Lannan Literary Awards
8 appearances
-
Edition 36 (1999) Winner
-
Edition 47 (2012) Winner
Dennis O'Driscoll
デニス・オドリスコル
Denisu O'Dorishukoru
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1954-01-01 （Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland）
- Died
- 2012-12-24 （Naas, County Kildare, Ireland） age 58
- Nationality
- Irish
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Thurles (birthplace) → Naas, County Kildare (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, essayist, critic, editor, civil servant
- Active Years
- 1970-2012
- Affiliations
- Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Ireland), Poetry Ireland Review (editor), Irish United Nations Association (council member, 1975–1980)
- Influenced By
- Seamus Heaney (interviewer/colleague)
- Nominations
- The Irish Times / Poetry Now Award (shortlisted 2008 for Reality Check)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congregation of Christian Brothers (secondary education) | — | — | — | ～1970 | Ireland |
Congregation of Christian Brothers (secondary education)
Period:
～1970
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
Ireland
Received secondary education from the Christian Brothers. No recorded university degree.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Lannan Literary Award | — | — | Lannan Foundation | 受賞 |
| — | E. M. Forster Award | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| — | O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry | — | — | Center for Irish Studies, Minnesota | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Poetry Book Society Special Commendation | New and Selected Poems | — | Poetry Book Society | 表彰 |
| 2013 | The Irish Times Poetry Now Award | Dear Life | — | The Irish Times | 受賞（死後） |
| — | Argosy Irish Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award | — | — | Argosy | 受賞 |
| — | Honorary Doctorate in Literature | — | — | University College Dublin | 授与 |
Lannan Literary Award
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
受賞
E. M. Forster Award
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry
Organization:
Center for Irish Studies, Minnesota
Result:
受賞
Poetry Book Society Special Commendation
2004
Work:
New and Selected Poems
Organization:
Poetry Book Society
Result:
表彰
The Irish Times Poetry Now Award
2013
Work:
Dear Life
Organization:
The Irish Times
Result:
受賞（死後）
Argosy Irish Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award
Organization:
Argosy
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctorate in Literature
Organization:
University College Dublin
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Kist
1982 poetryEarly collection featuring poems that observe work and everyday details with precision.
everyday lifeworkobservation
Hidden Extras
1987 poetryA maturing early collection noted for its economical language and understated humor.
humorfragility of everyday life
Long Story Short
1993 poetryContains concise, sharp observations characteristic of O'Driscoll's style.
memoryloss
Quality Time
1997 poetryPoems that find meaning in small moments of everyday life.
everyday lifehometime
Weather Permitting
1999 poetryExplores weather and the uncertainties of daily life. A Poetry Book Society Recommendation.
uncertaintynatureeveryday life
Exemplary Damages
2002 poetryA collection mixing humor and poignancy, occasionally using legal and economic metaphors.
humorlosseconomics
New and Selected Poems
2004 poetry (selected)A selection of key works; received a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation.
retrospectioneveryday depiction
Reality Check
2007 poetryPoems grounded in observations of reality. Shortlisted for the Irish Times/Poetry Now Award.
realityeveryday lifedecay
Translations
- US edition (Copper Canyon Press)
Dear Life
2012 poetryA late collection reflecting on life, death, and the fragility of daily existence. Posthumously awarded Poetry Now.
life and deathfragilityreminiscence
Translations
- US edition (Copper Canyon Press, 2013)
Update
2015 poetry (posthumous/collected)Posthumous volume containing additional poems and unpublished material.
posthumous workssummation
Bibliography
- Kist (1982)
- Hidden Extras (1987)
- Long Story Short (1993)
- Quality Time (1997)
- Weather Permitting (1999)
- Exemplary Damages (2002)
- New and Selected Poems (2004)
- Reality Check (2007)
- Dear Life (2012)
- Update (2015)
- The Bottom Line (chapbook, 1994)
- 50 O'Clock (chapbook, 2005)
- All the Living (chapbook, 2008)
- Troubled Thoughts, Majestic Dreams (selected prose, 2001)
- The Bloodaxe Book of Poetry Quotations (ed., 2006)
- Quote Poet Unquote (ed., 2008)
- Stepping Stones: Interviews with Seamus Heaney (2008)
- The Outnumbered Poet (essays, 2013)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- economical languageplainspoken observational styleblend of humor and poignancy
- Recurring Motifs
- mortality and fragilityvulnerability of everyday lifework and memory
Legacy
Dennis O'Driscoll is regarded as one of the leading European poets of his time. Praised for his economical language and keen observations of daily life, he was widely respected by critics and peers, and his reputation has continued posthumously through selected and posthumous publications.
Museums
- Revenue Museum (Dublin Castle) — houses his poem 'At The Revenue Museum' Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland Opened in 2008
Academic Societies
- Honorary doctorate (University College Dublin)
Archives
- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University (Dennis O'Driscoll papers)
In Popular Culture
- Known for readings and appearances at festivals such as Hay-on-Wye and Cheltenham.
Quotes
-
He was "the lyric equivalent of William Trevor" and, by far, a better poet than Raymond Carver.
Source: Eileen Battersby (criticism) (2012) -
President Michael D. Higgins noted that O'Driscoll was "held in the highest regard not only by all those associated with Irish and European poetry."
Source: Statement by President Michael D. Higgins (2012)
Trivia
- Worked for many years at the Irish Office of the Revenue Commissioners while maintaining his literary career.
- "The Bottom Line" (a sonnet sequence) is considered one of his hallmark works.
- Died suddenly over the 2012 Christmas period.