New Books from Ireland 2001 is a commendable co-production from the Ireland Literature Exchange and the Irish Book Publishers' Association, aimed primarily at the international market - mainly for those who want to buy foreign rights to books published here. A showcase of old and new titles, one which caught Sadbh's eye was Germany Calling: The Confused Loyalties of William Joyce, Lord Haw Haw, by journalist Mary Kenny. New Island Books will be publishing this biography of the last man to be hanged for treason in Britain - which they are billing as a stunning revision of a controversial character. It is due out in October 2002.
The literary journal, Metre, edited by poets and academics Justin Quinn and David Wheatley, is celebrating its tenth issue with a gold-ingot type brick of a production. Going for gold already - so where, Sadbh wonders, does that leave them colour-wise for subsequent anniversary issues? Diamond encrusted? Metre, while it has certainly had its detractors, has firmly established itself in the past few years as a journal worth reading, with its mix of interviews, often provocative reviews, and poetry.
This issue carries a coup: it has two previously unpublished and untitled poems by Philip Larkin, unearthed in a University of Hull library, dated 1961 and 1962. One of them begins: Hotter, shorter days arrive, like happiness/ Late in life: the sky still deeply blue,/ Trees undiminished, municipal roses/ Budding repeatedly though drenched with dew.
There are also new poems by Seamus Heaney, Eamon Grennan, Conor O'Callaghan, Peter Fallon, Vona Groarke, Harry Clifton, Gerald Dawe and EilΘan N∅ Chuilleanβin, as well as a special feature on Richard Murphy. All involved with the magazine are delighted they are now into double figure issues. Long may it thrive.
You've read the book, now see the movie . . . As well as the upcoming Harry Potter and the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there are other major new movies which started life as very fine books. It will be interesting to see what becomes of The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, a Pulitzer winner. The film version stars Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. The Hours, Michael Cunningham's wonderful Pulitzer prizewinning novel about three generations of women, all connected by Virginia Woolf's novel, Mrs Dalloway, stars Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman, and comes out in February. Also coming soon are films of Antonia Byatt's Possession and Nick Hornby's About A Boy.
Sadbh was much amused to read the reports during the week of novelist Fay Weldon's latest wheeze. Her new novel, The Bulgari Connection, has been sponsored by none other than Bulgari itself. Weldon's task was to mention the jewellers at least 12 times: there are apparently now some three score mentions of them. Weldon, author of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, and The Cloning of Joanna May, read at the Galway Arts Festival earlier this year. Where will it all end, Sadbh wonders? Weldon's agent, Giles Gordon, quoted in all the British papers earlier in the week, was to be found on Tuesday, the day the story broke, at Jamie O'Neill's book launch at the National Museum. It wasn't clear if he was in hiding from the London hacks or simply there to support his author - whose book, At Swim, Two Boys, Sadbh can assure readers, was not sponsored by a swimming pool company, despite its title.
Details of the autumn's Dingle Writing Courses have arrived. Novelist Anne Enright is the first to head to Co Kerry to facilitate a Creating Fiction course (September 28th to 30th). Poet Nuala N∅ Dhomhnaill follows (October 5th to 7th) with Letting Poetry Happen and then novelist and short story writer Patricia Duncker facilitates Crafting the Short Story (October 19th-21st). Places still available for all courses. More information from camilla@eircom.net