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Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Almost 400 Irish writers sign statement calling for immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine conflict
Almost 400 writers in Ireland have signed an Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict , the release of all hostages and the protection of the lives and human rights of writers, journalists and all innocent people affected by the ongoing conflict. Since October 7th, 2023, at least 181 journalists, 120 academics and 23 writers have been killed. According to PEN International, this has now been the deadliest war for writers since the second World War. Signatories include well-known figures such as Roddy Doyle , Marian Keyes , Colum McCann , Donal Ryan , Lisa McInerney , Kevin Barry , Mary Costello , Paul Lynch , Sinéad Gleeson , Jan Carson, Glenn Patterson, Paula Meehan, Carlo Gébler, Theo Dorgan and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin among a total of 388 writers. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict. READ MORE Arundhati Roy stated in last year's PEN Pinter Prize speech: 'Not all the power and money, not all the weapons and propaganda on earth, can any longer hide the wound that is Palestine. The wound through which the whole world, including Israel, bleeds.' The PEN community has repeatedly called for an 'immediate end of all hostilities, the protection of civilians, and a just resolution to the conflict', and urged the United Nations and its member states 'to take all necessary steps to broker an immediate ceasefire'. 'Together with colleagues from across the globe,' the letter went on, 'Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the protection of lives and human rights of writers, journalists, and all innocent people affected by the ongoing conflict in Palestine.' It quotes Amnesty International , which has stated: 'Israel must immediately end its devastating siege on the occupied Gaza Strip which constitutes a genocidal act, a blatant form of unlawful collective punishment, and the war crime of using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.' The letter pledged that alongside amplifying the voices of writers of Palestine , 'we must also do all we can to help bring an end to the unimaginably difficult situation they are facing on the ground daily'. [ 'So much gratitude in West Bank for Irish solidarity': How Nobel Prize-winners are raising Palestinians' plight Opens in new window ] 'As in the PEN Charter, literature knows no frontiers and must remain common currency among people in spite of political or international upheavals; PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression, condemning any racist, antisemitic, or Islamophobic commentary that has been used in relation to the conflict. 'We stand in solidarity with Palestinian, Jewish, and Israeli people who are opposing the genocide perpetuated by the current Israeli government. 'We ask that the international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, be respected at all times. And we ask all nations to join our call for the immediate distribution of food and medical aid in Gaza by the UN and an immediate ceasefire guaranteeing safety for all Palestinians, Israeli hostages, and Palestinians arbitrarily held in Israeli jails.'
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
The biggest highlights Live at the Marquee this summer
With gigs happening all around the country this summer, Cork is an underrated spot — with Live at the Marquee being a highlight. While most of us will be heading to the capital, or to Stradbally, or even up to Donegal for Sea Sessions, the marquee is a spot that fewer people seem to talk about — although the lineup year in and year out has been nothing short of excellent for the real capital. With this, we at have taken a look at the lineup and have made our picks for some of the highlights this June-July. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Picture This (@picturethis) Kicking off the season (and their Home for the Summer tour!) Picture This return to Cork. As part of their nationwide tour, the Kildare band will be entertaining the 5,000 capacity venue to kick off what will be a memorable summer for the people of Cork. Tommy is heading back to Cork this summer. Pic: RTÉ The Tommedian train isn't stopping this summer, with him heading to the marquee this July. In what's set to be a very busy summer for the comedian, Tommy kicks off his tour in Galway before heading to Live at the Marquee for two nights. Cork's most famous son will be in the marquee alongside Roddy Doyle for what is set to be a huge highlight of the season. Pic: Stick to Football/YouTube Yes, technically this is three evenings with Roy Keane, but still an instant highlight as Cork's son comes home. Appearing alongside Roddy Doyle for the in-person chat, Roy will be discussing his career as Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain, something something Saipan, and his new role as a presenter for the Stick to Football podcast, which he presents alongside fellow Premier League and WSL legends Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright and Jill Scott. Olly is back in Ireland after selling out the 3Arena and SSE in Belfast. Pic: Joseph Okpako/WireImage/Getty Images One of the bigger stars from The X Factor and enjoying 15 years in the limelight, Olly Murs is set to return to Ireland just months after his shows in the 3Arena and SSE Arena in Belfast. Those who may have missed out on tickets for the April gigs, or people who attended the gigs earlier this year and want a little more Olly, may want to head to Leeside for the huge gig. After a banner year which included a huge Grammy win for his songwriting credit on SZA's song Saturn, Cian Ducrot will be playing a homecoming gig in the marquee. Pic:for The Recording Academy One of the most exciting singers to come out of Ireland this decade, Cian Ducrot, returns to his hometown for the biggest gig of his career. The Passage West singer will be heading to the marquee on July 20 for the mammoth gig, as his career goes from strength to strength — with him set to headline the 3Arena in Dublin later this year.
