Latest news with #Eason
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Rachael Blackmore shares rare insight into life with jockey boyfriend as she unwinds at festival
RACHAEL Blackmore has shared a rare insight into her life away from the racing track with her jockey boyfriend Brian Hayes. Fresh off 6 Blackmore generally keeps her relationship out of the public eye Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Her, Brian and pals smiling for the camera on a night out Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Top amateur jockey Patrick Mullins was sat beside her in this one Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Unwinding on a gorgeous sunny day spent at a music festival Credit: @blackmorerachael Her latest Instagram post was notable for how little it showcased photos taken in a racing background. Instead, there were pics from her attending a friend's wedding, at a music festival and savouring general nights out with friends. Her jockey boyfriend Brian Hayes featured in a few of them. Tipperary native Blackmore generally steers any interview question about him back to racing. But she has given the odd titbit of information about Read More On Irish Sport In a 2021 interview she did lift the lid on how they shared a house at the time with another jockey star. She outlined: "I live with two other jockeys, Patrick Mullins and Brian Hayes. "I am going out with Brian Hayes, so there are three of us here. "It is a great house to live in and it is in a really good location in Leighlinbridge in Carlow. It is close to all the race tracks in Ireland." Most read in Horse Racing Interestingly, she added: "We don't talk about racing half as much as people might think. It is just a normal house when we come home." Book background A few weeks prior to her announcing her retirement, she marked an altogether different milestone with the publication of her first book - entitled Granny National. Statement issued as officials launch probe into jockey's final-flight fall on leading horse who drifted in market Sharing a pic of it among the shelves at Eason, the 35-year-old was clearly in buoyant form. She quipped: "Available now in all good and bad bookshops." It was co-written by Rachel Pierce and its retail price is €13.99. The Tipp trailblazer previously outlined how the story revolves around a young girl, who happens to be named Rachael, helps her grandmother to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a jockey. 6 Attending a friend's wedding while wearing a stunning red gown Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 With more pals in what looks to be a hotel lobby Credit: @blackmorerachael In total, three years of work went into it. As a rider, 2025 saw her The last one to fall was the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle which she clinched aboard Bob Olinger. It meant she added the Stayers' Hurdle to her previous victories in the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and Gold Cup.
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Ferdia Lennon's Glorious Exploits wins Authors' Club Best First Novel Award
In The Irish Times this Saturday, Jeanine Cummins tells Niamh Donnelly about her new novel and surviving the controversy that surrounded her previous bestseller, American Dirt. Michael Crummey, the Canadian winner of the €100,000 Dublin Literary Award, talks to Niamh Donnelly. And there is a Q&A with Gethan Dick about her debut novel Water in the Desert, Fire in the Night. Reviews are Seamus Martin on Unfinished Empire: Russian Imperialism in Ukraine and the Near Abroad by Donnacha Ó Beacháin and Putin's Sledgehammer by Candace Rondeaux; Kevin Power on Don't Forget We're Here Forever by Lamorna Ash; Rónán Hession on the best new translated fiction; Pat Leahy on The Secret Life of Leinster House by Gavan Reilly; Richard Pine on The Greek Revolution and the Violent Birth of Nationalism by Yanni Kotsonis; Oliver Farry on Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin, the Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine by Martyn Whittock; Michael Cronin on Ripeness by Sarah Moss; Tara Bergin on Infinity Pool by Vona Groarke; Adrienne Murphy on Girl with a Fork in a World of Soup by Rosita Sweetman; Brian Hanley on Swift Blaze of Fire, Olympian, Cleric, Brigadista: the Enigma of Robert Hilliard by Lin Rose Clark; and Kevin Gildea on The Unaccountability Machine by Dan Davies. This weekend's Irish Times Eason offer is Precipice by Robert Harris, just €5.99, a €6 saving. Eason offer Ferdia Lennon's Glorious Exploits has won The Authors' Club 2025 Best First Novel Award. READ MORE This year's guest adjudicator, novelist Tracy Chevalier, presented the £2,500 award to the Dublin author at a reception at the National Liberal Club in London. 'Glorious Exploits is a remarkable leap of the imagination into 4th-century BC Sicily, where two young potters have the madcap idea of directing Athenian prisoners in a Euripides play,' she said. 