Prominent Contemporary Irish Writer to Visit Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – Irish journalist and novelist Colm Tóibín will be doing at reading on Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rehm Library at the College of the Holy Cross. The talk is co-sponsored by the Edward Callahan Support Fund for Irish Studies; Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture; and the Creative Writing Visiting Writers Lecture Series.

Paige Reynolds, associate professor of English, is thrilled at Tóibín coming to Holy Cross. “He’s a renowned contemporary Irish author, whose work has garnered an astounding array of awards and positive reviews,” she said. “But he’s also an important public intellectual who tackles in his work the complexities of national identity, sexual identity, and Catholic identity.”

Born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Tóibín was educated at University College Dublin, where he studied English and history and earned his B.A. in 1975. He has authored several novels and travel books, and has edited anthologies, most notably The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction. He has also served as editor for In Dublin and Magill magazines. In 1994, he began to write for The London Review of Books, and has been a regular contributor since. In 2000, he became a Fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. Tóibín has also taught workshops and master classes at Listowel Writer’s Week, the Arvon Foundation, American University, and the New School in Manhattan.

Tóibín’s first novel, The South (1990), won The Irish Times Literature Prize in 1991. Another novel, The Heather Blazing won the Encore Award for best second novel in 1992 and was made into a film. His third novel, The Story of the Night (1997), released to high critical acclaim. In addition to his fiction, Tóibín has also written travelogues and nonfiction, including Homage to Barcelona (1989), The Trials of the Generals (1990), and The Sign of the Cross – Travels in Catholic Europe (1994). His novel The Master (2004) won many prestigious awards, including an International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, nomination for a Booker Prize, Novel of the Year for the Los Angeles Times, the Stonewall Book Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and was listed by The New York Times as one of the ten most notable books of 2004. His first short story collection, Mothers and Sons, was published in 2006 to favorable review. His latest novel, Brooklyn, is scheduled to release in May 2009.

During his time at Holy Cross, Tóibín will be meeting with some of the creative writing students as well as students from other English and history courses, including Reynolds’ class, Readings in Twentieth Century British Literature, and Mary Conley’s (assistant professor of history) course, Colonial Ireland and India.

“He provides a fabulous model for our students of someone whose academic interests and creative talents translate effectively into the real world – plus, his books are a great read!” Reynolds concluded.