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
John Boyne on the art of book reviews: Never lie to readers, but deliver truth in a way that respects the writer
In May 2004, three novels into my career, I published my first book review in The Irish Times, a short piece on Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner . The piece was commissioned by the late Caroline Walsh, the much-loved and much-missed former editor of these pages. This month, as my 28th book, Air, arrives in shops, I publish my 150th book review. Of those, I've never met 97 of the authors, 32 are casual acquaintances, 13 I consider friends, while only eight are people I hope would show up at my funeral (even if they have to fly in from Australia). For many years, I've had a fruitful arrangement with Martin Doyle, the current books editor of The Irish Times. A few months ahead of publication date, I suggest a few books and he tells me which, if any, he would like me to take on. (To the conspiracy theorists out there, not once have I been given even the hint of an instruction on the tone my review should take.) I base my choices on three criteria: either I've read the writer's previous work and enjoyed it, the subject matter appeals to me or I've heard good things on the grapevine. READ MORE There are reviews I'm proud of. In 2012, I appraised JK Rowling's The Casual Vacancy and was probably the only person on the planet not to reference a certain boy wizard. I wrote about Roddy Doyle's Two Pints in the voices of the characters, and having read Belinda McKeon's Tender across a single day, wanted everyone to do the same. I got a good line in about Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman in protest at it being published at all. ('This novel is Boo Radley. It was meant to stay inside, locked away, hidden from the world.') I helped bring Garth Greenwell and Édouard Louis, two of the finest writers at work today, to attention . When Graham Norton published Holding, I advised people to set aside their scepticism about celebrity-written books, and he's more than proved me right ever since. Reviewing How to Be Invisible, Kate Bush's collection of song lyrics, led to a lunch date, and as her All-Time Greatest Fan I still feel thrilled that my assessment led to a real-world friendship. I stand by my 2023 piece on Joe Gibson's Seventeen, a powerful nonfiction book about the effect of sexual grooming on a teenage boy, which, somehow, has yet to find its way into paperback, despite universal praise. There have been negative reviews too, although as everyone in the writing world knows, there are sacred cows that people are afraid to criticise, either because the author holds a powerful position within the industry or because detractors will be accused of envy should they call a spade a spade. It's why so much mediocre work goes unchallenged and why there are writers who could publish their weekly shopping list and they'd still receive universal hosannas. Kevin Power was spot on when he wrote in a 2021 essay: 'Most books are bad. We all know this, but we seldom say it.' For that reason, I avoid reviewing authors I consider overrated or, frankly, no good. One of my most chilling experiences is of a writer who provided an effusive blurb for a first novel, describing it to me privately as 'the worst piece of hackneyed chick-lit I've ever read in my life'. Recoiling from his use of such a pejorative and misogynist term, I asked why he'd praised it if he felt this way. 'Because it was obvious it was going to be a hit,' he said with a shrug. 'And I wanted to be associated with it.' Personally, I prefer silence to craven opportunism or outright dishonesty. [ Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin: Inventive exploration of identity, faith and family Opens in new window ] [ John Boyne on Fair Play by Louise Hegarty: A witty debut that celebrates the golden age of crime novels Opens in new window ] I remain ashamed, however, of a deeply unkind review I wrote some years ago that ignored the fact that the writer was new to the game. A review should never be about the reviewer but, for reasons rooted in my unhealthy state of mind at the time, I forgot there was a real person on the other side of those 700 words and revelled in my own supposedly clever sentences instead of concentrating on the author's. I subsequently apologised on Twitter to the writer in question – publicly, not by private message – who was far more gracious in reply than I might have been had our positions been reversed. In my day job, of course, I get reviewed too, and my rule is: don't believe them when they're good, don't believe them when they're bad. I know the value of my own work and could line up all my books on a shelf, the order determined by whether I feel I achieved artistically what I set out to. The Heart's Invisible