'Ferdia Lennon somehow manages to convince us he was there, with a distinctly Irish voice and style of storytelling. It is a funny, heartbreaking, confident debut, and a glorious triumph.' Chevalier selected the winner from a shortlist that also included: All My Precious Madness by Mark Bowles; The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley; The Borrowed Hills by Scott Preston; Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili; and Tiananmen Square by Lai Wen. The prize is for the debut novel of a British, Irish or UK-based author, first published in the UK. There is no age limit. The winning novel is selected by a guest adjudicator from a shortlist drawn up by a panel of Authors' Club members, chaired by Lucy Popescu, who said, 'An inventive, bittersweet novel about the power of the imagination. Lennon skilfully weaves the Irish vernacular into his tale; his imaginative characterisation and evocative descriptions are a joy.' Lennon has previously won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize for his debut novel. 05/11/2024 - NEWS - Writer Eilish Fisher. Photograph Nick Bradshaw / The Irish Times Début author Eilish Fisher and illustrator Dermot Flynn have picked up the KPMG Book of the Year today for their novel, Fia and the Last Snow Deer at the 35th KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards. The verse novel, which is set in pre-historic Ireland, tells the story of 13-year-old Fia and her beloved snow deer Solas, was also awarded the Éilís Dillon Prize celebrating Fisher's outstanding début children's book. Announced by host Rick O'Shea at a ceremony held in Merrion Square, in partnership with International Literature Festival Dublin, a total of six awards were presented to Irish authors and illustrators, who will also receive a total prize-fund of €16,000. Winners of this year's awards are: The Honour Award for Illustration: Beanie the Bansheenie, written by former Laureate na nÓg, Eoin Colfer and illustrated by Steve McCarthy; The Honour Award for Fiction – Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain; The Junior Juries' Award - Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain; The Judges' Special Award – The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. The Eilís Dillon Award was awarded to Eilish Fisher recognising an outstanding first children's book for 'Fia and the Last Snow Deer. Paul Baggaley, Sheila Armstrong and Sinéad Mac Aodha The European Union Prize for Literature jury has awarded Sheila Armstrong a Special Mention for her debut novel Falling Animals. This recognition includes €5,000, extensive opportunities to travel to promote the book at European book fairs and literary festivals and significant support for future translations. The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging fiction writers in Europe. Armstrong's publisher, Paul Baggaley, Editor-in-Chief at Bloomsbury Books, and Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland (the literature organisation which nominated the book for the award), pitched Falling Animals in Prague to a seven-member literary expert jury. The award ceremony took place at the Prague book fair (Book World Prague) last Friday. Mac Aodha said: 'Sheila's sensitive and lyrical, polyphonic novel is both an exploration of loss and loneliness and a celebration of the very necessary ties of community. The book is rooted in the wild northwestern Atlantic seaboard and its evocation of Sheila's homeplace is beautifully achieved. 'We are so grateful that this jury could appreciate both the cultural specificities of the work and its wider European literary resonances. We look forward to seeing Sheila Armstrong's work grow even further in confidence and ambition as a result of this recognition and the many translation opportunities it will afford her'. Baggaley said: 'Publishing Falling Animals has been a real highlight of my publishing career, but this is still just the beginning in the recognition of Sheila's unique talent for addressing universal themes with her exquisite literary sensibility. I am convinced this prize will bring many international publishing partners and will help Sheila's writing reach readers worldwide, and it couldn't be more deserved.' Thirteen countries were in contention this year with the outright winner, Italian writer Nicoletta Verna, receiving €10,000 as well as promotional and translation support for her book, I giorni di Vetro (Days of Glass), published by Einaudi. Belgian writer, Philippe Marczewski, also received a Special Mention for his novel, Quand Cécile (When Cécile), published by Éditions du Seuil. Fintan Drury will be launching his new book, Catastrophe: Nakba II in Hodges Figgis, Dublin, next Thursday, May 29th, at 6pm, introduced by Dr Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland; on June 4th, at 6.30pm, in Easons, Dún Laoghaire, in conversation with Dion Fanning; on June 5th, at 6.30pm, in Chapters Bookshop, Parnell St, Dublin; on June 12th, at 6.30pm, in O'Mahony's Bookshop, Limerick; and on June 