Sebastian Barry
Encyclopedia
Sebastian Barry is an Irish
playwright
, novelist, and poet
. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year
.
Barry's literary career began in poetry before he began writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels. He is noted for his dense literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers.
. He attended Catholic University School
and Trinity College, Dublin
, where he edited Icarus
. His academic posts have included Honorary Fellow in Writing at the University of Iowa
(1984), Villanova University (2006) and Writer Fellow at Trinity College, Dublin
(1995–1996). Barry started his literary career with the novel Macker's Garden in 1982. This was followed by several books of poetry and a further novel The Engine of Owl-Light in 1987 before his career as a playwright began with his first play produced in the Abbey theater, Boss Grady's Boys in 1988.
Barry's maternal great-grandfather, James Dunne, provided the inspiration for the main character in his most internationally known play, The Steward of Christendom
. The main character, named Thomas Dunne in the play, was the chief superintendent of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
from 1913-1922. He oversaw the area surrounding Dublin Castle
until the Irish Free State
takeover on 16 January 1922. One of his grandfathers belonged to the British Army Corps of Royal Engineers
.
Both The Steward of Christendom
and the novel The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, are about the dislocations (physical and otherwise) of loyalist
Irish people during the political upheavals of the early 20th century. The title character of the latter (McNulty), for instance, is a young man forced to leave Ireland by his former friends for his political beliefs during the Anglo-Irish War.
He also wrote Hinterland, a satirical play based loosely on former Taoiseach
, Charles Haughey
, the performance of which caused a minor controversy in Dublin. The Sunday Times, which did not review the play, criticized it as "feeble, puerile, trite, dissociated, shallow, exploitative and gratuitously offensive".
Barry's work in fiction came to the fore during the 1990s. His novel A Long Long Way
was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize
, and was selected for Dublin's 2007 One City One Book
event.
The novel tells the story of Willie Dunne, a young recruit to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers during the First World War. It brings to life the divided loyalties that many Irish soldiers felt at the time following the Easter Rising
in 1916. [Willie Dunne, son of the fictional Thomas Dunne, first appears as a minor but important character in "The Steward of Christendom."]
Barry's 2008 novel, The Secret Scripture
won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
for fiction (announced in August 2009), the oldest such award in the UK, the 2008 Costa Book of the Year
(announced January 27, 2009) and in French translation Le testament caché it won the 2010 Cezam Prix Littéraire Inter CE
. It was also a favourite to win the 2008 Man Booker Prize
, narrowly losing out to Aravind Adiga
's The White Tiger.
Sebastian Barry's most recent play is Andersen's English, and is inspired by children's writer Hans Christian Andersen
coming to stay with Charles Dickens
and his family in the Kent marshes. Directed by Max Stafford-Clark
and produced by Out of Joint and Hampstead Theatre, it toured in the UK from 11 February to 8 May 2010.
On Canaan's Side
, Barry's fifth novel, concerns Lily Bere, the sister of the character Willy Dunne from A Long Long Way
and the daughter of the character Thomas Dunne from The Steward of Christendom
, as she emigrates to the US. The novel was longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, novelist, and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year
Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book Awards are a series of literary awards given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland. They were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2005, after which Costa Coffee, a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship....
.
Barry's literary career began in poetry before he began writing plays and novels. In recent years his fiction writing has surpassed his work in the theatre in terms of success, having once been considered a playwright who wrote occasional novels. He is noted for his dense literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers.
Life and works
Barry was born in Dublin. He is the son of the late Irish actress Joan O'HaraJoan O'Hara
Joan O'Hara was an Irish stage, film and television actress. She was a member of the renowned Abbey Players and performed in many plays in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, including those by Seán O'Casey, Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats...
. He attended Catholic University School
Catholic University School
Catholic University School is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, Ireland. It is run by the Marist Fathers.-Origins:...
and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, where he edited Icarus
Icarus (magazine)
Icarus is a student literary magazine based in Trinity College, Dublin. It publishes three issues per academic year and accepts submissions of poetry, prose and drama from students, staff and alumni of Dublin University. It was founded in 1950 by Alec Reid and has been published with regularity...
. His academic posts have included Honorary Fellow in Writing at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
(1984), Villanova University (2006) and Writer Fellow at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
(1995–1996). Barry started his literary career with the novel Macker's Garden in 1982. This was followed by several books of poetry and a further novel The Engine of Owl-Light in 1987 before his career as a playwright began with his first play produced in the Abbey theater, Boss Grady's Boys in 1988.
