Author

Conor O'Donovan 51 posts 0 comments

Conor writes and interviews people about books and storytelling. He grew up in Cork where a piece on the view from his bathroom window made it into his school yearbook. He studied English at Trinity and now works as Literature Editor for Headstuff. Spin him a yarn at [email protected]

Literature

Lit Review |93| James Joyce Commemoration

Conor O'Donovan Jan 4, 2017 0

News According the Guardian, a "leading literary agent" has warned that big name prizes, such as the Costa Book Awards, are harming literary fiction. Among other factors, large entry fees mean that independent publishers taking risks on…

Literature

The Lit Review |91| Bloomsbury’s Unwanted Gift

Conor O'Donovan Dec 14, 2016 0

News John Montague passed away on Saturday after complications arising from a recent surgery. Montague was born in Brooklyn, but was raised a Catholic in Tyrone. Montague was a prolific poet known for his harmonious style, based in the…

Literature

Should we worry about Readability?

Conor O'Donovan Dec 10, 2016 0

Last week I was taken in. For once, they saw me coming. I was out and about, making my way into the city, attempting to bypass the news feed to get at some messages. And yet something caught my eye. A blog, which shall remain nameless, had…

Literature

Lit Review |90| Castro & Marquez

Conor O'Donovan Dec 7, 2016 0

News Have you ever bunked off work to go to head to the cinema, or play dice in an alleyway? It turns out you're not alone. Fidel Castro liked to pass the time by pouring over the manuscripts of Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez,…

Literature

Review| Mouse by Daniel Kitson

Conor O'Donovan Dec 3, 2016 0

Daniel Kitson is nothing if not a perfectionist. His latest dramatic monologue cum stand up set performance, Mouse, stars a man who has been working on the same short story for over a decade. He is explaining the story to a mysterious…

Literature

The Lit Review |89| More Man Booker Controversy

Conor O'Donovan Dec 1, 2016 0

News This week, Julian Barnes is kicking up a fuss amid more Man Booker controversy. "The Americans have got enough prizes of their own," he says. Barnes has been known to inhabit the minds of tortured geniuses, and now he's having a real…

Literature

Lit Review |88| Prime Minister’s Literature Award

Conor O'Donovan Nov 16, 2016 0

News In Australia, the annual Prime Minister’s Award for literature seeks to promote new literature as part of Australian culture. The prize is awarded by a distinguished, three member jury but it is the premier himself who hands it over.…

Literature

Review| The Accidental Wife by Orla McAlinden

Conor O'Donovan Nov 13, 2016 0

Whether it be a young child going out to lunch with her aunt with the strange accent, or a farmer greeted in the yard by men in balaclavas looking for money, McAlinden’s stories find the tension and conflict in any situation. Though there…

Literature

The Lit Review|87| Republic of Consciousness Prize

Conor O'Donovan Nov 9, 2016 0

News Earlier this week, two Irish presses had books short listed for the Republic of Consciousness prize. The prize was founded earlier this year by author Neil Griffiths who feels the current business model in publishing is "terrible."…

Literature

Headstuff’s Certified Scary Halloween Reading List

Conor O'Donovan Oct 29, 2016 0

This year, HeadStuff has put together a reading list for those who are not as enthusiastic about going out in costume, or perhaps want to start a literary discussion, while wearing a bin liner. The books in our list are perhaps not…