Tag Archives: Maeve Binchy

Nominations Closed for Irish PEN Award 2010

Nominations have now closed for the Irish PEN Award. Thanks to all of you who took the time to nominate authors for the prestigious award to an author chosen by their peers, previous recipients of which include John B. Keane, Brian Friel, Edna O’Brien, William Trevor, John McGahern, Neil Jordan, Seamus Heaney, Jennifer Johnston, Maeve Binchy, Thomas Kilroy, Roddy Doyle and Brendan Kennelly. We are particularly gratified by the number of former recipients of the award who proposed nominations this year. The person chosen will be announced before Christmas and the award presented at the Irish PEN annual dinner early in 2011.

Maeve Binchy wins Irish PEN AT Cross Award for Literature

Novelist Maeve Binchy proved a popular recipient for this year’s Irish Pen AT Cross Award for literature. Presented with the award at a sell-out dinner in the Royal St George Yacht Club on January 19th, she expressed delight at such recognition from her peers. She also promised that on her future visits to bookshops she will ensure that the books of all those present were face out in a prominent position – Booksellers be warned!
An appreciative audience agreed with Declan Kiberd, presenting the award, when he said that “most of [Maeve Binchy’s] stories are about the pangs of adjustment- of what happens to a society that was once God-fearing and traditional when it takes on the messy complexities of the secular,modern world,” adding that hers wasn’t a fake nostalgia for a lost world but “a brave sense that the new challenges are bracing and that good people will find in themselves the resources to meet them”. While never confining her material to Ireland, she has seen it as a test case for the modern world-and the wider world acclaimed her accordingly.
Lively Celebrations continued well on into the small hours – keep visiting this site because we should have some photos to post soon.

1907- 2007 Centenary of The United Arts Club
Irish Pen offers its congratulations to The United Arts Club, its chairman and members on the centenary of the club which was founded in 1907. Over the past century it has provided a wonderful place for artists and writers to meet. For a full list of regular art exhibitions and events which take place throughout the year visit : www.dublinarts.com