It was a night of firsts at the Irish Times Literature Prizes ceremony at the Royal Dublin Society library last night. It was the first time the international fiction and Irish fiction prizes have been presented to the same author, Seamus Deane. It was also the first time a former president has presented the awards.
Usually the current President presents the prizes, but because of uncertainty at the planning stage as to who would be in the Aras at the time of the awards, Dr Patrick Hillery was asked to do the honours, for the first time since his own term of office.
Seamus Deane referred humorously to his own double appearance at the awards, commenting that he would make only a brief speech as he would be back in five minutes. Mr Deane, who won the prizes for his novel Reading in the Dark, is currently working on literary essays and another novel, which is at the "5,000-word stage".
He was accompanied to the ceremony by three of his children, Ciaran, Eimear and Cormac. His former wife, Marion Deane, who is to publish a book on medieval Ireland soon, also attended the celebrations.
The other Irish literature award winners were Paul Muldoon for his New Selected Poetry, and Declan Kiberd for Inventing Ireland. Mr Muldoon, who is working on a new collection, thanked Peter Fallon of Gallery Press and Joanna Mackle of Faber and Faber, both of whom were present. Mr Kiberd was accompanied by his wife, Beth, and family members, including his brother Damien, editor of the Sunday Business Post.
After the presentation, representatives of The Irish Times including the chairman, Major T.B. McDowell; group managing director and chief executive, Mr Louis O'Neill, and the editor, Mr Conor Brady, chatted with the chairman and chairwoman of the awards, Jack Miles (International Fiction) and A.S. Byatt (Irish Literature).
Ms Byatt said the evening brought back happy memories of the 1990 ceremony when she was awarded the international prize for her novel Possession. "It was so much more fun than the Booker Prize award ceremony, and I was chosen by a more prestigious jury." She was not alone in enjoying the awards and her part in them as judge.
Rabbi Julia Neuberger commented that it was "arduous but wonderful", and novelist Emma Donoghue said it had been "bliss". Ms Donoghue is currently working on a film script of her first novel, Stirfry, and on a third novel which, unlike her previous work, is set in 18th-century Wales.
Poet Michael Davitt, who was a judge in the Irish literature section, also co-produced RTE's Undercover programme on the awards which went on air after the ceremony last night. The presenter of the programme, Mebh Ruane, was also at the ceremony, accompanied by actor Barry McGovern.
Also attending were poet John Montague, who was shortlisted for the poetry award and was accompanied by Elizabeth Wassell who is working on her second novel; Dr Richard Kearney; and poets Rory Brennan, Basil Paine and Brendan Kennelly.
Previous winners included Ciaran Carson, who won the poetry award in 1990; E. Annie Proulx, who won the international literature award in 1983, and Brian Keenan, winner of the non-fiction prize that year. Mr Keenan was accompanied by his wife, Audrey.
Where there are books, there are usually publishers and academics, and last night's gathering held a fair scattering of both. Siobhan Campbell of Blackstaff; Seamus Cashman, director of Wolfhound; Treasa Coady of Town House; Michael Gill, director of Gill and Macmillan; and from across the sea, Caroline Michel, publisher of Vintage.
Numbered among the academics were folklorist Dr Angela Bourke; UCD's Jerusha McCormack, who was also a judge; Prof Kevin Barry of UCG; writer and academic Luke Gibbons of DCU; Terry Eagleton, of St Catherine's College, Oxford;and the Provost of TCD, Dr Tom Mitchell.
Seamus Deane's agent, Sonia Lanv, was at the ceremony; Ms Lanv also represents John Banville, Vikram Seth and Peter Ackroyd. An agent of a different type was Luigi Bonomi, who represents Van Morrison; he was chatting to novelist and Irish Times columnist, Maeve Binchy, and her husband, writer Gordon Snell.
The attendance also included Lord Mount Charles, who was delighted to have been awarded the right to stage concerts at Slane; Mairead Dunleavy, keeper of the National Museum; and the Irish Film Centre's Sheila Pratschke who came along with Brid Dukes of the Hallward Gallery.