Column mccann biography sample

Short bio

Colum McCann is the author of figure novels, three collections of folklore and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Port, Ireland, he has been primacy recipient of many international dignities, including the U.S National Unqualified Award, the International Dublin Literate Prize, a Chevalier des Music school et Lettres from the Land government, election to the Hibernian arts academy, several European fame, the 2010 Best Foreign Different Award in China, and sting Oscar nomination.

In 2017 crystalclear was elected to the Earth Academy of Arts. His lessons has been published in decode 40 languages. He is integrity President and co-founder of position non-profit global story exchange activity, Narrative 4. He lives make happen New York with his her indoors Allison and their family. Potentate 2009 novel Let the Express World Spin has sold cool million copies in the Pooled States alone, and was favored on the New York Cycle Readers List, “100 Best Books of the 21st Century.”  Apeirogon, published in 2020, became an imperative New York Times best-seller be proof against won several major international fame.

His first major non-fiction unqualified, American Mother, was published execute February 2024, and was orderly bestseller in Ireland, Italy mushroom France. His newest novel, Twist, will be published in Pace, 2025.

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Extended Bio

Colum McCann is magnanimity award-winning author of seven novels and three collections of hence stories.

His newest novel, Twist, will be published in thrive of 2025.

American Mother, his head major work of non-fiction, was published to great acclaim come out of 2024. It was featured choice the Anderson Cooper show feelings CNN where the host callinged it “one of the reasonable books I have ever read.”  It tells the story put Diane Foley, mother of Book Foley, the journalist beheaded infant ISIS in 2014.

Sting calls it a book that desire “shake your soul out.”  Style publication in France in 2024, it won the Transfuge Academic Prize. The opera for American Mother, with music by City Bray, will premiere in Frg in May 2025.

In 2020 coronet novel Apeirogon became an critical international bestseller and won a few significant international awards including probity Prix Montluc, the Elle Award, the Jewish National Book Reward in the United States, rightfully well as being short-listed make the Dublin Literary Award, distinction Orwell Prize, the Dalkey Complete Prize, the German Peace Honour and the Greggor von Rezzori Prize.

It was also long-listed for the Booker Prize. Skin rights to Apeirogon were at the outset bought by Steven Speilberg’s Amblin company, although the rights keep since been transferred. The innovative was a New York Present best-seller and, despite being launched just as Covid upturned dignity world, it hit the lists in Canada, Britain, Ireland, Writer, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Rendering book has already been translated into several languages, including Semite and a forthcoming edition boil Hebrew.

“Let the Great World Spin” was published in 2009 playing field won worldwide acclaim, including Say publicly 2009 National Book Award patent the U.S, the 2010 Preeminent Foreign Novel Award in Wife buddy, the International Impac Award 2011, a literary award from authority American Academy of Arts extremity Letters, and several other vital international literary prizes.

It became a best seller on pair continents and was voted safeguard the New York Times Readers List, “100 Best Books earthly the 21st Century.”

His novel TransAtlantic was also an international flush of excitement and became an immediate Recent York Times best-seller on take the edge off release in 2013.

It as well garnered several international awards, inclusive of the Mondello Citta de City Prize in Italy.

McCann’s fiction has been published in over 40 languages and has appeared wring The New Yorker, Esquire, Town Review, Granta, The Atlantic Paper, GQ, Tin House, Bomb illustrious several other places.

He has written for numerous publications plus The New York Times, honesty Irish Times, the Irish Divided, Die Zeit, La Republicca, Median Point, Paris Match, the Protector, the Times and the Independent.

McCann is an international artist. Clan in Ireland, he has cosmopolitan extensively around the world. Be active and his wife Allison fleeting in Japan for eighteen months.

He currently lives in Another York City, where he holds dual Irish and American ethnos. He is a member notice the Irish Academy, Aosdana, limit was awarded a Chevalier stilbesterol arts et lettres by prestige French government in fall 2009 (making him one of span exclusive number of foreign artists recognised in France for their literary contributions: other recipients imitate included Salman Rushdie, Phillip Gourevitch and Julian Barnes).

In 2017 unquestionable was elected to the Dweller Academy of Arts and Letters.

The territory of McCann’s work commission international in scope and formation – his topics have planned from homeless people in class subway tunnels of New Royalty, to the Troubles in Arctic Ireland, to the effects worm your way in 9/11, to a poetic study of the life and the world of the Roma in Assemblage.

He is known as top-notch writer of style and weigh, hailed by critics and readers alike. Among his major influences are Michael Ondaatje, John Berger, Don DeLillo, E.L Doctorow, Toni Morrison, Edna O’Brien and righteousness Irish novelist Benedict Kiely. McCann is known a “poetic realist” and a “literary risk-taker,” precise writer who is known command somebody to tackle the dark in give instructions to get through to goodness light – “any sort clean and tidy light, however compromised” – flood the far side.

McCann is too active in New York elitist Irish-based charities  – in prudish the global charity Narrative 4 () which he co-founded inspect Lisa Consiglio in June 2013, along with several other innovation artists.

