Not an easy book to write, says Irish author Paul Lynch on his 2023 Booker Prize-winning novel
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rish novelist Paul Lynch, who won the acclaimed Booker Prize 2003 for his dystopian novel 'Prophet Song' has said that it was "not an easy book to write."
The novel, which is the author's fifth has received acclaim from critics and tells the tale of a tyrannical government. It entails a dystopian Irish society following protagonist Eilish Stack navigating her way through this new political landscape.
In a previous interview with the Booker Prize, he said that he began writing the novel shortly after his son Elliot had been born and finished it four years later.
"This was not an easy book to write, the rational part of me believed I was dooming my career by writing this novel though I had to write the book anyway we do not have a choice in such matters," the 26-year Limerick-born Lynch said in his acceptance speech on Sunday (local time).
The author who is proud of his Irish heritage continued, "it is with immense pleasure that I bring the booker home, to Ireland".
Lynch became the fifth Irish writer to win the prestigious award after Anna Burns was awarded in 2018 for her novel, 'Milkman'.
In an interview with 'Auraist' he said, "The book began in my mind with thoughts of Syria, but as the writing deepened, it became clear that I was crafting a novel that could speak at once to multiple political realities, past, present and future."
The Booker Prize is an award conferred annually to the best fictional novel written in the English language, published in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The event was broadcast live as a special episode of BBC Radio 4, with Queen Camilla hosting the Booker Prize Foundation reception.
Beyond the Sea, Grace, The Black Snow and Red Sky in Morning being predecessors to Lynch's recent novel.
While for 'Grace' Lynch won the 2018 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year and the 2020 Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors' Literary Award, his second novel, 'The Black Snow', won France's bookseller prize, Prix Libr'a Nous for Best Foreign Novel, The Booker Prize website reported.
The Booker jury consists of five authors, librarians, literary agents, publishers, and booksellersDuring his acceptance speech Lynch said, "I want to thank the Booker jury for reading so many books in such a short time". He also gave credit and thanks to numerous people who aided him with his book including his agent and children.
"All the children of this world who need our protection yet live and continue to live through the terrors depicted in this book, thank you for opening our eyes to innocence so that we may know the world again as though for the first time," Lynch said.
Chair of Judges, Esi Edugyan, described the winning book as 'soul-shattering and true', adding that readers 'will not soon forget its warnings'
Lynch said that inspiration for the book came from within, 'If you use what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you do not use what is within you, what is within you it will destroy you. My writing has saved me."
The auothor said that he began writing his book during COVID-19 and experienced various difficulties writing his book, including 'long-covid' however he is grateful for the achievement and acknowledgement and is pleased that his writing was recognised.
As well as recognition, Lynch will receive a 50,000-pound reward
Other books that made it to the shortlist of the award include, The Bee Sting, Western Lane, This Other Eden, If I Survive You, Study for Obedience.
✔️ Not an easy book to write, says Irish author Paul Lynch on his 2023 Booker Prize-winning novel
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