Dermot Healy - Details

Biography

Dermot Healy was born in Finea, Co Westmeath in 1947 and is one of Ireland's most celebrated living writers. He is the author of the story collection Banished Misfortune (1982) which won two Hennessy Awards and the Tom Gallon Award, a novel, Fighting with Shadows (1984) and two poetry collections, The Ballyconnell Colours (1992) and What the Hammer? (1998). He wrote the screenplay for Cathal Black's film about the Christian Brothers, Our Boys, and his plays include The Long Swim, On Broken Wings and Last Night's Fun. He has edited two journals, The Drumlin and ForcelO, which was singled out for praise as one of Ireland's best community arts journals. His novel, A Goat's Song won the 1994 Encore Award for the best second novel. His most recent book, The Bend for Home was published by Harvill in 1996. He is currently working on his forthcoming novel Sudden Times, which will be published by Harvill. In addition to writing, Dermot has also directed plays by Beckett, Genet and Yeats for the stage and appeared in Nell Jordan's 1997 film The Butcher's Boy.