13th, at 6pm, in Charlie Byrne's, Galway city. Natascha McElhone and Lena Headey in a scene from the movie Mrs Dalloway circa 1997. Photograph: MichaelTo mark the centenary of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, the Irish Writers Centre will host a day of panel discussions and conversation on Saturday, June 7th. Curated by writer Belinda McKeon, the conference runs from 11am to 3pm at the Centre's home in 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. First published in 1925, Mrs Dalloway remains a landmark of modernist literature. The novel's depiction of a single day in the life of its characters continues to resonate a century later, and the Irish Writers Centre's event will explore Woolf's enduring influence on novelists, poets, essayists and readers today. Participants will hear from a stellar line-up of speakers, including Mary Cregan, Naoise Dolan, Emilie Pine, Belinda McKeon, Nuala O'Connor and Claire-Louise Bennett. Discussions will explore themes of memory, urban life, writing the self, and the shifting boundaries of literary expression. Price: €50 / €45 (members or concession). Tickets available at Bloomsday in Tehran Skein Press is publishing a book this autumn by Iranian-Irish visual artist Roxana Manouchehri, This is not a cookbook is a memoir of growing up in Tehran following the Iranian revolution and the significance of the food and recipes shared by the women who raised her. Manouchehri is organising a week-long series of events to take place in Tehran over Bloomsday this year, with help from the Irish embassy in Tehran and Dayhim Art Society. On June 16th and 17th, there will be a private view in the Irish embassy in Tehran and from June 20th to 27th in Rishcee Gallery. There will be an art exhibition around Ulysses, a documentary film, conversation with Joyce translators in Tehran and more. * Local booksellers are sharing some of their top book recommendations for Summer 2025. Maria Dickenson, Chair of Bookselling Ireland, recommends The Names by Florence Knapp and A Family Matter by Claire Lynch. Helene Heaney, Elk Books (opening in August 2025), Warrenpoint, Co Down recommends Charlotte: A Novel by Martina Devlin. Cian Byrne, The Maynooth Bookshop, Co. Kildare, recommends Let me go mad my own way by Elaine Feeney. Tomás Kenny, Kennys Bookshop, Galway, recommends Ingrained by Callum Robinson. John Breen, of Waterstones, Cork, recommends Fair Play by Louise Hegarty. Dawn Behan, Woodbine Books, Kildare, recommends Fun & Games by John Patrick McHugh and La Vie by John Lewis-Stempel. Lynda Laffan, Head of Books, Eason, recommends Air by John Boyne and It Should have been You by Andrea Mara. Trish Hennessy, Halfway Up the Stairs, Greystones, Co Wicklow, recommends Letters to a Monster by Patricia Forde, illustrated by Sarah Warburton; Arabella Pepper: The Wild Detective by ER Murray, illustrated by Monika Pollak; and After by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Steve McCarthy. Maria Dickenson, chair of Bookselling Ireland, said, 'There are so many exciting new Irish books arriving in bookshops throughout the country over the coming weeks that will make an ideal summer read. Whether you are reading in an exotic location or enjoying some 'me time' in your back garden, there is something to suit everyone and your local bookseller is on hand to help find your perfect summer 2025 read.' * The Society of Authors (SoA) has announced shortlists for the ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award, the Betty Trask Prize, the Queen's Knickers Award, the McKitterick Prize, the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize, and the books celebrated by the ADCI Literary Prize. The winners will be announced on June 18th at Southwark Cathedral and will share a prize fund of over £170,000. Shortlisted for the ADCI Literary Prize are Victoria Hawthorne for The Darkest Night; Helen Heckety for Alter Ego; Tom Newlands for Only Here, Only Now. Shorltisted for the ALCS Tom Gallon Trust Award for a short story by a writer who has had at least one short story accepted for publication are: Molly Aitken; Naomi Alderman; Daisy Fletcher; Hamish Gray; Katie Hale; and Somto Ihezue. The Betty Trask Prize is presented for a first novel by a writer under 35. Shortlisted are: Bonnie Burke-Patel for I Died at Fallow Hall; Madeline Docherty for Gender Theory; Genevieve Jagger for Fragile Animals; Ashani Lewis for Winter Animals; Elizabeth O'Connor for Whale Fall; Nicolas Padamsee for England is Mine. The Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize is awarded to a UK or Irish writer, or a writer currently resident in those countries, for a novel focusing on the experience of travel away from home. Shorltisted are: Matt Haig for The Life Impossible; Jo Hamya for The Hypocrite; Hisham Matar for My Friends; David Nicholls for You Are Here; Elif Shafak for There are Rivers in the Sky; and Ali Smith for Gliff. The McKitterick Prize is awarded for a first novel by a writer over 40. Shortlisted are