Contemporary Irish Literature Transforming Tradition

Contemporary Irish Literature is a thorough initiation into the works of a broad selection of living Irish writers. The collection addresses the writings of a range of individuals, from such well-established artists as Seamus Heaney and Brian Friel, to those whose reputations demand to be extended beyond their Irish audience. With a comprehensive introduction providing a continuum from the Celtic Twilight to the present day and with helpful literary and historical chronologies, Contemporary Irish Literature is organized by genre, with sections on poetry, drama, and fiction. The profusion of award-winning Irish poets, playwrights, and novelists are discussed in terms of the role these writers play within the current Irish literary renaissance, occurring simultaneously with Ireland's most recent modernization and prosperity, in addition to their own individual merits. Particularly intriguing are the chapters on the contemporary contribution to literature from the troubled province of Northern Ireland, the work of the newly-canonical female writers, and the recent innovative work appearing on the Irish stage. This is the literature of a New Ireland, experiencing all the rewards and the regrets that cultural change can occasion. Contemporary Irish Literature is the authoritative source to consult for anyone interested in contemporary Irish literature.

Christina Hunt Mahony is the Associate Director of the Center for Irish Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She is the author of studies on W.B. Yeats, Louis MacNeice, and Irish women novelists. She holds a Ph.D. from University College, Dublin.