Lannan Literary Awards
3 appearances
-
Edition 52 (2019) Fellowship
Caitríona Lally
ケイトリオナ・ラリー
Caitriona Lally
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- Irish
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Dublin (current) → Japan (taught English, short-term) → New York (travel/work short-term)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, writer, cleaner, copywriter, English teacher (past)
- Active Years
- 2011-
- Nominations
- 2015 Irish Book Awards Newcomer Award (shortlisted), Kate O’Brien Debut Novel Award (shortlisted)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College Dublin | Faculty of Arts / Humanities | English Literature | BA | 2000–2004 | Ireland |
Trinity College Dublin
Faculty of Arts / Humanities
/ English Literature
Degree:
BA
Period:
2000–2004
Year of Graduation:
2004
Country:
Ireland
Studied English literature. After graduating she worked abroad and pursued writing.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair (finalist) | — | — | Irish Writers Centre | finalist |
| 2018 | Rooney Prize for Irish Literature | Eggshells | — | Trinity College Dublin (awarding) | winner |
| 2019 | Lannan Literary Fellowship | — | — | Lannan Foundation | fellowship |
Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair (finalist)
2014
Organization:
Irish Writers Centre
Result:
finalist
Rooney Prize for Irish Literature
2018
Work:
Eggshells
Organization:
Trinity College Dublin (awarding)
Result:
winner
Lannan Literary Fellowship
2019
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
fellowship
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Eggshells
2015 FictionFollows Vivian, an enchanting outsider who believes herself a changeling and wanders the streets of Dublin searching for belonging and the meaning of home; a novel exploring isolation and society through a slightly fantastical lens.
belongingisolationsociety vs individualfantasy vs reality
Translations
Wunderland
2021 FictionCenters on Roy, exiled from Ireland to Hamburg, working as a cleaner at a miniature exhibition; indulges the author's obsessions with trains and miniatures while exploring two characters' differing approaches to life.
home and exileminiatures and scaledetails of everyday life
Translations
Bibliography
- Eggshells (Melville House, 2017)
- Wunderland (New Island Books, 2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- delicate, lyrical descriptioncontemporary narrative with touches of the fantasticsubtle humor attentive to characters' inner lives
- Recurring Motifs
- trainsminiatureshome and belongingoutsiders
Legacy
Lally emerged quickly as a notable Irish writer, praised for depicting the strangeness and loneliness in everyday life. Her winning a major prize while working as a university cleaner attracted attention and prompted discussion about literature and labour.
Quotes
-
“Writing Wunderland was a chance for me to indulge my obsessions with trains and all things miniature, and to explore two characters coming at life from very different perspectives.”
Source: New Island Books (author interview) (2021)
Trivia
- She works as a cleaner at Trinity College Dublin while continuing to write.
- Her winning of the Rooney Prize in 2018 while working at the university drew international attention.
- She began work on Eggshells in 2011 during a period of unemployment.