Declan Kiberd (born 24 May 1951) is an Irish writer and scholar with an interest in modern Irish literature, both in the English and Irish languages, which he often approaches through the lens of postcolonial theory. He is also interested in the academic study of children's literature. He serves on the advisory board of the International Review of Irish Culture (which describes itself as influenced by the critical theory developed by the Frankfurt School) and is a professor at the University of Notre Dame and at its campus in Dublin. In recent years and with publications such as After Ireland (2018), Kiberd has become a commentator on contemporary Irish social and political issues, particularly as such issues have been examined by Ireland's writers.[1]

His niece Evanna Lynch is an actress most well known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films.

In 2019 Kiberd was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[2]

Early life and education

Kiberd was born in Dublin.[3] His brother Damien is a journalist. Kiberd attended Belgrove Primary School in Clontarf, where he was taught by the novelist John McGahern, before moving to St Paul's College in Raheny. In 1969, he won an award to study Irish and English at Trinity College Dublin, where he was elected a Scholar and got a double first and a Gold Medal. He then went to Linacre College, Oxford,[additional citation(s) needed] where he took[clarification needed] a DPhil under the Joycean biographer Richard Ellmann.[3]

Academic career

Eleven years after its foundation, Kiberd taught English at University of Kent in Canterbury (1976–77). He then taught Irish in Trinity College Dublin for two years (1977–79).

Kiberd joined University College Dublin (UCD) in 1979 and remained on its staff until 2011.[3] He was UCD lecturer in Anglo-Irish literature from 1979, appointed chair of Anglo-Irish literature and drama in 1997[additional citation(s) needed] and held this until 2011, at which time he moved to the U.S.[3]

In 2011 Kiberd became the Donald and Marilyn Keough Professor of Irish Studies and an English professor at the University of Notre Dame.[3]

Research interests and supervision

His research interests are primarily Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama (in particular Joyce and Synge),[citation needed] postcolonial theory and children's literature; the latter he was responsible for introducing to the UCD curriculum in 2008.

He was close to the Palestinian-born Edward Said, who wrote Orientalism, considered an influential contribution to postcolonial theory.[3] Since 2016, he has been at work on a short monograph about Beckett.

Other work

Kiberd has been a columnist with The Irish Times (1985–87) and The Irish Press (1987–93), presenter of the RTÉ arts programme, Exhibit A (1984–86), and a regular essayist and reviewer in The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. He occasionally writes short pieces about culture for The Irish Times. He has contributed approximately 5,000 words to the London Review of Books over two pieces published in 2000 and 2001, the latter on a William Trevor short story collection and the former on a book by his UCD colleague Angela Bourke.[4][5][6]

Kiberd serves on the advisory board of the International Review of Irish Culture,[7] which describes itself as influenced by the critical theory developed by the neo-Marxist intellectuals of the Frankfurt School.[8]

In addition, he has the following credits:

Publications

In 1987, Kiberd co-edited Omnium Gatherum: Essays for Richard Ellmann, which had been intended as a Festschrift for Richard Ellmann, but became a memoria when Ellmann died the same year.[9]

Another publication of note is Irish Classics, which was awarded the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in 2002.

He wrote the introduction to the Penguin Classics "Annotated Student's Edition" of Ulysses, which re-released the Bodley Head/Random House text of 1960–61.

In 2009, Faber and Faber published Ulysses and Us: The Art of Everyday Living. It argues that Ulysses is a work of popular fiction, always intended for a mass readership, and examines how Joyce's modernist masterpiece reflects and satirises aspects of daily life.[10]

In 2015, Abbey Theatre Press published Handbook of the Irish Revival: An Anthology of Irish Cultural and Political Writings 1891-1922, which Kiberd co-edited P. J. Matthews. Irish President Michael D. Higgins gave a speech on the anthology.[11]

Books:

Edited:

Pamphlets:

Scripts:

Articles:

References

  1. ^ "Irish writers were an early warning system about abuse". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  2. ^ "American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2019 FELLOWS AND INTERNATIONAL HONORARY MEMBERS". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Declan Kiberd". Department of English. University of Notre Dame. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Declan Kiberd". London Review of Books. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  5. ^ Kiberd, Declan (6 January 2000). "Astride a White Horse". London Review of Books. Vol. 22, no. 1. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  6. ^ Kiberd, Declan (8 March 2001). "Demented Brothers". London Review of Books. Vol. 23, no. 5. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  7. ^ "IRIC – Advisory Board". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  8. ^ "IRIC – Statement of Ambitions". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Essays for Richard Ellmann | McGill-Queen's University Press". www.mqup.ca. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Faber and Faber Website". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009.
  11. ^ President Higgins' speech online Archived 24 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11 May 2017

External links

Authority control databases
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