Barry's maternal great-grandfather, James Dunne, provided the inspiration for the main character in his most internationally known play, The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom is a 1995 play written by Irish playwright Sebastian Barry. Its story is about one Thomas Dunne, which was the name of Barry's great-grandfather, who is loyal to the British Crown during the Irish War of Independence and suffers accordingly.-Plot summary:The play opens...
. The main character, named Thomas Dunne in the play, was the chief superintendent of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.-19th century:...
from 1913-1922. He oversaw the area surrounding Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
until the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
takeover on 16 January 1922. One of his grandfathers belonged to the British Army Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.
Both The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom is a 1995 play written by Irish playwright Sebastian Barry. Its story is about one Thomas Dunne, which was the name of Barry's great-grandfather, who is loyal to the British Crown during the Irish War of Independence and suffers accordingly.-Plot summary:The play opens...
and the novel The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, are about the dislocations (physical and otherwise) of loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
Irish people during the political upheavals of the early 20th century. The title character of the latter (McNulty), for instance, is a young man forced to leave Ireland by his former friends for his political beliefs during the Anglo-Irish War.
He also wrote Hinterland, a satirical play based loosely on former Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
, the performance of which caused a minor controversy in Dublin. The Sunday Times, which did not review the play, criticized it as "feeble, puerile, trite, dissociated, shallow, exploitative and gratuitously offensive".
Barry's work in fiction came to the fore during the 1990s. His novel A Long Long Way
A Long Long Way
A Long Long Way is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry set during the First World War. The protagonist Willie Dunne leaves Dublin to fight for the Allies as a member of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers...
was shortlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
, and was selected for Dublin's 2007 One City One Book
One City One Book
One City One Book is a generic name for a community reading program that attempts to get everyone in a city to read and discuss the same book. The name of the program is often reversed to One Book One City, or is customized to name the city where it occurs...
event.
The novel tells the story of Willie Dunne, a young recruit to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers during the First World War. It brings to life the divided loyalties that many Irish soldiers felt at the time following the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
in 1916. [Willie Dunne, son of the fictional Thomas Dunne, first appears as a minor but important character in "The Steward of Christendom."]
Barry's 2008 novel, The Secret Scripture
The Secret Scripture
The Secret Scripture is a 2008 novel written by Irish playwright Sebastian Barry.-Plot summary:The main character is a one-hundred year old woman, Roseanne McNulty, who now resides in the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital. Having been a patient for some fifty years or more, Roseanne decides to...
won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...
for fiction (announced in August 2009), the oldest such award in the UK, the 2008 Costa Book of the Year
Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book Awards are a series of literary awards given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland. They were known as the Whitbread Book Awards until 2005, after which Costa Coffee, a subsidiary of Whitbread, took over sponsorship....
(announced January 27, 2009) and in French translation Le testament caché it won the 2010 Cezam Prix Littéraire Inter CE
Cezam Prix Littéraire Inter CE
The Cezam Prix Litteraire Inter CE is a literary prize which was established in France in 1997. Its judging panel of more than 3600 readers who meet in groups to discuss, critique and individually rate the books, makes it one of the largest adjudicated readers' prizes for literature in the world...
. It was also a favourite to win the 2008 Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
, narrowly losing out to Aravind Adiga
Aravind Adiga
Aravind Adiga is an Indian writer and journalist. His debut novel, The White Tiger, won the 2008 Man Booker Prize.-Early life and education:...
's The White Tiger.
Sebastian Barry's most recent play is Andersen's English, and is inspired by children's writer Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
coming to stay with Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
and his family in the Kent marshes. Directed by Max Stafford-Clark
Max Stafford-Clark
Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart Stafford-Clark is an English Theatre Director.-Life and career:He went to school at Felsted and Riverdale Country School in New York City. He has worked as a theatre director since he left Trinity College, Dublin.His directing career began as associate director of...
and produced by Out of Joint and Hampstead Theatre, it toured in the UK from 11 February to 8 May 2010.
On Canaan's Side
On Canaan's Side
On Canaan's Side is a 2011 novel written by Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry. . It has been longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize.-Plot:...
, Barry's fifth novel, concerns Lily Bere, the sister of the character Willy Dunne from A Long Long Way
A Long Long Way
A Long Long Way is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry set during the First World War. The protagonist Willie Dunne leaves Dublin to fight for the Allies as a member of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers...
and the daughter of the character Thomas Dunne from The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom
The Steward of Christendom is a 1995 play written by Irish playwright Sebastian Barry. Its story is about one Thomas Dunne, which was the name of Barry's great-grandfather, who is loyal to the British Crown during the Irish War of Independence and suffers accordingly.-Plot summary:The play opens...
, as she emigrates to the US. The novel was longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
.
External links
- Sebastian Barry, Unaffiliated Website
- Sebastian Barry's Writer's Reflect at the Harry Ransom Center