Donal Ryan (born 1976) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

writer. He has published six novels and one short story collection. In 2016, novelist and playwright

Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry (born 5 July 1955) is an Irish novelist, playwright and poet. He was named Laureate for Irish Fiction, 2019–2021. He is noted for his lyrical literary writing style and is considered one of Ireland's finest writers. Barry's l ...

described Ryan in ''The Guardian'' newspaper as "the king of the new wave of Irish writers". All of his novels have been number one bestsellers in Ireland.

Biography

Donal Ryan was born outside

Nenagh Nenagh (, ; or simply ''An tAonach'') meaning “The Fair of Ormond” or simply "The Fair", is the county town and second largest town in County Tipperary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Nenagh used to be a market town, and the site of the ...

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

, in 1976. He holds a degree in law from the

University of Limerick The University of Limerick (UL) ( ga, Ollscoil Luimnigh) is a Public university, public research university institution in Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick, it beca ...

where he now lectures in Creative Writing. He worked for the National Employment Rights Authority until April 2014. He is married and lives in

Castletroy Castletroy (, meaning O'Troy's Landing or O'Troy's Callow) is a suburb of Limerick, Ireland. The town was named after Castle Troy also known as The Black Castle, which is located on the southern bank of the River Shannon, roughly 2km East of th ...

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

, with his wife and two children. Ryan has won numerous awards for his fiction, among them the

European Union Prize for Literature The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL), established in 2009, is a European Union literary award. Its aim is to recognise outstanding new literary talents from all over Europe, to promote the circulation and translation of literature among ...

, the

Guardian First Book Award The Guardian First Book Award was a literary award presented by ''The Guardian'' newspaper. It annually recognised one book by a new writer. It was established in 1999, replacing the Guardian Fiction Award or Guardian Fiction Prize that the newspap ...

and four

Irish Book Awards The Irish Book Awards are Irish literary awards given annually to books and authors in various categories. In 2018 An Post took over sponsorship of the awards from Bord Gais Energy. It is the only literary award supported by all-Irish bookstores. ...

, and has been shortlisted for several more, including the Costa Book Award and the IMPAC award. In September 2021 he became the first Irish writer to be awarded the Jean-Monnet Prize for European Literature. His debut novel, ''The Spinning Heart,'' was longlisted for the

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

in 2013, and his fourth novel, ''From A Low And Quiet Sea,'' was longlisted in 2018. The Spinning Heart was voted Irish Book of the Decade in 2016 in a nationwide poll run by Dublin Book Festival. He holds the record, at four, for most nominations for the

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...

. Ryan's first two novels, ''The Spinning Heart'' and ''The Thing About December'', were between them rejected 47 times before being accepted for publication. ''The Thing about December'' (written before ''The Spinning Heart'') was published in 2013 and was adapted into an Irish-language film, '' Foscadh'', in 2020. It was also adapted for the stage by Decadent Theatre Company in 2019. ''The Spinning Heart'' was adapted by Articulate Anatomy Theatre Company in 2017 and staged at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Ryan's books have been translated into over twenty languages.

Works

* '' The Spinning Heart'' (2012) * '' The Thing about December'' (2013) * ''A Slanting of the Sun: Stories'' (2015) * '' All We Shall Know'' (Sept 2016) * '' From a Low and Quiet Sea'' (2018) * ''

Strange Flowers ''Strange Flowers'' is a domestic novel written by Irish novelist Donal Ryan. It was first published in 2020 by Doubleday. It was voted Novel of the Year at the 2020 Irish Book Awards The Irish Book Awards are Irish literary awards given an ...

'' (2020) * '' The Queen of Dirt Island'' (2022)

Recognition

* 2012:

, winner, Newcomer of the Year ('' The Spinning Heart'') * 2012: Irish Book Awards, winner, Book of the Year (''The Spinning Heart)'' * 2013: Irish Book Awards, shortlist, Novel of the Year (''The Thing About December)'' * 2013:

, longlist (''The Spinning Heart'') * 2013:

, winner (''The Spinning Heart'') *2014:

, shortlist (''The Spinning Heart)'' * 2015:

(Ireland), winner (''The Spinning Heart'') *2015: Irish Book Awards, winner, Short Story of the Year (''A Slanting Of The Sun'') *2016: Irish Book Awards, shortlist, Novel of the Year ('' All We Shall Know'') *2016: Dublin Book Festival, winner, Irish Book of the Decade (''The Spinning Heart'') *2017: Prix Jean Monnet de Littérature Européenne, shortlist (''The Thing About December - French translation)'' *2018:

, longlist ('' From a Low and Quiet Sea'') *2018: Irish Book Awards, shortlist, Novel of the Year (''From a Low and Quiet Sea'') *2018:

Costa Book Awards The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...

, shortlist (''From a Low and Quiet Sea'') *2019:

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...

Ondaatje Prize The Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize is an annual literary award given by the Royal Society of Literature. The £10,000 award is for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry that evokes the "spirit of a place", and is written by someon ...

, longlist (''From a Low and Quiet Sea'') *2020:

, winner, Novel of the Year (''

'') *2021: Prix Jean Monnet de Littérature Européene, winner (''From a Low and Quiet Sea - French translation)'' *2021: Dalkey Literary Awards, Shortlist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Donal 1977 births Living people People from Nenagh 21st-century Irish writers 21st-century Irish male writers 21st-century Irish novelists Date of birth missing (living people)