Susie Dent for Guilty by Definition; Lauren Elkin for Scaffolding; Ewan Gass for Clinical Intimacy; Lara Haworth for Monumenta; Alan Murrin for The Coast Road; and Tom Newlands for Only Here, Only Now. The Queen's Knickers Award is an annual prize for an outstanding children's original illustrated book for ages 0-7. It recognises books that strike a quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement. Shortlisted are: Anne Booth and illustrator David Litchfield for The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk; Rachel Bright and illustrator Jim Field for The Pandas Who Promised; Catherine Cawthorne and illustrator Sara Ogilvie for Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales; Tiny Fisscher, translator Laura Watkinson and illustrator Herma Starreveld for Bird is Dead; Swapna Haddow and illustrator Yiting Lee for Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings; Mikolaj Pa, translator Scotia Gilroy and illustrator Gosia Herba for No. 5 Bubblegum Street.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eason Chan pokes fun at death hoax
21 May - While fans and friends were furious over the Eason Chan death hoax, the singer himself seemed to take it in stride as he updated his fans on social media recently. On 19 May, following rumours that he has passed away, the singer, who previously had to postpone his concert after being diagnosed with COVID-19, posted a photo of a plate of barbecued pork, and wrote, "Back from the dead, time to enjoy my favourite old dish." The death rumour emerged shortly after Eason announced on social media that he had to postpone his concert in Kaohsiung last week. In response, singer Ip Hiu Yuet denied the rumour, saying that she had spoken to Eason's assistant and that the singer is perfectly fine. Eason also apologised to his Taiwanese fans for the postponement, saying that he has waited 12 years to perform in Kaohsiung and didn't expect that it was crushed by the COVID-19 virus overnight. "My sincere apologies for the disappointment of the audience and the troubles the team had to go through. I will follow medical advice and try to recover my health, return to Kaohsiung as soon as possible and meet everyone on stage," he posted. (Photo Source: Eason IG)
Hype Malaysia
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
HK Singer Eason Chan Speaks Up For The First Time Following Death Rumours
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan (陈奕迅) recently found himself in a weird situation. After postponing his concert due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, the star was met with rumours of his death, prompting him to speak up on the ridiculous claims. On Monday night (19th May 2025), the singer shared an Instagram Stories post showing a plate of roasted meat. The post was captioned, 'After resurrecting, I'll eat my old meat first~'. The picture was Eason's first post since postponing his Taiwanese concert, scheduled for 16th to 18th May (Friday to Sunday). It's believed the caption is a reference to all the death rumours circulating on the Internet. For context, the singer postponed his Taiwanese concert after getting diagnosed with COVID-19. He posted an apology to fans on his Instagram account on 15th May (Thursday), writing, 'Very sad. I waited to perform at Kaohsiung Arena for 12 years. I didn't expect to be crushed by the virus overnight. My sincere apologies for disappointing the audience and troubling the team. I'll follow the medical advice and try to recover my health. I'll return to Kaohsiung as soon as possible and meet everyone on stage.' Unfortunately, the postponement sparked some unsettling rumours that the singer has passed away due to COVID-19 complications. The rumours went viral, even shooting to the top of Weibo's trending topics. As Eason wasn't active on social media after sharing his diagnosis, likely to focus on his recovery, the rumours triggered panic among fans. Fortunately, the rumours were quickly debunked by those close to the Hong Kong star. Ayuko Ye (叶晓粤), a Chinese singer and Eason's mentee on 'Sing! China Season 2', refuted the rumours of Eason's passing on Weibo. The music show contestant clarified, 'Eason Chan's death is fake news! I have confirmed with his assistant that he's alive and well!' The singer also angrily denounced the rumour-mongering, describing them as 'despicable and ungrounded'. Since death following a health complication is possible, we can't blame fans for being worried about the star. However, we have to condemn those who start rumours without solid evidence. Hopefully, Eason's team will be more vigilant with online gossip from now on and clarify it as soon as possible. Sources: Oriental Daily (1)(2)
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Three Women' showrunner Laura Eason talks courage, desire, and ‘superhero' intimacy coordinators