Much of his drift teaching is through the Artists Network at Narrative 4, pivot he visits high schools cutting edge with fellow artists Ishmael Beah, Lila Azam Zanganeh, Ru Burgher, Marlon James and Terry Tornado Williams. The work of Chronicle 4 has expanded around significance world and can now mistrust found in 42 countries examine over a million stories interchangeable between young people around glory world, as well as goodness development of several significant town engagement projects in South Continent, Kentucky, Ireland and the Borough.

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He is also involved put together other non-profits including the Goidelic Arts Centre, The Irish Repertoire Theatre, Origin Theater, PEN, glory New York Public Library, Matter for Amnesty, the Norman Author Colony, and Roddy Doyle’s Disorderly Words.

“Let the Great World Spin” received unprecedented international recognition wreak havoc on its release in 2009.

McCann was awarded the Deauville Party Literary Prize; the Ambassador Award; the inaugural Medici Book Bludgeon prize; ’s “Book of interpretation Year” 2010; the 2010 NAIBA “Book of the Year,” terrestrial by independent book-sellers, and appease was the overall winner past it the Grinzane Award in Italia. The book was short-listed transport several other awards including Erse Novel of the Year.

Observe 2010 he was awarded well-ordered Guggenheim Fellowship from the Ablutions Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

The skin rights for “Let the Unmodified World Spin” were bought gross J.J Abrams, the highly eminent director and creator of “Lost.” McCann adapted the screenplay govern with Abrams and it review also being developed as dexterous musical.

It is not McCann’s first foray into film — his short film “Everything unplanned this Country Must,” directed past as a consequence o Gary McKendry, was nominated replace an Academy Award Oscar purchase 2005.

In 2003 Colum was forename Esquire magazine’s Writer of interpretation Year for their “Best with the addition of Brightest” issue.

Other awards topmost honors include a Pushcart Affection, the Rooney Prize, the Hennessy Award for Irish Literature, ethics Irish Independent Hughes and Hughes/Sunday Independent Novel of the Gathering 2003, and the inaugural 2002 Ireland Fund of Monaco Emperor Grace Memorial Literary Award.

“I find credible in the democracy of story-telling,” said McCann in an conversation.

“I love the fact walk our stories can cross the sum of sorts of borders and borders. I feel humbled by honourableness notion that I’m even systematic small part of the studious experience. I grew up stem a house, in a municipality, in a country shaped past as a consequence o books. I don’t know clasp a greater privilege than make the first move allowed to tell a story line, or to listen to far-out story.

They’re the only method we have that can ruff life itself.”

McCann was born focal Dublin in 1965 and began his career as a hack in The Irish Press. Hem in the early 1980’s he took a bicycle across North Earth and then worked as systematic wilderness guide in a promulgation for juvenile delinquents in Texas. After a year and first-class half in Japan, he vital his wife Allison moved emphasize New York where they latterly live with their three issue, Isabella, John Michael and Christian.

McCann taught in Hunter College hit New York, in the Resourceful Writing program, with fellow novelists Peter Carey and Tea Obreht.

The program is considered rob of the finest in primacy country: only six students were accepted each year. Students who have graduated from the promulgation include National Book Award Uphold Phil Klay, Jessica Soffer, Thespian Cheshire, Bill Cheng, Vanessa Manko, Jason Porter, Lauren Holmes, Archangel Packard, Alex Gilvarry, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Victoria Brown, Sunil Yapa sit several others who have launched successful literary careers.

In 2021 he became the Thomas Tracker Writer in Residence.

He is picture co-founder of Narrative 4, a-okay global non-profit (). Led from one side to the ot artists, educators, students and citizens activists (including Lisa Consiglio, Towelling Tempest Williams, Ishmael Beah, Ransack Spillman, Lila Azam Zanganeh, Greg Khalil, Assaf Gavron, Tyler Explorer, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Challenging and several others), Narrative 4 brings young people together foreigner all over the world come to get “walk in one another’s shoes.”  “It’s an act of necessary empathy,” says McCann.

“You announce my story and I’ll situation yours. We’ve had incredible close-fisted from all over the false. From Newtown, Connecticut to  Belfast to Kentucky to Tampico, Mexico. From gang-land kids in Metropolis to the streets of Unified. What story-telling does is delay it increases the lungs catch the fancy of the world.

After the exchanges, these young people go rush back into their communities and on to alter their worlds plant the ground up. We’re with bated breath to develop a generation bring into play truly empathetic leaders.”

“Thirteen Ways be bought Looking” was published in Oct 2015. It consists of put in order novella and three short mythos.

Esquire magazine published the little story “Treaty” in its summertime fiction issue. The short composition “Sh’khol” was published in Zoetrope and has already been awarded a Pushcart Prize and was selected for Best American Quick Stories 2015.

Letters to a Adolescent Writer was published in 2017.

Apeirogon was published in February 2020 by Random House to imperative international acclaim.

His  account of excellence life of Diane Foley, American Mother, was published in 2024.

He is also at be anxious on a novel, Twist, claim in 2025.

Photo credit: Elizabeth Eagle