Furies would be in pole position, followed by A Ladder to the Sky, The Elements and All the Broken Places. (I won't say what would be at the other end!) While I've generally done pretty well on the review front, the best I ever got was for The Echo Chamber, an unusual book for me in that it's a comedy and no one dies at the end. My methodology for reviewing hasn't changed much. I make a note of anything that occurs to me as I'm reading, take photos of lines that impress me (or otherwise), then write my first draft as soon as I finish the final page, simply throwing down everything that occurs to me. I leave it to bake, so to speak, for a week or so, then return to it when the novel has fully settled in my mind. At that point I rewrite, edit, cut and shape it into something that hopefully respects the work, while giving readers an honest assessment of my personal response to it. And remember, that's all a review is: one person's reaction to a book. It's not definitive; it's just an opinion. A word to the wise. Here are some phrases that should never be used in a review: 'An instant classic': there's no such thing and it's lazy writing. It takes decades, maybe even a century, for a book to achieve that status. I genuinely enjoy writing about books and want to use whatever authority I've earned over a 33-year career for positive ends 'Whip-smart': reviewers, please stop referring to young women writers as 'whip-smart' as if it's a shock to discover they might have a brain in their pretty little heads. (The phrase is never used for men, of course.) 'Meets': as in 'American Psycho meets Rachel's Holiday " . No one is 'the voice of a generation' because no generation speaks with one voice. If they do, God help them. Consulting writer friends for phrases they loathe, I was told that 'fiercely intelligent is annoying', while 'a moving exploration of trauma and identity', and 'compelling' were also poorly regarded. You might ask why I do it. I don't need the exposure, there's always the risk of upsetting someone and – no offence, Martin – it doesn't pay very well. The answer is, I genuinely enjoy writing about books and want to use whatever authority I've earned over a 33-year career for positive ends. Conscious that the publishing world can be difficult at times, reviewers, in my view, should support the endeavour, offering readers reasons to buy books, not to ignore them. Never to lie, but also never to shame, ridicule or humiliate. And if talented newcomers can be given a leg up by those of us with an audience, then all the better. So I guess I'll keep reviewing for as long as I'm allowed. While it's a privilege to have the platform to do so, the best part is occasionally discovering a book so amazing that I want to share it with the world. John Boyne's latest novel, Air, is published by Doubleday
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Coventry hosts UK premiere of Roddy Doyle's Two Pints play
Two men sit at a bar, drinking Guinness and putting the world to setting, though, is not a Dublin pub - but Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, where Roddy Doyle's play Two Pints is part way through its first-ever UK Irish writer - known for novels including Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and The Commitments, for which he wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation - uses the play to explore themes of ageing and friendship."They drink, but they're not drinking to drink," he said. "They're drinking for each other's company, really. That's what it's all about." Two Pints was first performed in 2017 in, appropriately, a pub in Dublin, before embarking on a tour of watering holes across wrote it soon after his father's death."The plot was inspired by the experience of visiting the hospital to see him, and dreading it," Doyle explained. "Wanting to go, but dreading it."So the rhythm of that time – visiting the hospital, going up for the last time to say goodbye to him, and then the funeral – is the plot of the play, really."The experience made Doyle reflect on the way men - especially men of a certain age - confide in one another."[I realised that] people, particularly men, will often open up if they're walking side by side rather than facing each other."It struck me that that was like being in a bar." 'Respite from anxieties' While admitting to "liking a good pub", Doyle is not trying to make light of the dangers of alcohol Doyle, the pub has a long tradition of bringing people together."When it came to two men of my generation meeting, there was no choice," he said. "It was the pub or nowhere. It was the one place men go."It's respite, isn't it, from life."Respite and withdrawal, from, I suppose, the trickier parts of life, the anxieties."Just for a while." Much has been made on social media of the creative swearing employed by Doyle's barstool philosophers, and, indeed, the Belgrade warns potential audience members of "some strong language".But Doyle insists it is not gratuitous."I examine every word," he explained. "And I try to make sure that is is something that those characters would say. It's part of the rhythm of the speech of working class Dublin people, and a lot of Irish people."I'm not saying it's a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what it is." 