Paul Lynch gives 2020 Stinging Fly "Literary Lecture"

The Stinging Fly's Literary Lecture, commissioned as part of the Bray Literary Festival, has been given this year by Paul Lynch. The talk, "The Dream That Wakes You Up" is an examination of creativity and its many guises. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the festival took place online this year. The video can be watched below. You can also read the essay in full at The Stinging Fly here.

From the lecture: "Aristotle once said that “happiness is to live in harmony with one’s daimon”, and this idea of harmony between the self and one’s creativity, of learning to listen to the inner voice that speaks for the deepest self, is what I want to explore in this lecture. For to live in harmony with one’s daimon is no easy thing, and is perhaps the source of greatest frustration and obstacle to the writer."

GRACE wins the 2020 Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors' Award

Grace has won the 2020 Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award. Created in 2016 by the 26 embassies of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) represented in Ireland, the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande –  Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award aims to highlight the role of literary French in transmitting the values of La Francophonie. This prize is awarded to an Irish writer recently translated into French, in partnership with Literature Ireland, the national organization for the international promotion of Irish literature, and the Alliance Française de Dublin.

In a speech, Paul thanked his French translator Marina Boraso and said that "it is the spell-work of translation that allows us to leap from us to other, to enter fully into that alien culture as easily as though we were passing through our own".

The Jury is constituted of the 26 Ambassadors of following countries, all member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

GRACE shortlisted for Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award

Grace has been shortlisted for the 2020 Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award.

Created in 2016 by the 26 embassies of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) represented in Ireland, the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande – Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award aims to highlight the role of literary French in transmitting the values of La Francophonie. This prize is awarded to an Irish writer recently translated into French, in partnership with Literature Ireland, the national organization for the international promotion of Irish literature, and the Alliance Française de Dublin.

The prize will seek to reflect the key values of cultural and linguistic diversity, democracy and human rights, education and research, sustainable development and solidarity defended by the Francophonie.

For the 2020’s edition 4 authors are nominated:

•Paul Lynch, Grace, [Grace], Editions Albin Michel 2019, translated by Marina Boraso •Lisa Harding, Abattage, [Harvesting], Éditions Joëlle Losfeld 2019, translated by Christel Gaillard-Paris •Paula McGrath, La fuite en Héritage, [A history of running away], Éditions Table Ronde 2019, translated by Cécile Arnaud •Edna O’Brien, Girl, [Girl], Editions Sabine Wespieser 2019, translated by Pierre-Emmanuel Dauzat et Aude de Saint-Loup

The Jury is constituted of the 26 Ambassadors of following countries, all member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The jury will render its verdict during an official ceremony to take place in March 2020. This prize is part of the Francophonie Festival in Ireland.