Liam Mac Cóil is an Irish language

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while othe ...

, a critic, and an essayist.

Career

Born in Dublin in 1952, Liam Mac Cóil lives in the

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

Ráth Cairn Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wal ...

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...

. Before becoming a full-time writer he worked for a time at An Coiste Téarmaíochta''.'' He is presently co-editor of the literary annual ''Bliainiris'' and director of the publishing house Carbad. He has written six novels as well as a writer's journal, '' Nótaí ón Lár'' (''Notes from the Centre''). Early in his career, he published two translations from the Welsh, ''Tiocfaidh Lá'' (original title: ''Daw Dydd,'' a selection of writings by Welsh-language activist Ffred Ffransis) and ''Saibhreas Chnoic Chaspair'' (''Trysor Bryniau Caspar'', a young-adult novel by John Selwyn Lloyd). In 2010 he published a work of personal reflections on the composer

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the Un ...

titled ''An Chláirseach agus an Choróin''. His work has also appeared in the publications

Comhar ''Comhar'' (; "partnership") is a prominent literary journal in the Irish language, published by the company Comhar Teoranta. It was founded in 1942, and has published work by some of the most notable writers in Irish, including Máirtín Ó Cadha ...

, Feasta and Aimsir Óg.

Awards and nominations

Mac Cóil's debut novel, ''An Dochtúir Áthas,'' was shortlisted for the Irish Times Literature Prize for Fiction in 1995, becoming the first Irish-language novel to be so recognised. His third novel, ''Fontenoy'', won the Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin (an annual prize for Irish-language books) in 2006.

Published novels

*''An Dochtúir Áthas (Doctor Joy)'', Leabhar Breac, 1995 *'' An Claíomh Solais'' (''The Sword of Light''), Leabhar Breac, 1998 *'' Fontenoy'', Leabhar Breac, 2005 *''

An Litir An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian a ...

'' (''The Letter''), Leabhar Breac, 2012 *''

I dTír Stráinséartha I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

'' (''In a Strange Land''), Leabhar Breac, 2014 *''

An Choill An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian a ...

(The Wood),'' Leabhar Breac'', 2016.'' *''

Bealach na Spáinneach A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migrat ...

(The Way of the Spanish)'' Leabhar Breac, 2020

Other published work

*''Tiocfaidh Lá'', Carbad, 1977 (translation of ''Daw Dydd'' by Ffred Ffransis) *''The Book of Blackrock'', Carraig Books, 1977 *''Saibhreas Chnoic Chaspair'',

An Gúm An Gúm (, "The Scheme") was an Irish state company tasked with the publication of Irish literature, especially educational materials. The agency is now part of Foras na Gaeilge.

, 1981 (translation of ''Trysor Bryniau Caspar'' by J. Selwyn Lloyd) *''Toirealach Ó Cearúlláin'', Leabhar Breac, 1999 *''Nótaí ón Lár'', Leabhar Breac, 2000 *''Bliainiris'', Carbad, 2000 -2007

Notes

External links

Leabhar Breac Publisher's Site

References

*Gaelchultúr Book Club, February 2013 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQ0a2o04LQ) {{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Coil, Liam Irish novelists Irish-language writers Living people 1952 births 20th-century Irish writers 21st-century Irish writers Writers from Dublin (city) People from County Meath Irish male novelists