Carrying the song & story of Irish writing all over the world
Literature Ireland’s First Lines portraits, by John Minihan, celebrate the latest wave of Irish authors
Excited to be heading to Dublin on Wednesday for the launch of FIRST LINES: JOHN MINIHAN’S PORTRAITS. Here’s what The Irish Times had to say…
“While Irish literature punches well above its weight, beyond the Anglophone world, its reach has been greatly enhanced by the work of Literature Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation funded by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council and led by Sinéad Mac Aodha. Since its foundation in 1995 Literature Ireland has funded the translation of more than 2,000 works of Irish literature into 56 world languages. Like most arts organisations, Literature Ireland’s funding suffered badly during the downturn. The value of the grants it awards has halved over the past eight years, and it has to turn down seven out of eight translation grant applications.
To celebrate the work of the latest wave of authors who are being published in translation across the globe with its support, Literature Ireland will next week launch First Lines, a promotional series of postcard-sized portraits by acclaimed photographer John Minihan, best known for his portraits of Samuel Beckett. Beckett was one of those rare writers capable of translating his own work. A BBC radio producer notoriously rejected his translation into English of En Attendant Godot as too full of Irishisms. Asked once if he was English, Beckett famously replied, “Au contraire”.”
The other writers featured in the series are Colin Barrett, Sara Baume, Gavin Corbett, Rob Doyle, Audrey Magee, Mike McCormack, Lisa McInerney, Danielle McLaughlin, Alan McMonagle, Conor O’Callaghan and Sally Rooney.
The Good Son 