September 12th, 2007
Women Writers, The Irish Independent books and Edna O’Brien on film
Anyone (particularly Omani) who participated in this discussion about Irish women writers might be interested to know that this Saturday, The Irish Independent are starting an Irish Women Writers book series. I’ve only seen a shop poster and can’t find any details on the Indo site but it runs for 20 weeks and I presume it’s the same deal as the Irish Writers and Children’s Books series. Details are sketchy, but according to the spines on the poster, it seems to be a mix of literary and chick lit writers. First up, is Edna O’Brien’s In The Forest.
Speaking of O’Brien, the IFI will launch “Adaptation: A Festival of Films from the Works of Edna O’Brien on Screen” on Monday September 17th at 6.30pm followed by a screening of Zee and Co. The Festival itself takes place in Dromahair, County Leitrim from Friday September 28th to Sunday September 30th and will provide an opportunity to see seven screen adaptations of O’Brien’s work. Films included are a TV production of The Wedding Dress starring Cyril Cusack, 1970s Zee & Co staring Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Caine and her best known works, The Girl with Green Eyes and The Country Girls. O’Brien will also introduce the screenings in Leitrim and there’s detailed downloadable pdf about O’Brien’s work here on the IFI site which is worth reading.
And on a not-altogether-unrelated note, Red Mum is soon to relaunch her Great Irish Women series.
September 12th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Turbity has been talking about it on his show…
Exactly the same deal. First one free on Saturday Sept 15 2007. next 19 cost €4.99 each with a token found on page 2 of the paper. Not too sure if the token is from a particular day (as per the first writers) or any day(as per their travel series).
Expect to find the full list on the first book.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
[…] Thanks to Sinéad I see the Irish Independent are starting an Irish Women Writers Book Series. Given my earlier thoughts on the matter, I don’t think it will persuade me to start reading the Indo. I’ve since discovered I’m not alone on this front: last weekend I was out drinking with the nephew of a pretty high profile female writer and he agreed with me (Damnit, where’s the ‘little black square’ icon when you need it ;)). However I must admit that I’m reading regeneration by Pat Barker at the moment and it’s quite good! (Maybe women with ambiguous first names are allowed as in theory they could be male if you didn’t know better!) I might be converted after all […]
September 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I’d love to see the full list of women writers. Sounds a bit iffy to me. Maeve Brennan bloody well better be in there. I heard recently that Holly Golightly was based on her. True? Anyone?
September 13th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Will, thanks for that. Hopefully the do the token on the day like the writer’s series.
Girl who’s afraid of foxes, I will have to pop over to your blog as that trackback has me intrigued!
Edel, it looks like an odd mix of chick lit/Poolbeg type writers and more literary ones like O’Brien. I’m wondering if, like the poster discussion thread I linked to above, that there just wasn’t 20 worthy literary novelists to fill the series.
God I never heard that about Maeve Brennan but I’d love to know. I’ve recently bought ‘Homesick at the New Yorker’, the biog of her by Angela Bourke, so I wonder if it’ll say anything in there?
Have you read The Visitor by Maeve? I mentioned it in this post: http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2005/11/05/maeve-brennan-the-forgotten-writer/
September 13th, 2007 at 10:15 am
I saw that list of women writers, briefly, on an ad in the newsagent. Was underwhelmed (at first glance anyway). The ones I remember are Cecilia Ahern, Marian Keyes, Nuala O’Faoláin, Maeve Binchy, and Edna O’Brien.
September 13th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Right, I found the list here and there’s probably only a handful I’m interested in, but I do want to pick up the Anne Enright book, The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch . It’s book number 4 in the series and will probably coincide nicely with the Booker announcement.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Meh, I’m not as excited now, having seen the list. Hmmm. Interesting point though Sinead: Can anyone name 20 Irish female writers of the same calibre as Brennan, O’Brien, Enright…? It’s a tough one I think.
p.s. loved The Visitor. I’ve just remembered who told me the Capote thing. A lovely photographer I met had the original photograph used on the cover of ‘Homesick…’ on her mantelpiece. I spotted it and she told me about the Tiffany’s thing. She certainly had enough black cocktail dresses for it to be plausible.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Edel, have a look at this thread (http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2007/02/22/irish-women-writers-and-omissions/) and my efforts to find 12 for that infamous poster we had in school.
I won’t be buying all of this collection, that’s for sure.
Ooo I’d love and original of that pic, wonder where they got it?
September 14th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
She got it from the photographer himself - too cool altogether.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Just checked out your list there - I’m shamefully under-read when it comes to these women.
September 14th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Meh, that list leaves me quite cold - a couple of decent writers and books but even the ones that I recognise as being talented are not to my taste. Then again, I read very little Irish fiction in general, for some reason. I’m such a self-hater!
September 30th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
I read the Eliza Lynch book and was sorely disappointed. Turgid, slow, unengaging. I’d heard Anne Enright reading from her baby book (Name?) and had really enjoyed it so was doubly diappointed.
September 30th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I’d like to read Antartica Clare Keegan and Claire Kilroy All Summer and Sharon Owens and Emma Donoghue. I don’t rate Sarah Webb at all though or Dierdre Purcell.
September 30th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Thanks for your posts EW.
The decent ones are O’Brien, the three Cla(i)re’s (Keegan, Kilroy and Boylan, Jennifer Johnston and Emma Donoghue. Would also recommend Tatty. Very dark and grim, but well written and an authentic child’s voice.
I’m really keen to read The Anne Enright one. I’m reading The Gathering at the moment, which I think is brilliantly written.
I’m interviewing her next week, is there anything I should ask about Eliza Lynch?