Friday, May 11, 2012

AWRF - Friday Session Three - Sebastian Barry

An Hour with Sebastian Barry



Sebastian Barry is part of what Eoin Colfer called last evening, "the Irish contingent". A pretty impressive contingent they too are I must say. 
Barry is an internationally acclaimed playwright and novelist, has been short-listed for the Man Booker on three occasions. He has won a swag of other awards,(list below), he is one of the great contemporary Irish writers and I was thrilled to have the chance to see and hear him.
In discussion with Jan Cronin from the University of Auckland he proved a thoughtful, serious and eloquent speaker and conversationalist.


But it was when he got up and read several pages from his  2011 Costa Book Prize winning novel On Canaan's Side that he stunned the audience and you could have heard a pin drop in the filled ASB Theatre. Having heard hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of authors read their work during my lifetime in the book world I have never heard a performance quite like this one. It was absolutely magnificent. I guess being the son of an actor, and being himself a hugely successful playwright, he has observed many fine actors. This reading would have done any of those actors proud. When he finished the audience erupted in huge applause. 
Chair Jan Cronin (who seemed impossibly young) is an expert on Irish literature and she was clearly completely au fait with all of Barry's works. She led him in a discussion of his writing life since graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1977 and what an interesting life it has been. Clearly one of his preoccupations is with recovering those parts of Irish history that have been forgotten or displaced by official, particularly nationalist histories.He spoke about this at length. 
And at question time his answers were long and thoughtful.
This is one of the best Festival sessions I have ever attended anywhere and I could have listened to Sebastian Barry for the rest of the day.He is a star.



AWARDS:
2012 -Walter Scott Prize, On Canaan's Side, shortlist
2011 -Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year , On Canaan's Side, shortlist
2011 -Galaxy National Book Awards International Author of the Year, On Canaan's Side, shortlist
2010 -Irish Book of the Decade (Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards), The Secret Scripture, shortlist
2009 -Trubidy Show Listeners' Choice Book of the Year, The Secret Scripture
2009 - Prix Fémina Etranger (France), The Secret Scripture, shortlist
2009 - Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Fiction), The Secret Scripture, shortlist
2009 - James Tait Black Memorial Prize (for fiction), The Secret Scripture
2009 - Independent Bookshops Book Award, The Secret Scripture
2009 - Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year, The Secret Scripture
2008 - Man Booker Prize for Fiction, The Secret Scripture, shortlist
2008 - Costa Book of the Year Award, The Secret Scripture
2007 - International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, A Long Long Way, shortlist
2006 - Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, A Long Long Way
2005 - Man Booker Prize for Fiction, A Long Long Way, shortlist
1997 - Peggy Ramsay Award, Our Lady of Sligo, joint winner
1995 - Writers' Guild Award (Best Fringe Play), The Steward of Christendom
1995 - Lloyds Private Banking Playwright of the Year Award
1995 - Ireland/America Literary Prize, The Steward of Christendom
1995 - Critics' Circle Award for Best New Play, The Steward of Christendom
1995 - Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize, The Steward of Christendom
1988 - BBC/Stewart Parker Award, Boss Grady's Boys

Footnote:
I haven't read On Canaan's Side, missed it somehow,so I went straight out to the Festival Bookstore and bought a copy.

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