Madam, - In his interesting piece on Ken Loach's film The Wind That Shakes The Barley (Opinion, July 4th), Declan Kiberd writes that "for years some who explored the blind-spots of Irish nationalism were awarded an annual prize in memory of the murdered British ambassador Christopher Ewart-Biggs".
This gives an inaccurate and inadequate impression of a prize whose stated objective is to recognise achievements which "promote and encourage peace and reconciliation in Ireland; a greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland; or closer co-operation between the partners of the European Community".
In a wide-ranging list over the past 30 years, a sample of award-winners includes Brian Friel's Translations, Robert Kee's Ireland: a history, Micheál MacGreil's Prejudice and Tolerance in Ireland, the journalists Mary Holland and David McKittrick, the Linenhall Library's "Troubled Images" exhibition, Frank McGuinness's Observe the Sons of Ulster, Fionnuala O'Connor's In Search of a State, Peter Hart's The IRA and its Enemies, Sebastian Barry's The Steward of Christendom, Fortnight magazine, the compilation of Troubles deaths Lost Lives, and most recently Tom Dunne's Rebellions.
The next Prize will be awarded early in 2007, to a work published or performed in 2005 and 2006. I fully expect the winner to be in this varied, distinguished and unpredictable tradition. - Yours, etc,
ROY FOSTER, Chairman of Judges, Ewart-Biggs Prize, Hertford College, Oxford, England.