-
Edition 1 (1922) Nominee
-
Edition 5 (1926) Nominee
-
Edition 13 (1934) Nominee
Padraic Colum
パドレイグ・コラム
Padraic Colum
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1881-12-08 (Columcille (workhouse), County Longford, Ireland)
- Died
- 1972-01-11 (Enfield, Connecticut, United States) age 90
- Nationality
- Irish
- Languages
- English, Irish (Gaelic)
- Residence History
- Glasthule (near Dublin) → Donnybrook, Dublin → Howth → Paris, Nice (1930–1933) → New York, United States → Enfield, Connecticut, United States (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, children's author, collector of folklore, screenwriter, editor, teacher
- Active Years
- 1902-1958
- Affiliations
- Gaelic League, Abbey Theatre (early board member), Columbia University (teaching/affiliation), City College of New York (teaching/affiliation)
- Memberships
- Gaelic League
- Influenced By
- W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, Æ (George William Russell), James Joyce (friend and collaborator)
- Influenced
- writers of children's literature and retold folktales
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University College Dublin | — | — | — | — | Ireland |
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Regina Medal | — | — | Catholic Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1902 | Prize from Cumann na nGaedheal (drama) | The Saxon Shillin' | — | Cumann na nGaedheal | 受賞(演劇) |
| — | Newbery Honor (retrospective citation) | — | — | American Library Association | 栄誉賞(追認) |
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Saxon Shillin'
1902 playAn anti-enlistment play reflecting Colum's early political and dramatic engagement.
The King of Ireland's Son
1916 children's literature / folktale retellingAn extended retelling of an Irish folktale for children, illustrated in collaboration with Willy Pogany.
The Children's Homer (The Adventures of Odysseus)
1918 children's retelling of classical literatureA child-friendly retelling of Homeric epics, presenting adventures like those of Odysseus in accessible form.
The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles
1921 children's retelling of mythsA simplified retelling of the Golden Fleece legend and related heroic tales for young readers.
The Big Tree of Bunlahy: Stories of My Own Countryside
1933 children's stories / local talesA collection of childhood and countryside tales based on Colum's own upbringing, illustrated by Jack Yeats.
The Flying Swans
1957 novelOne of Colum's later novels, containing mythic and allegorical elements.
Our Friend James Joyce
1958 memoir / biographyA memoir co-authored with his wife Mary, recounting friendship and collaborations with James Joyce.
Hansel and Gretel (screenplay)
1954 screenplay / filmScreenplay for the 1954 stop-motion film 'Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy'; Colum's only known screenplay.
- [film (stop-motion)] Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy (1954)
Bibliography
- The Saxon Shillin' (1902)
- Broken Sail / The Fiddlers' House (1903)
- The Land (1905)
- Wild Earth (1907)
- The King of Ireland's Son (1916)
- The Children's Homer (1918)
- The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles (1921)
- Castle Conquer (1923)
- The Big Tree of Bunlahy (1933)
- The Flying Swans (1957)
- Our Friend James Joyce (1958)
Adaptations
- Hansel and Gretel (1954 film; screenplay)
- Padraic Colum Reading His Irish Tales and Poems (1965 album)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- style associated with the Irish Literary Revivalfaithful retellings of folk and oral traditionssimplified retellings of classical literature for children
- Recurring Motifs
- Irish folklore and mythsea and coastal settingschildhood and nostalgiaheroic tales and magic
Legacy
Padraic Colum was a significant figure of the Irish Literary Revival, known especially for his retellings of folktales and classics for children. His papers are held in several archives in the US and Ireland, and he left a lasting influence on children's literature and folklore studies.
Academic Societies
- Gaelic League
Archives
- Binghamton University Libraries (Padraic and Mary Colum Collection)
- Dublin City University (Padraic Colum Collection)
- Harry Ransom Center (Padraic Colum Collection)
- University of Delaware (Padraic Colum Collection)
- University of Pennsylvania (Padraic Colum Plays Collection)
In Popular Culture
- Works frequently anthologized in children's literature and folktale collections
- Noted for having claimed authorship of words for the song 'She Moved Through the Fair'
Quotes
-
The last name is the same as the word 'column.' In my first name, the first 'a' has the sound of 'au.'
Source: The Literary Digest (on pronunciation) (1936)
Trivia
- Born Patrick Columb; later known as Padraic Colum.
- In 1965 he sold notebooks, manuscripts and letters from his apartments in New York and Dublin to Binghamton University Libraries.
- Three of his children's books received retrospective Newbery Honor citations (specific years vary by source).
- Wrote the screenplay for the 1954 stop-motion film 'Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy' — his only known screenplay.
- Married to Mary Colum; they co-authored 'Our Friend James Joyce'.