Grand Finale and Prizegiving of the Northside Literacy Festival - The Twits, A Northside Story

Lost Man Booker Prize

J G Farrell tops poll to find best novel of 1970

Forty years after it was first published, Troubles, by J G Farrell, has been announced as the winner of the Lost Man Booker Prize - a one-off prize to honour the books published in 1970, but not considered for the prize when its rules were changed.

Troubles is the first in Farrell's Empire Trilogy, which was followed by The Siege of Krishnapur (1973) and The Singapore Grip (1978). The Siege of Krishnapurwon the Booker Prize in 1973 and was shortlisted for the Best of the Booker, a special award created to mark the 40th anniversary of the prize in 2008. 

Set in Ireland in 1919, just after the First World War, Troubles tells the tragic-comic story of Major Brendan Archer who has gone to visit Angela, a woman he believes may be his fiancée. Her home, from which he is unable to detach himself, is the dilapidated Majestic, a once grand Irish hotel, and all around is the gathering storm of the Irish War of Independence.

J G Farrell was born in Liverpool in January 1935. In 1956 he went to study at Brasenose College, Oxford; while there he contracted polio. He drew heavily on his experience for his second novel, The Lung (1965). He spent a good deal of his life abroad, including periods in France, America and the Far East. His novel, Troubles (1970), the first in the Empire Trilogy, won the Faber Memorial Prize in 1971 and was made in to a film for television in 1988. The second in the trilogy, The Siege of Krishnapur won the Booker Prize in 1973. In April 1979, he went to live in County Cork, where, only four months later, he was drowned in a fishing accident.

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Shortlist announced...

2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 

was announced by The Lord Mayor of Dublin, 

Cllr. Emer Costello on April 12th...
Please Click on the Cover of Each book to Read a Review

      

The Winner will be announced on 17th June 2010!

The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award is the world’s most prestigious literary prize. The shortlist of 8 titles was selected from a total of 156 novels nominated by 163 public library systems in 123 cities worldwide. It is presented annually with the objective of promoting excellence in world literature. It is open to novels written in any language and by authors of any nationality, provided the work has been published in English or English translation in the specified time period as outlined in the rules and conditions for the year. Nominations are submitted by library systems in major cities throughout the world.All the novels nominated can be viewed on www.impacdublinaward.ie. 

Home Composting & Waste Prevention Workshop

Wednesday 26th May 
11am - 1pm

@ Watch House Cross Library

Home Composting & 
Waste Prevention workshop


Free to attend!
No booking necessary
Tea/coffee served
Ask at the library desk 
or phone 061-457726 for more information

New Music Added To Library Selection!

Artist  - Album

Westlife - Where We Are
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Snow Patrol - Up To Now (Greatest Hits)
Rihanna - Rated R
Jason Mraz - We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
NE-YO - Year of the Gentleman
Cheryl Cole - 3 Words
Michael Jackson - This Is It
Pitbull - Rebelution
JLS - JLS
Pixie Lott - Turn It Up
John Spillane - More Irish Songs We Learned at School

Laureate na nóg 2010-2012 Siobhan Parkinson

Siobhan Parkinson has been made Ireland's first Laureate for Children's Literature

She discusses her work as a writer and her plans for her term as Laureate...

This new award was conferred on Siobhan Parkinson by President Mary McAleese on May 10th 2010. It is hoped that the title will promote the importance of the availability of high quality children’s literature and encourage a love of reading and will underline the value of literature among children and young people. 

Siobhán Parkinson said, “I am thrilled and honoured to be chosen as the first Laureate na nÓg. I believe that children’s literature lays the foundations of the imaginative life of a people, and that every child deserves to have access to a reading haven - a well-stocked and well-run library in their school and in their community.” 

A “great champion” and a “great advocate” of children’s literature Siobhan Parkinson has written many books for young readers, translated into 15 different languages. Siobhan’s award-winning books for children include...

  

    

The WHC Junior Book Club meet famous author Cora Harrison!

Children's author Cora Harrison visited the library this week to talk to WHC Children's Bookclub, the Granary Library Children's Bookclub, and some of the libraries' avid readers.

Cora used to make up stories as a child to entertain herself but didnt starting writing until she retired from school teaching and moved to Ireland. Theres hope for us all! 

She told us all about where she gets her ideas for stories from and how she sets about writing a story. Her talk was very interesting and entertaining, no one even noticed when she ran over time, the children had lots of questions and we could have stayed all day!

Cora's latest books are...

To find out more about Cora Harrison visit her website 

and to find out more about our Children's Bookclub go to our website here.

Create a Character Game! - St. Munchin's GNS 4th Class

Create a Character Game! - St. Munchin's CBS 5th Class

Create a Character Game! - Corpus Christi 6th Class

Create a Character Game! - Corpus Christi 6th Class

Create a Character Game! - Corpus Christi 5th Class