Well, did the gum fall off the back of your book tokens on the stroke of 12, then? Now that's all behind us, here's to all the twenty-first century novels yet to be written and enjoyed in the future. The century celebrations aren't over yet, however. On January 20th, 1900, a young UCD student with the moniker of James Joyce read a paper at the Literary and Historical Society, which was entitled Drama and Life. He held forth in the Physics Theatre at Newman House on St Stephen's Green and the experience was later to turn up in Stephen Hero. Exactly a hundred years later - this Thursday - the L & H will be meeting once more in the old Physics Theatre and Joyce is once again the central focus. UCD may have moved out long since to its rolling suburban campus in Belfield but his old alma mater is keen to maintain the Joyce link . The L & H has commissioned Gerry Stembridge to write a half-hour drama based on a re-enactment of the original evening. It will be an ensemble performance and afterwards the crowd will troop off for a posh dinner in the Conrad round the corner. Attendance is confined to those associated with the L & H, past and present (and their partners). UCD has put the call out for past members who want to fly the Joyce flag, and meet old L & H'rs. Tickets for the evening cost £55. More information from 01-7061826.
The Whitbread Prize category winners have been announced and the guessing game has begun in earnest as to who will be the overall winner on the 25th of this month. Seamus Heaney won the poetry section for his brilliant translation of Beowulf, which the judges described as "reclaiming the first classic of the English language for a contemporary readership." Rose Tremain won the novel section for Music and Silence; Tim Lott, the first novel section with White City Blue; and David Cairns , the biography section for Berlioz, Volume 2. There is also, of course, the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year, the winner of which will also be announced on January 25th. For the first time in the history of the prize, the winner of the children's award will also qualify for the overall accolade of Whitbread Book of the Year. Since the extraordinarily talented and popular J.K. Rowling is on the list with her Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and a red-hot favourite to take the children's prize, she must be viewed as a very strong contender versus the other hot favourite - our Nobel winner, Famous Seamus. The battle of Beowulf versus Harry Potter is definitely worth watching. Should Rowling win, it's bound to have a huge impact on the way children's books are viewed within the trade.
Sadbh was fascinated to hear during the week that wedding bells are in the air for John Bayley, former Professor of English at Oxford University but better known now as the widower of Iris Murdoch whom he nursed as she drifted into the nether world of Alzheimer's, memorably and graphically describing the experience subsequently in book form. Aged 74, Professor Bayley is to marry Audihild Villers, a family friend known as Audi. Now a widow, her husband's family were the inventors of the electric blanket. The Baileys and the Villers were great friends as couples when Iris and Mr Villers were alive, often holidaying together in Italy. The Baileys were married for 43 years. Now the professor is preparing for a June wedding, possibly in Norway where Mrs Villers was born. It goes to show that life goes on and thank God for that.
The National University of Ireland have just announced their list of people on whom honorary degrees will be conferred this year. Among them are playwright Tom Murphy; poet Cathal O'Searcaigh; and Irish language writer and scholar, Padraigu Maoileain. Also on the list is American poet, Susan Howe.
The bods at the Oscar Wilde Autumn School are starting up a literary magazine, Wildeside. They could have called it Wallpaper, after Wilde's expiring words about either himself or the wallpaper having to go, but sadly that name has already been pinched by an interiors magazine. They're looking for submissions; prose, poetry, reviews and so on for their first issue, which is due out in May. They mention quite flatly, "no fee for submissions." Sadbh wonders what the story is with other small magazines around the country: do contributors get paid even a token fee for submissions, or do they just receive free copies of the mag instead? Now you know not to expect any monetary reward for seeing your name in Wildeside. Submissions to the Oscar Wilde Autumn School, 10 Prince of Wales Terrace, Bray, Co Wicklow, before March 15th.
Co Kilkenny VEC, in conjunction with their arts education programme, will host a series of six public lectures and readings on successive Thursdays from the 27th of this month to March 2nd. They start with a reading by poet Michael Longley and conclude with one by novelist Colm Toibin. Among the other guests are Dr Caitriona Clutterbuck, of UCD, who will be speaking on place and faith in poetry in the south east; and a paper by journalist Eoghan Harris on meditations on southern Protestantism. All events take place at 8 p.m. in Butler House in Kilkenny, with an entry fee of £4.