Gabriel Rosenstock facts for kids
Gabriel Rosenstock, born on September 29, 1949, is a famous Irish writer. He mostly writes in the Irish language. He is a member of Aosdána, which is a group of important Irish artists.
Gabriel is a poet, a writer of plays, and someone who writes haiku and tanka poems. He also writes essays. He has written or translated over 180 books, and most of them are in Irish. He was born in Kilfinane, County Limerick, and now lives in Dublin.
Contents
About Gabriel Rosenstock
His Family and Early Life
Gabriel Rosenstock's father, George, was a doctor and writer from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. His mother was a nurse from County Galway. Gabriel was the third of six children. He was the first of his siblings born in Ireland.
He went to school in Kilfinane and then in Mount Sackville, County Dublin. He later studied at University College Cork.
Family Connections
Gabriel's son, Tristan, is a member of a traditional Irish music group called Téada. His nephew, Mario Rosenstock, is a well-known actor and impressionist.
Gabriel Rosenstock's Work
Working with Words
Gabriel Rosenstock worked for a time on a TV show called Anois is Arís on RTÉ. He also worked for the weekly newspaper Anois. Before he retired, he worked with An Gúm. This is the part of Foras na Gaeilge that publishes books. Foras na Gaeilge is a group that helps promote the Irish language.
Even though he has written prose (like stories), plays, and done many translations, Gabriel Rosenstock is best known as a poet. He has written or translated more than 180 books.
Haiku and Translations
He has helped create and write books of haiku poems in Irish, English, Scots, and Japanese. He has translated many poems from around the world into Irish. Some of the poets he has translated include Seamus Heaney and Rabindranath Tagore. He has also translated plays by writers like Samuel Beckett and songs by artists such as Bob Dylan and Kate Bush.
In 2023, Gabriel translated the ancient Tamil text, Thirukkural, into the Irish language for the very first time.
Working with Photographers
Gabriel has worked with many photographers to create a new type of art called photo-haiku, or haiga. This combines pictures with short poems. He has worked with photographers like Ron Rosenstock and Debiprasad Mukherjee.
Writing for Young Readers
Gabriel also writes for children, both stories and poems. His book Haiku Más É Do Thoil É! won a special prize for children's books in 2015. In 2023, he received the Annual Children’s Books Ireland Award. This award recognized his amazing work and contribution to children's books.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Gabriel Rosenstock has received many awards and honors for his work:
- He is a member of Aosdána, which is like an academy for arts and letters in Ireland.
- He was named Laoch Lorcáin in 2024.
- He is a Lineage Holder of Celtic Buddhism.
- He used to be the Chairman of Poetry Ireland.
- He is a Corresponding Member of the Hellenic Authors' Society.
- He is a member of the Board of Advisors to Poetry India.
- He received the Tamgha-I-Khidmat medal from Pakistan for his work in literature.
- He is an Honorary Life Member of the Irish Translators and Interpreters Association.
- He has taught haiku at the Poetry Academy in Vienna and at the Hyderabad Literary Festival.
Selected Works
Poetry Books
Gabriel Rosenstock has written many poetry books, some in Irish and some in both Irish and English.
- Susanne sa seomra folctha (1973)
- Méaram (1981)
- Om (1983)
- Nihil Obstat (1984)
- Oráistí (1991)
- Ní mian léi an fhilíocht níos mó (1993)
- Rogha Rosenstock (1994)
- Syójó (2001)
- Forgotten Whispers / Cogair dhearúdta (2003) – This book features haiku poems with photos by John Minihan.
- Bliain an Bhandé/ Year of the Goddess (2007)
- Margadh na Míol in Valparaíso/ The Flea Market in Valparaíso (2014)
- Cuach ó Aois Eile ag Glaoch (2014)
- Sasquatch (2014)
- EVERY NIGHT I SEND YOU FLOWERS (2020) – This book has tanka poems in Irish and English.
- The Road to Corrymore / Bóthar an Choire Mhóir (2021)
- Mo Shaol Mar Scannán / My Life As A Film – A long poem about movies.
- Drops of Water (2023) – Haiku poems in English, Irish, and Scots.
Essays and Criticism
He has also written books with essays and thoughts on literature:
- Ólann mo mhiúil as an nGainséis (My mule drinks from the Ganges) (2003)
- Éist leis an gCruinne (2014)
- A Doorstopper Anthology: Bone and Marrow. (online)
Poetry in English
Some of his poetry books are written in English:
- Portrait of the Artist as an Abominable Snowman (1989)
- Forgotten Whispers (2003) – With John Minihan.
- Hymn to the Earth (2004) – Poems with photos by Ron Rosenstock.
- Uttering Her Name (2010)
- The Invisible Light (2012) – Poems with photos by Ron Rosenstock.
- Where Light Begins (2012) – A selection of haiku.
- I Met a Man from Artikelly: Verse for the young and young at heart (2013) – Poems for young people.
- Fluttering their way into my head: An exploration of Haiku for young people (2013) – A book about haiku for young people.
Novel in Irish
- Lacertidae (1994) – A short novel.
Children's Books
Gabriel Rosenstock has written many books of poetry that are great for children. You can find a small selection of them online.
- Free Kids Books [1]
Translations by Gabriel Rosenstock
He has translated many works into Irish:
- March hare (1994) – Short stories by Pádraic Breathnach.
- Full Moon: Ré Lán (2010) – Haiku poems by Nepalese poet Janak Sapkota.
- Whisper of Pines: Cogar na nGiúiseanna (2012) – More haiku by Janak Sapkota.
- An Thirukkural as Gaeilge (2023) – His translation of the Thirukkural into Irish.
Other Books in English
- The Wasp in the Mug: Unforgettable Irish Proverbs (1993)
- Haiku Enlightenment (2005) – An essay.
- Haiku, the Gentle Art of Disappearing (2005)
- The Pleasantries of Krishnamurphy (2011)
- My Head is Missing (2012) – A detective novel.
- The Partisan and other stories (2014)
DVD and Recorded Media
- The Light Within – A DVD with poetry, photography, and music.
- Video readings in the Irish Poetry Reading Archive at University College Dublin.
- Haiku as Gaeilge – Recorded media.
Textbooks
- Beginner's Irish (2005) – A textbook to help people learn Irish.