'It's a universal story' Like much of Doyle's work, Two Pints focuses on the lives of working-class Irish, told largely through nothing more than his hope is that his work - from The Commitments to Two Pints - has an international appeal."Groups of young people coming together to express themselves musically is a universal story, isn't it?" he said. "And the same with this one."Men growing older together, and finding comfort in each other's company, is a universal story." Two Pints is being performed at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, until 24 May. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Irish Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
‘There's a spark in Fighting Words that ignites the minute you come through the door'
I was 18, an early school leaver, interviewing with Fighting Words operations manager Sara Bennett at the organisation's office on Behan Square, Dublin, when who should walk in through the front door but its co-founder Roddy Doyle ? It was February 2016. I had just come through an early school-leavers course in Ballyfermot, which focused on equipping us with the skills to enter the workforce. An internship placement was part of the programme so I contacted Fighting Words, which I had heard of through my wonderful, thoughtful instructors at Kylemore Community Training Centre. Although I still wanted to go to college, which I eventually did, it turned out to be a long road. There was a time, back in early 2015, when my friends and peers were preparing to sit their Leaving Cert exams, that I felt like I'd be lost forever. So to be there, occupying a building with Roddy Doyle, entertaining the idea that I was going to be able to work there? It didn't seem possible. I was thrilled but a little terrified when Sara offered me a six-month placement. Wayward, totally unsure of myself, I'd always wanted to write. I had never felt that I had much to offer in the way of anything else. There's a spark that exists in Fighting Words that ignites the minute you come through the front door. After more than 15 years in operation, that spark is stronger than ever. As a young person, volunteering in Fighting Words fostered in me a stronger sense of self, a stronger sense of community. As I met and worked alongside people of different ages, at different stages of life, I gained an understanding that there was no such thing as a straight line through the middle. My path was no more unique than anybody else's, but it was my story, and the stories were always what mattered most. READ MORE After my placement finished, I stayed on as a regular volunteer mentor for more than two years, before starting an undergraduate degree in English and creative writing at UCD. I graduated with my BA in 2022 and my MFA in 2023, at 26. I had come a long way in eight years. My first novel is due to be published next January. The work in this supplement is vibrant, vulnerable, at times playful and at others sombre, but always an undercurrent of hope runs through. It's the type of thing that can only come from a place where the creative mind is celebrated, where the opportunity to come together with others is offered. It can be an isolating thing, wanting to write, when the digital world draws your attention to every corner of the globe, when every scandal and tragedy sleeps beside you on your bedside locker, waiting to greet you when the sun rises. It's too easy to feel like what you want to make doesn't matter, that there is nobody out there willing to receive it. That's why it's important to bring young creative minds together, to engage with them on equal ground and provide a space for them to access themselves unfettered by the restraints of their everyday lives. My formative years, without question, were the years I spent in Fighting Words. The friends I made, the satisfaction of feeling useful, the confidence and trust given to me by the staff there I wouldn't have received anywhere else were crucial to me as an early school leaver. I see that help being given to visiting students, interns, volunteers, every time I visit. It is a space where every single participant has something to gain. At the centre of it are the stories and the poems, but it is in the people where the magic lives. Each and every one of you. Djamel White's debut novel, All Them Dogs, will be published in 2026 by John Murray Press and Riverhead Books
