Desmond Egan facts for kids
Desmond Egan (born 15 July 1936) is a famous Irish poet. He was born in Athlone, County Westmeath. He has written many books of poetry, around 24 collections! He also translated two ancient Greek plays, Philoctetes by Sophocles and Medea by Euripides.
Desmond Egan's poems have been translated into many languages around the world. These include Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Swedish, Chinese, Spanish, Slovenian, and Russian.
He started his own publishing company called The Goldsmith Press in 1972. He also edited an arts magazine called Era for ten years. Since 1987, he has been in charge of the Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival, which happens every July in Kildare, Ireland.
About His Life
Desmond Egan grew up in Athlone, in the middle of Ireland. His father was Thomas Egan, a businessman, and his mother was Kathleen Garland, a school teacher.
He went to St Finian's College in Mullingar for school. Then he studied at St Patrick's College, Maynooth (which is now Maynooth University) and University College Dublin. He earned his degrees in 1962 and 1965.
After college, he went back to his old school, St Finian's, to teach Greek. Later, he taught English at Newbridge College in County Kildare. He decided to live in Newbridge. In 1987, he stopped teaching to become a full-time writer.
Desmond Egan is married to another writer, Vivienne Abbot. They have two daughters named Kate and Bebhin. He is very good at speaking Irish. He can also speak and read French, German, and Spanish. He is also skilled in ancient Greek!
His Books and Poems
Desmond Egan has written many collections of poems. Some of his early works include Midland (1972) and Leaves (1974). He also chose poems for young people in a book called Poiemata (1972).
He translated important ancient Greek plays into English. These include Medea by Euripides (1991) and Philoctetes by Sophocles (1998). He also wrote essays, which are short pieces of writing about a topic. One of his essay collections is The Death of Metaphor (1990).
His poems often feature drawings or photographs by different artists. For example, Woodcutter (1978) had illustrations by Alberto Giacometti. Athlone? (1980) featured photos by Fergus Bourke.
Desmond Egan also created special "poster poems." These were poems designed to be printed on posters. Some of these include "Requiem" and "Needing the Sea."
Awards He Has Won
Desmond Egan has received many awards for his writing. Here are some of them:
- 1983: Stanford Poetry Award
- 1983: National Poetry Foundation of USA Award for his Collected Poems
- 1987: Chicago Haymarket Literary Award
- 1989: The Farrell Prize, New York
- 1996: Honorary D.Litt. (a special university degree) from Washburn University, Kansas, USA
- 1998: Bologna Literary Award, Italy
- 2001: Premio Anfiosso Literary Award, Italy
- 2004: Macedonia Literature Award
- 2005: Ouessant (France) International Literary Award
- 2010: Arpino (Italy): Il Libro di Pietra plaque
- 2012: Newbridge Town Culture Award
- 2015: Kildare County Council Literature Award
- 2015: IBAM, Irish Books and Media (Chicago) Award for Literature
His Work in the Literary World
Desmond Egan has held important positions in the world of literature.
- He is the founder and artistic director of The Gerard Manley Hopkins International Festival. He has led this festival since 1987.
- He was a judge for the Neustadt International Literature Award in 1999.
- He was also part of the Cultural Relations Committee for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs for several years.
- He served as the Honorary President of The Classical Society of Ireland.
He has traveled to many countries to read his poems and give talks. These places include the USA, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, China, and Sweden. He has also given many lectures and readings in Ireland.
