The Write Stuff

It’s a tough job being a writer. For every Dan Brown or Cecelia Ahern there are thousands of struggling scribes hoping that their manuscript sees the light of day. I guess it’s like any job within the arts world - a labour of love.

On Tuesday afternoon that writers labour was indeed loved at the Hennessy Literary Awards. Hosted in association with The Sunday Tribune and the Four Seasons Hotel Dublin, this year’s event was a sumptuous luncheon held in the aforementioned, and indeed sumptuous, Four Seasons Hotel.

Now in their 35^th year, the Hennessy Literary Awards are unique accolades, providing the undiscovered writer and poet with an opportunity to break through the barriers to see their work published – and their talents appear in print.

Following his Oscar nomination last year for the short film of ‘Everything in this Country Must’, internationally renowned writer Colum McCann was presented with this year’s prestigious Hall of Fame Award. Colum, who flew in from New York to attend, now joins Pat McCabe, Joseph O’Connor and Dermot Bolger, fellow winners of this esteemed award.

Colum, who now lives in New York with his wife Alison and their three children, was nominated for an Oscar in 2004 for his story - Everything in this Country Must - which was adapted to a short film. This story looks at the lives of ordinary people who have been born into a conflict in Northern Ireland that will probably continue on for many generations without resolution.

Leading Irish film director Jim Sheridan and his wife Fran, writer Dermot Bolger and Colum's parents Sean and Sally McCann were among those who were on hand to congratulate him on his achievement. In fact, upon receiving the award, Colum dedicated it to his parents.

The judging panel for this year’s awards included writer and poet Mary O’Donnell, writer Philip Hensher (named on Granta's list of Twenty Writers of the Decade) and Sunday Tribune’s New Irish Writing editor and Chairman of the judging panel, Ciaran Carty. Among those who attended the ceremony were TV presenter Caroline Morahan and her sister Olivia, publisher Trevor White, Caroline Sleiman (who looked stunning in a one-off Olga Maguire design), Minister for Arts John O’Donoghue TD, scion of the Hennessy dynasty Maurice Hennessy, Judith Giltinane, Deirdre Nolan from New Island and John Bowman, who was emcee for the afternoon.

This year’s winner of the overall Hennessy Literary Award was Dublin-born mother of three Jennifer Farrell, who said that receiving the award “made it all worthwhile”. She wins the Hennessy New Irish Writer Award on the occasion of her first-ever nomination in the Literary Awards and her outstanding short story, ‘Beached’, also saw Farrell presented with this year’s Hennessy Literary Award for Best First Fiction Writer. Jennifer studied History / Sociology at N.U.I. and after graduating, she continued her studies, with a Masters in 1995. Some of her non-fiction has been published and she is currently working on a novel and short stories.

Jennifer Farrell. Remember that name.

Other awards presented included Best Emerging Fiction Writer to Owen Dwyer for his short story ‘Respite’ and Best Emerging Poetry to Maria Wallace for her poem ‘That hand painted plate behind glass’. A total of 17 writers were nominated for this year’s awards.