Marilynne Robinson, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, will give the Rev KD Harvey Memorial Lecture at Belfast’s McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church on Friday, April 22nd.
The American author, who won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her book Gilead, will be in Northern Ireland to give a lecture at Queen's University and has agreed to give the Memorial Lecture two days later.
McCracken’s minister, Rev Barry McCroskery, explained that the lecture, which takes place every five years, is named after Rev Kenneth D Harvey, who died in 2005 having been McCracken’s second minister from 1958-1990.
“This year’s lecture is a great opportunity to hear an inspiring author and essayist,” he said.
"Many people will know Marilynne Robinson's work, especially Gilead and its companion Home, which we have read in our church book club. We are deeply indebted to Dame Prof Ingrid Allen, one of our elders and book club members, who has been instrumental in arranging her visit."
Described by a former Archbishop of Canterbury as “one of the world’s most compelling English speaking novelists”, the Idaho-born writer was brought up in a Presbyterian family, becoming a Congregationalist later. Among her admirers is US president Barack Obama. In 2012 he awarded her the National Humanities Medal for “her grace and intelligence in writing”.
Twice nominated for the Man Booker International Prize, Ms Robinson is the author of many fiction and non-fiction works since 1980. She won the Orange Prize for Fiction for Home in 2009 and last month the United States' Library of Congress named her as the recipient of its 2016 Prize for American Fiction.
Ms Robinson's talk is entitled Varieties of Religious Understanding and will take place in McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church, Malone Road, Belfast, at 7.30pm. No tickets are required, but seats are limited, so guests are advised to arrive early.
In other news, the Council for Congregational Life and Witness is preparing to launch a new “rhythm of daily devotions to the wider church”.
Entitled Tides, the devotional aims to help God's people discover afresh what regular engagement with God and His word can mean for their lives.
The resource comes in the form of an email that will arrive each weekday morning, with a short Bible reading, a reflection on it through a brief commentary from a wide range of contributors, and then one simple suggestion as to how individuals might respond.
The devotions will launch on Monday, April 25th. In the meantime, all of the relevant information, including online registration, along with a promotional video, can be found at presbyterianireland.org/ tides.
The council is also receiving applications for an intern scheme. The aim of it is to help develop young or emerging leaders by offering them training and a congregational placement over the course of a year.
Those interested can pick up an information pack from Rick Hill in the council office, or from their minister.