Join Frank Shovlin and John McAuliffe in discussing the life of the acclaimed Irish writer John McGahern

We are delighted to welcome Frank Shovlin a to Blackwell's in partnership with the Centre For New Writing. Frank will be in conversation with John McAuliffe discussing his book John McGahern: A Writing Life, the first authorised biography of Ireland's greatest post-war writer.

Doors: 6.30pm, Starts: 6.45pm.

General admission is £5 or included within the price of a Book & Ticket option.

About the book:

On his death in 2006, John McGahern was hailed as the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett. But who was the enigmatic man behind the literary myth?

McGahern is often portrayed as a country farmer who happened to have a talent for writing. One of seven children, he was raised in the Irish countryside in a household ruled by his militant father and haunted by the death of his mother.

Others think of him as a radical truth-telling pioneer who shattered Ireland's censorship culture. He became famous in 1965 when his second novel, The Dark, was banned by the censor, leading to his dismissal as a primary-school teacher in Dublin and exile to London.

But McGahern's personal life has remained deeply private, from his failed first marriage and the secret birth of a son to the moment he met his future wife, Madeline Green. In this magisterial biography, Frank Shovlin argues that McGahern was above all a great artist.

After decades of research, he illuminates this elusive figure, drawing on exclusive new interviews and archival material. Rich in dramatic and intimate revelations, Shovlin brings to life the world that inspired McGahern's literary masterpieces - and offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of modern Ireland as a nation. The result is the definitive biography of Ireland's greatest post-war writer.

About the author:

Frank Shovlin is Professor of Irish Literature in English at the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool. He was educated at University College Galway and St John's College, Oxford, and was a British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellow for 2018-19. Shovlin is editor of The Letters of John McGahern (also published by Faber).

If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.

Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event.

Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and likeminded readers and learn something new.Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow us on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.

Description supplied by the event organiser.