Kerry author Noel O’Regan is one of four authors shortlisted for the prestigious James Tait Black Fiction Prize
Congratulations to author Noel O’Regan who is shortlisted for this year’s James Tait Black Fiction Prize for his debut novel Though the Bodies Fall (Granta).
Established by Edinburgh University in 1919, the world’s longest running literary awards are unique as the judges of the prestigious prizes are scholars and students. The announcement of the winners will be made by the university in May.
Though the Bodies Fall, by Noel O’Regan
Micheál Burns lives alone in his family’s bungalow at the end of Kerry Head in Ireland. It is a picturesque place, but the cliffs have a darker side to them: for generations they have been a suicide black spot. Micheál’s mother saw the saving of these lost souls – these visitors – as her spiritual duty, and now, in the wreckage of his life, Micheál finds himself continuing her work. When his sisters tell him that they want to sell the land, he must choose between his siblings and the visitors, a future or a past.
Earlier in the year Noel O’Regan spoke with Ruth McKee on the Burning Books podcast, where he talked about his formative reading experiences, Raymond Carver, John McGahern, learning from Claire Keegan, and his desire and path to becoming a novelist.
The other shortlisted novels are Lori and Joe by Amy Arnold (Prototype Publishing), Open Throat by Henry Hoke (Macmillan Publishers), and Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright (And Other Stories). For news on shortlisted biographies and more details on the James Tait Black Prizes, see here.
