The Irish Writer and the World

Description

The Irish Writer and the World is a major new book by one of Ireland's most prominent scholars and cultural commentators. Declan Kiberd, author of the award-winning Irish Classics and Inventing Ireland, here synthesises the themes that have occupied him throughout his career as the leading critic of Irish literature and culture. Kiberd argues that political conflict between Ireland and England ultimately resulted in cultural confluence and that writing in the Irish language was hugely influenced by the English literary tradition. He continues his exploration of the role of Irish politics and culture in a decolonising world, and covers Anglo-Irish literature, the fate of the Irish language and the Celtic Tiger. This fascinating collection of Kiberd's work over twenty-five years demonstrates the extraordinary range, astuteness and wit that have made him a defining voice in Irish studies and beyond, and will bring his work to new audiences across the world.

Declan Kiberd is Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature at University College Dublin.

'All of us who follow this path could do no better than to keep this book on our shelves as an example of how this project can be achieved.' Irish Book Review 'A comprehensive view, not only of Ireland and Irish Writers but of their relevance in the world ... the texts read seamlessly. There is no jargon, no sentences that are designed to dazzle and academic audience, just straightforward down to earth prose that can be profitably read by anyone with a passion for ideas. There is more than enough to stimulate debate and set people thinking in this invaluable and beautifully presented set of essays.' Sunday Tribune 'There is a clear sense in all his writings, as in those of the late Edward Said, of an intellectual speaking over the heads of a narrow academic audience to the wider public. Part of the general appeal of his work, aside from its lucidity and rhetorical momentum, is the sense that something important is being articulated.' Times Literary Supplement