Donal Ryan (born 1976) is an Irish writer. He has published six novels and one short story collection. In 2016, novelist and playwright Sebastian Barry described Ryan in The Guardian newspaper as "the king of the new wave of Irish writers".[1] All of his novels have been number one bestsellers in Ireland.[2]

Biography

Donal Ryan was born outside Nenagh, Tipperary, in 1976.[3] He holds a degree in law from the University of Limerick where he now lectures in Creative Writing.[4] He worked for the National Employment Rights Authority until April 2014.[5] He is married and lives in Castletroy, County Limerick, with his wife and two children.[6]

Ryan has won numerous awards for his fiction, among them the European Union Prize for Literature,[7] the Guardian First Book Award[8] and four Irish Book Awards,[9] and has been shortlisted for several more, including the Costa Book Award[10] and the IMPAC award.[11] In September 2021 he became the first Irish writer to be awarded the Jean-Monnet Prize for European Literature.[12]

His debut novel, The Spinning Heart, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013, and his fourth novel, From A Low And Quiet Sea, was longlisted in 2018.[13] The Spinning Heart was voted Irish Book of the Decade in 2016 in a nationwide poll run by Dublin Book Festival.[14] He holds the record, at four, for most nominations for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Ryan's first two novels, The Spinning Heart and The Thing About December, were between them rejected 47 times before being accepted for publication.[15]

The Thing about December (written before The Spinning Heart) was published in 2013 and was adapted into an Irish-language film, Foscadh, in 2020.[16] It was also adapted for the stage by Decadent Theatre Company in 2019.[17] The Spinning Heart was adapted by Articulate Anatomy Theatre Company in 2017 and staged at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.[18]

Ryan's books have been translated into over twenty languages.[19]

Works

Recognition

References

  1. ^ Guardian Staff (27 November 2016). "Best books of 2016 – part two". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  2. ^ Jacques, Alan (15 October 2021). "Donal Ryan wins Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ^ Richard Lea (28 November 2013). "Irish novelist Donal Ryan wins Guardian first book award". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  4. ^ "'Dream come true': Author Donal Ryan takes up lecturer post at University of Limerick". www.limerickleader.ie. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  5. ^ Wallace, Arminta. "Getting to the heart of Donal Ryan's village people". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  6. ^ Frances O'Rourke (3 November 2013). "First encounter: Donal and Anne Marie Ryan". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  7. ^ Lynch, Suzanne. "Donal Ryan among winners of EU literature prize for 'The Spinning Heart'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  8. ^ office, GNM press (28 November 2013). "Donal Ryan has been named the winner of the 2013 Guardian First Book Award, November 2013". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. ^ "No more Mr Nearly... Writer Donal Ryan on his award-winning sixth novel". independent. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  10. ^ Doyle, Martin. "Sally Rooney and Donal Ryan shortlisted for Costa Novel Award". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  11. ^ "The Spinning Heart – International DUBLIN Literary Award". Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  12. ^ SudOuest.fr (30 September 2021). "Littérature à Cognac : l'Irlandais Donal Ryan remporte le 27e Prix Jean Monnet". Sud-Ouest (in French). ISSN 1760-6454. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  13. ^ Wallace, Arminta. "Man Booker Prize 2018: Three Irish writers make longlist". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Donal Ryan wins Dublin Book Festival's Book of The Decade". 14 November 2016. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ Hector Tobar (26 July 2013). "Rejected 47 times, Irish novelist finally wins recognition". The LA Times. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  16. ^ Nathan Griffin (6 November 2019). "Filming begins on Foscadh, Seán Breathnach's debut Irish Language feature film". IFTN.
  17. ^ McCormack, Cian (3 June 2019). "Novel never meant for stage set for Galway premiere". ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ^ Bol, Lauren (27 January 2017). "The Spinning Heart- review". TN2 Magazine. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Ennis Book Club Festival - Donal Ryan". www.ennisbookclubfestival.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  20. ^ Rosita Boland (23 November 2012). "Banville wins novel of year at awards". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  21. ^ "The Spinning Heart wins Book of the Year". 18 December 2012. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ "Irish Book Awards shortlist announced". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  23. ^ "The Spinning Heart | The Booker Prizes". thebookerprizes.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Donal Ryan has been named the winner of the 2013 Guardian First Book Award, November 2013". the Guardian. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  25. ^ Hilliard, Mark. "Donal Ryan among writers shortlised for 2014 Impac Award". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Ryan wins EU prize for literature". European Union Prize for Literature. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  27. ^ "Winner of the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year - Donal Ryan for A Slanting of the Sun - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  28. ^ Doyle, Martin. "Shortlists revealed for Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2016". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  29. ^ "Donal Ryan wins Dublin Book Festival's Book of The Decade". 14 November 2016. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  30. ^ Sarazin, Olivier (6 February 2017). "Cognac : quatre romans en lice pour le Prix Jean-Monnet 2017". SudOuest.fr (in French). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Man Booker prize 2018 longlist – in pictures". The Guardian. 23 July 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  32. ^ "An Post Irish Book Awards 2018 - and the nominees are..." 25 October 2018. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ^ Buckley, Dan (23 November 2018). "Sally Rooney and Donal Ryan shortlisted for Costa Novel Award". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  34. ^ Doyle, Martin. "Donal Ryan's From A Low and Quiet Sea, this week's Eason offer, up for RSL Ondaatje Prize". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  35. ^ "An Post Irish Book Awards » Strange Flowers". Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  36. ^ SudOuest.fr (30 September 2021). "Littérature à Cognac : l'Irlandais Donal Ryan remporte le 27e Prix Jean Monnet". Sud-Ouest (in French). ISSN 1760-6454. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  37. ^ "Novel Of the Year Award Shortlist 2021". Zurich Ireland. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
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