introduce these stories into my repertoire. Treat your ears. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-06-03 10:38:40 UTC ]
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Costa Coffee has appointed Amanda Johnson as the new director of the Costa Book Awards, succeeding Bud McLintock, who stepped down from the role after 25 years in February. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-31 13:23:03 UTC ]
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Mysteries from the Golden Age, Arthur Conan Doyle and a helluva good book about a Texas book dealer. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Here's why this reader thinks you should read historical fiction and some favorite books that aren't about WWII to get you into the genre. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-27 10:39:09 UTC ]
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Book Reviews Natalia Lomaia Left: Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in Normal People (2020) / Courtesy of IMDB Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel is a meticulous observation, or even a study, of how one human being can have immense, intense power over another.... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-04-23 13:18:03 UTC ]
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Staying indoors will feel like an adventure with this roundup of titles ranging from romance to historical fiction to memoir. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-17 23:30:56 UTC ]
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Staying indoors will feel like an adventure with this roundup of titles ranging from romance to historical fiction to memoir. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-17 23:30:56 UTC ]
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Staying indoors will feel like an adventure with this roundup of titles ranging from romance to historical fiction to memoir. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-04-17 23:30:56 UTC ]
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From this year's shortlist–which included authors from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria–an Algerian work of historical fiction claims the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. The post Abdelouahab Aissaoui Wins 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-14 12:33:18 UTC ]
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For many, staying indoors is an unsettling experience. It’s been heartening to see the imaginative leaps being taken by many organisations and artists to help us through – sitting-room gigs, free theatre streams, virtual tours of museums and archives and galleries – but given the limitless... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-04-06 11:36:00 UTC ]
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History books are great for sharing a macro-level view of the past, but historical fiction reveals truths about the way people lived in history. The post Historical Fiction: Discover New Truths in the Past by Eliot Pattison appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2020-04-04 12:00:35 UTC ]
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The moment they hit the press, the reviews for The Mirror And The Light were glowing. A “shoo-in for the Booker Prize” said the Guardian. “A masterpiece of historical fiction” according to the Independent. “Does it merit another Booker?” asks the Evening Standard, before concluding “yes it... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-27 10:51:38 UTC ]
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It’s been a day since the publication of The Mirror and the Light—the final installment of Hilary Mantel’s celebrated trilogy about Tudor England, starring the enigmatic Thomas Cromwell—so you’ve already blazed through it, right? Well, whether you have already or you’re about to, once you’ve... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-11 08:55:24 UTC ]
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Mantel’s first two installments, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” both won the Booker Prize. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-03-10 15:47:07 UTC ]
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