Peter Cunningham is an Irish novelist who is known for his

historical novels Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

about Ireland.Irish Writers Online: His works have received several literary awards in Ireland and Europe. Cunningham's fiction is said to be distinguished by its fusing of political material with

psychological realism In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of the characters. The mode of narration examine ...

and a lyrical sensitivity to place and people.

Career

Cunningham's first novel, ''Noble Lord'', was a thriller, written under the pseudonym Peter Lauder.Fantastic fiction: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/peter-cunningham/ He is best known for the historical novels ''The Sea and the Silence'', ''Tapes of the River Delta'', ''Consequences of ihe Heart'' and ''Love In One Edition'', which chronicle the lives of local families during the twentieth century in Monument, Cunningham's fictional version of

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

, Ireland. Cunningham's novel ''The Taoiseach'', based on the life of Charles J. Haughey, was a controversial bestseller. ''Capital Sins'', a satirical novel, dealt with the collapse of the Irish economy during the

2008 financial crisis 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

Critical reception

''The Sea and the Silence'' (translated into French as ''La Mer et le silence'')''La Mer et le silence''
/ref> was awarded the Prix de l’Europe in 2013. This novel also won the Prix Caillou in France and was short-listed for the Prix des Lecteurs du Telégramme. ''Consequences of the Heart'' was short-listed for the Kerry Listowel Writer's Prize. ''Acts of Allegiance'' was long-listed for the 2019 Dublin International Literary Award. In 2011 Cunningham won the Cecil Day-Lewis Bursary Award.

Personal life

Cunningham grew up in Waterford, where his family had lived since the mid-19th century.Dictionary of Literary Biography: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/peter-cunningham-dlb/3.html Cunningham is a member of

Aosdána Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...

. He has judged the Glen Dimplex Literary Awards and the Bantry Festival Writer's Prize. In 2017 he was one of the nominees for the new post of Irish Fiction Laureate, created by the

Arts Council of Ireland The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally ga, An Chomhairle Ealaíon) is the independent "Irish government agency for developing the arts." About It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encour ...

. Cunningham is married to Carol, a

Jungian Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...

analyst, with whom he has six children. They live in

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...

, Ireland.

References

External links

Peter Cunningham website

Peter Cunningham - Goodreads

Peter Cunningham - Twitter

Peter Wilben website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Peter 1947 births Irish novelists Living people People educated at Glenstal Abbey School Alumni of University College Dublin Writers from Dublin (city) Irish columnists Irish male novelists