Daughter of an independent film maker, and niece of an author, Helena has always been encouraged to read and write.

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Colum McCann believes in the redemptive power of storytelling so he set up Narrative 4 to foster empathy in communities beset by conflict. He spoke to Caroline O’Doherty about his hopes for it and his new book.

The English novelist Jim Crace has won the 20th Impac Dublin Literary Award, for his novel Harvest. The €100,000 prize is the largest for a novel published in English.

Things fall apart, wrote Yeats, but they also come together, as they did in Manhattan on Monday night, when a thousand guests attended a celebration of the poet’s 150th birthday.

Five Irish novels have been nominated along with 137 other titles by libraries worldwide for the €100,000 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award.

The Arts Council has published the full list of nominees for the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction.

Award-winning novelist Colum McCann has been assaulted in a Connecticut hotel and hospitalised with significant facial injuries.

The Colombian writer Juan Gabriel Vasquez has won the 2014 Impac Dublin Award for his novel The Sound of Things Falling.

A 38-year-old author last night scooped the richest literary award confined to Irish writers for her first novel.

IT STRUCK a sensitive nerve when the poet WJ Mc Cormack, aka Hugh Maxton, this week defended Aosdána’s annual funding of €2.7 million by mentioning that Fair City cost €11 million. This fact was met, according to an RTÉ report, with laughter from the floor of Aosdána’s general assembly meeting at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham.

Courses at West Cork Literary Festival offer guidance on all genres of writing and publishing, says Colette Sheridan

Escaped slave Frederick Douglass was made welcome in Cork, but he later fell out with our own Apostle of Temperance, writes Laurence Fenton

Best European Fiction 2014

Highlights includethe return of Anne Doyle, and Simon Reeve's new show on pilgrimages

Three Irish authors have been nominated for the largest literary prize in the world for a novel published in English.

Three Irish authors have been nominated for the largest literary prize in the world for a novel published in English.

The shortlists for “the biggest celebration of Irish writing” was announced yesterday.

Stoner

The award winning novelist and poet Colum McCann has written a new poem for Republic of Ireland captain and LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane ahead of the MLS play-offs.

MUSIC NEWS:

NÁDÚR (Nature) is the new studio album by Donegal band, Clannad, whose members are siblings, Moya, Ciarán and Pól Brennan and their twin uncles, Noel and Padraig Duggan.

Richard Fitzpatrick picks his top summer reads — don’t go to the beach without one of these in your bag.

Colum McCann has pushed the boundaries out with his new book Transatlantic. He tells Sue Leonard how he approached writing it and his earlier books

Limerick-born author Kevin Barry, whose novel City of Bohane scooped the world’s most valuable literary prize, said the importance of the Impac award was that it kept books at the centre of life in Ireland.

Mary Murray tells Pádraic Killeen about Fishamble’s latest short form project

TG4’s Imeall, which airs its 150th show tomorrow, has brought a fresh approach to arts programming, says Marjorie Brennan

Huddleston Road

Huddleston Road

Organisers of two candlelit vigils in New York City over the past two evenings have called for a boycott of travel to Ireland in light of Savita Halappanavar’s death.

Eight Irish authors are among the 154 on the longlist for the world’s richest literary prize – the highest ever number.

Eight Irish authors are in with a chance of winning one of the world’s most valuable literary prizes after their books were nominated by libraries around the globe.

Imeall on TG4 kicks off its new season with a revealing interview with playwright Tom Murphy, says Richard Fitzpatrick

In Peter Carey’s The Chemistry of Tears an horologist mourns her dead lover by rebuilding an automaton. Sue Leonard spoke to him about the book

The shortlist for the €100,000 IMPAC award for literary fiction was revealed this morning, says Carl Dixon

Belinda McKeon tells Sue Leonard how she realised she was getting free master-classes on how to be a novelist by interviewing writers for her work.

Irish writer Colum McCann has won the prestigious International Impac Dublin literary award for his novel 'Let the Great World Spin'.

Three Irish authors - Colum McCann, Colm Toibin and William Trevor - have been shortlisted for the world’s richest literary prize.

FORMER US president Bill Clinton yesterday led the tributes to best-selling author, Frank McCourt, when he was posthumously honoured in New York by leading Irish and American philanthropists.

What are three things you can’t live without?

IRELAND’S cultural ambassador, actor Gabriel Byrne, has launched the largest-ever promotion of Irish arts events across the United States.

Four Irish novels have been nominated for the world’s richest literary prize, it was revealed today.

FOUR Irish novels have been nominated for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.