Menu
19/11/2009
Irish Writer Wins Top US Book Award
Irish writer Colum McCann’s latest book, Let the Great World Spin, has won the top fiction prize at the US National Book Awards.
The Dubliner’s latest novel is a story about life in New York City in the 1970s and earned the writer a prize of $10,000, beating off competition from four other scribes.
Colum, who grew up in Dublin before moving to Manhattan more than a decade ago, is no stranger to awards however, named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best and Brightest" in 2003, when he was also awarded a Pushcart Prize, the Rooney Prize, the Irish Novel of the Year Award and the 2002 Ireland Fund of Monaco Princess Grace Memorial Literary Award before being inducted into the Hennessy Hall of Fame.
Let the Great World Spin was officially released this year in June, with extracts published in the Paris Review late last year.
Announcing their decision the judges at the ceremony credited McCann with achieving "a gravity-defying feat".
"From 10 ordinary lives he crafts an indelibly hallucinatory portrait of a decaying New York City, and offers through his generosity of spirit and lyrical gifts an ecstatic vision of the human courage required to stay aloft above the ever-yawning abyss," they said.
The eminent US literary awards, which are in their 60th year, also honoured 84-year-old novelist, playwright and essayist Gore Vidal for his "distinguished contribution to American letters".
(DW/GK)
The Dubliner’s latest novel is a story about life in New York City in the 1970s and earned the writer a prize of $10,000, beating off competition from four other scribes.
Colum, who grew up in Dublin before moving to Manhattan more than a decade ago, is no stranger to awards however, named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best and Brightest" in 2003, when he was also awarded a Pushcart Prize, the Rooney Prize, the Irish Novel of the Year Award and the 2002 Ireland Fund of Monaco Princess Grace Memorial Literary Award before being inducted into the Hennessy Hall of Fame.
Let the Great World Spin was officially released this year in June, with extracts published in the Paris Review late last year.
Announcing their decision the judges at the ceremony credited McCann with achieving "a gravity-defying feat".
"From 10 ordinary lives he crafts an indelibly hallucinatory portrait of a decaying New York City, and offers through his generosity of spirit and lyrical gifts an ecstatic vision of the human courage required to stay aloft above the ever-yawning abyss," they said.
The eminent US literary awards, which are in their 60th year, also honoured 84-year-old novelist, playwright and essayist Gore Vidal for his "distinguished contribution to American letters".
(DW/GK)
Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
04 June 2010
Irish Poet Wins International Prize
Irish poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin has won the Griffin Poetry Prize for her collection, The Sun-fish. Ní Chuilleanáin, born in Cork city in 1942, is a fellow and professor of English at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of Aosdána.
Irish Poet Wins International Prize
Irish poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin has won the Griffin Poetry Prize for her collection, The Sun-fish. Ní Chuilleanáin, born in Cork city in 1942, is a fellow and professor of English at Trinity College Dublin, and a member of Aosdána.
17 October 2007
Booker Winner Celebrated
Tributes have flooded in for Dublin author, Anne Enright who has just won the 2007 Man Booker prize. By coincidence, one of the now international literary star’s first appointments will be with local festival-goers, as she is appearing in the Belfast Festival at Queens alongside Bangor author, Glenn Patterson on Friday evening.
Booker Winner Celebrated
Tributes have flooded in for Dublin author, Anne Enright who has just won the 2007 Man Booker prize. By coincidence, one of the now international literary star’s first appointments will be with local festival-goers, as she is appearing in the Belfast Festival at Queens alongside Bangor author, Glenn Patterson on Friday evening.
19 April 2024
53-Year-Old Man Jailed For 21 Offences Against A Child
A 53-yea-old L'Derry man has been sentenced to a total of 13 years for 21 offences including rape, indecent assault of female child and cruelty to children.
53-Year-Old Man Jailed For 21 Offences Against A Child
A 53-yea-old L'Derry man has been sentenced to a total of 13 years for 21 offences including rape, indecent assault of female child and cruelty to children.
16 June 2011
Colum Mc Cann Scoops Impac Award
Colum Mc Cann, winner of the 2009 National Book Award in the US and 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, has won the largest fiction prize in the World at the Impac Awards.
Colum Mc Cann Scoops Impac Award
Colum Mc Cann, winner of the 2009 National Book Award in the US and 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, has won the largest fiction prize in the World at the Impac Awards.
08 July 2014
€23m Funding Secured For Research Projects
Government funding of €23m is to be shared forty research projects in Ireland as part of two Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) schemes.
€23m Funding Secured For Research Projects
Government funding of €23m is to be shared forty research projects in Ireland as part of two Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) schemes.
-
Ireland WeatherToday:A mostly cloudy start with scattered showers, the showers becoming more isolated and largely confined to the south this morning. Becoming brighter this afternoon, the best of any sunnier spells across northern counties. Northerly winds easing. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:A dry evening with late sunny spells and some long clear spells overnight. Becoming cloudier across the north towards dawn with a few showers possible. Touch of frost in south. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
