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Last year we considered the emergence of Irish literature, with readings that ranged from Jonathan Swift to G.B. Shaw. This coming year we are moving the other direction, asking you to consider the latest and greatest in contemporary Irish literature. We will be reading the most recent works and the prize-winning efforts by well-known authors. We have no Nobel Prizes for literature (the most recent was Seamus Heaney in 1995), but we begin with the Booker Prize winner for 2018, Milkman by Anna Burns. We have narrowed a long list to eight titles, published between 2017 and 2023. In fact, we had so many good choices that we’ve asked the McClelland Library if we can plan a discussion for May. With the narrowed range of publication dates, we can think about movements and trends in contemporary Irish literature. For example, does Irish literature remain distinct, or is it becoming a part of European literature? Each month, we will consider a writer through this lens, but we will also be examining the same writer as an individual with a personal mission and a particular way of telling a story. Below are the selections. Each month, a guide will be posted on the website page to prepare you for thediscussion of the writer and the selected work.
*Texts: We’ve tried to be sensitive to the costs of these works and their availability, but you may want to find a “reading buddy” to share the costs. Most of these will be in local libraries, in bookstores (new and used) and available from on-line sources (Amazon, ABE Books, and Powell’s books). Amazon offers new, used, and Kindle editions for sale. Putting your title in the search engine will usually generate a series of sites for the book.
September 30 Milkman by Anna Burns (2018, a novel)
October 28 Haven by Emma Donoghue (2022, a novel)
December 2 My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor (2023, a novel)
January 27 Apeirogen by Colum McCann (2020, a novel)
February 24 The Searcher by Tana French (2020, a mystery novel)
March 23 I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell (2017, a memoir)
April 27 The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan (2023, a novel)
May 11 The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh (2022, screenplay)
Meeting Policy: All the meetings are scheduled for the McClelland Library (Norton Room) Masks are not required. If the City of Phoenix and the Irish Cultural Center change their safety protocols, we will comply. Our goal is to keep the group healthy and reading.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library, Hance Park, 1134 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States,Phoenix, Arizona