Line-Up Announcement
'John McGahern -A Writing Life' by Frank Shovlin.
We are delighted to officially announce that Professor Frank Shovlin will have the Donegal launch of his latest publication, 'John McGahern - A Writing Life', the definitive biography of writer John McGahern, on Saturday Nov. 8th at the Allingham Arts Festival.
The new publication will be the definitive biography of Ireland's greatest post-war writer, rich in dramatic revelations bringing to life the world that inspired his masterpieces.
On his death in 2006, John McGahern was hailed as 'the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett' (Guardian) that 'everyone should read' (Colm Tóibín) and 'one of the greatest writers of our era' (Hilary Mantel). But who was the enigmatic man behind the literary myth?
After decades of research, Frank Shovlin has crafted a magisterial portrait of this elusive figure, drawing on hours of new interviews and unseen archival material to illuminate a cultural legend.
Professor Frank Shovlin of the University of Liverpool is a proud Donegal man and the foremost authority on the life and work of the great Leitrim writer John McGahern. He has already edited 'The Letters of John McGahern' in 2023, and has been working on this definitive biography of McGahern since then.
It is a beautifully crafted portrait of McGahern drawing on hours of new interviews and previously unseen archival material to bring to life this cultural icon. This is a do not miss event.
Frank will be introduced by P.M. O Sullivan, the well-known journalist with the Irish Examiner who will also chair the Q and A which will follow the talk and reading.