Padhraig Nolan's Blog

Barry wins Rooney!

Further good news from The Stinging Fly Press with the announcement that Kevin Barry was named last night as the recipient of the 2007 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

The Rooney Prize, established in 1976, is awarded annually to a writer under the age of forty who has produced a significant body of work. Previous winners include Anne Enright, Colum McCann, Claire Keegan, Claire Kilroy, Nick Laird and Philip O Ceallaigh. Good company, Kevin!

The writer was presented with the 10,000 euro prize last night at a special reception in the Provost's house at Trinity College.

Acording to Declan Meade, Stinging Fly editor, the new paperback edition of There Are Little Kingdoms has been sent to the printers and will be in shops by the end of October.

In the meantime, there are still copies of the previous paperback edition to be found, both in shops and, I believe, from the Stinging Fly website. Also a small number of the limited casebound edition left (from the original 100 signed and numbered copies). Christmas is coming, folks - could be a nice pressie for somebody?

As per my earlier post, you can read a new story from Kevin in the current issue of West47.

Well done that man!