WEXFORD-BORN writer John Banville, a former Man Booker prizewinner, has won the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award at the Listowel Writers Week, it was announced last night.
The €15,000 prize was awarded to the writer for his 2009 novel The Infinities. Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spinwas among the other contenders for the prize at Listowel, one of Ireland's oldest literary festivals, founded in 1970.
Other finalists were Glover's Mistakeby Nick Laird, The Space Between Usby John McKenna and Not True Not Unkindby Ed O'Loughlin.
Banville won the Man Booker prize in 2005 for his novel The Sea. The Infinitiestakes place over a single day in a big house in midlands Ireland and has echoes of classical mythology. The adjudicators were author Giles Foden and the actor Kate O'Toole.
Among those teaching writing at the workshops at the 41st writers week are Terry Prone, Roddy Doyle, Éilis Ní Dhuibhne and Sheila O’Flanagan.
Among the highlights of the festival will be a tribute to the late west Limerick bilingual writer, poet and loyal supporter of writers week, Michael Hartnett. This will be paid on Sunday by the writer Anthony Cronin and the poet, writer and former Faber & Faber editor Christopher Reid.
BBC journalist Kate Adie will speak on Thursday night. The full programme of the festival, which was founded by the late John B Keane and Bryan McMahon, is available at www.writersweek.ie
The Dublin Writers Festival continues tonight with award-winning Irish writer Joseph O'Connor in conversation with RTÉ Drivetimepresenter Mary Wilson. O'Connor, whose book Redemption Falls was nominated for the Impac Dublin Literary Award 2009, will discuss his new novel, Ghostlight, published today.
The discussion at the Project Arts Centre is just one of many events of the six-day festival. Now in its 12th year, the festival features a wide range of home-grown and international talent. A new element to the festival, curated and presented by RTÉ presenter John Kelly, explores the art of songwriting.
Tonight singer-songwriter Paul Brady will preform and discuss his thoughts on the subject. Tomorrow night Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy will discuss his views on songwriting with Kelly in Liberty Hall. Also tomorrow veteran Irish author Jennifer Johnston will celebrate her 80th birthday with an audience at the Project Arts Centre.
Tickets can be bought for most events, and a number are free. For bookings contact www.dublinwritersfestival.com