"There were many people that wanted to adapt the book," says Three Women showrunner Laura Eason, who collaborated closely with the novel's author, Lisa Taddeo, to bring the 2019 bestseller to the screen. "When they put a list of possible showrunners together, I luckily was on the shortlist. When Lisa and I met, we just clicked and luckily she chose me to be her partner. I came to that meeting having read the book, already being obsessed with it, and when I got the call I felt so fortunate to get that opportunity." The Starz limited series is an intimate, moving, and uplifting portrait of real women reclaiming their lives. Based on true stories, Shailene Woodley stars as Gia, a writer who sets out to tell chronicle the lives of Lina (Betty Gilpin), Sloane (DeWanda Wise), and Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy). More from GoldDerby Filming 'The White Lotus' terrified Sam Nivola more than once Adria Arjona on breaking 'Star Wars' ground with intense 'Andor' scenes: 'I found it really important' TV showrunner panel: 'The Better Sister,' 'Deli Boys,' 'Overcompensating,' 'Shifting Gears,' and 'Three Women' Adapting a beloved book presents unique challenges, notes Eason. "You want to honor the material, honor these real women's lives, but you are also making a TV show that needs to stand on its own," she explains. "That was one of the great things about the partnership. Lisa had never done any television. I was able to bring what I know about making [TV] and tell these internal stories in visual, cinematic ways. We wanted to use the tools of television to externalize that beautiful internal life and the complexity that the book and these stories are so centered on." Eason and Taddeo wrote all 10 episodes prior to casting, which Eason says gave them an advantage. "They were able to read what the show was asking [them to do]," she explains. "The show is about female desire and there's a ton of intimacy. It asks a lot of the actors. They have to be very vulnerable and there's a lot of onscreen intimacy. The order was tall in a lot of ways. It was a big ask of the actors. When we met with them, not only did we know they were right, but that they were also up for the challenge." The show's sexually explicit nature captures all dynamics — including moments of intimacy, comedy, and trauma. "A big part of the show was capturing all those different dynamics," Eason says. "We had the best intimacy coordinator, Claire Warden. She's really been at the forefront of this movement. We brought her on as a department head and integrated her into the whole creative process. She brings a tremendous amount of artistry to the work that she does. Safety was paramount — and that was our first priority — but in terms of having intimacy tell the story, that was where Claire was like a superhero for us." "All of that planning allowed the actors to show up and be in the moment," Eason continues. "One of my greatest days was after a big intimacy scene in Episode 2, the wonderful Betty Gilpin came up to me and said, 'I didn't know a day like this could be fun.' She felt so safe, but also so creatively free. In many experiences for actors, days like that are not fun. It's the opposite. So to have that be a really great day for her was such an achievement of Claire's and was one of my happiest days." Eason also connected personally to one of the show's central characters, Maggie. She shares that Maggie's story— of being groomed by her high school teacher — is the only narrative in both the book and series that uses the real person's name. "When I was in high school, I moved across the country. In retrospect, I now understand that there were two teachers that approached me inappropriately that were really early signs of grooming. That is what happened to Maggie Wilkin in real life and what we portray on the show. She was groomed by her teacher. She believed when she was young that it was a love story, but in retrospect she realizes the trauma, manipulation, and the truth of what happened to her. I so easily could have fallen into one of these relationships. When I read Maggie's story, I just felt such connection. Although I didn't endure what she did, so many people who watch the show have told me they had a similar experience." Eason praises the real Maggie Wilkin's courage, particularly for coming forward in 2016, before the MeToo movement began. "Her bravery and decision to say, 'This happened to me, and it was wrong,' is incredibly inspiring," Eason says. "For many people that watch the show, it can be challenging to watch that, but also there's a real catharsis in witnessing Maggie's bravery and her continuing on. She's now doing really well in her life." All episodes of Three Women are currently streaming on Starz. This article and video are presented by Starz. Best of GoldDerby Filming 'The White Lotus' terrified Sam Nivola more than once TV showrunner panel: 'The Better Sister,' 'Deli Boys,' 'Overcompensating,' 'Shifting Gears,' and 'Three Women' 'Overcompensating' showrunner Scott King on Prime Video comedy: 'There are no heroes or villains — everyone is just a f-king mess' Click here to read the full article.
