Arts Council welcomes publication of letters by
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28/11/2006
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has welcomed the publication of a new book chronicling the correspondence between two of Ireland’s greatest writers, Michael McLaverty and John McGahern. Dear Mr McLaverty– The Literary Correspondence of John McGahern and Michael McLaverty, 1959-1980, is published by the Linen Hall Library with support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
 Roisin McDonough , Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, John Killen, Deputy Librarian of the Linen Hall Library, and Sheilagh McLaverty Cunningham, daughter of Michael McLaverty at the launch of Dear Mr McLaverty - The Literary Correspondence of John McGahern and Michael McLaverty |
Launching the book, Arts Council Chief Executive, Roisín McDonough said, “This lovely publication allows us to eavesdrop on conversations that would not, perhaps, have taken place had we been in the room. The friendship between these important writers crackles and jumps with inspiration. The dynamics are fresh, the thoughts are new and heard aloud for the first time. The Arts Council was happy to support such a valuable literary archive.”
Dear Mr McLaverty is edited by the Linen Hall Library’s Deputy Librarian, John Killen, from the Michael McLaverty Literary Archive, which was donated last year to the Belfast library.
John Killen said, “These letters shed new light on the writings of two of Ireland’s foremost short story writers, and add to the canon of Irish literature in the twentieth century. As you read the letters, you gain an intimate insight into the ethos of writing which defined the distinctive styles of McLaverty and McGahern.”
The long and fruitful correspondence between McLaverty and McGahern will be brought to life by theatrical readings from Dear Mr McLaverty at the Linen Hall Library on December 19 th. Phone the library on (028) 9032 1707 for details.
