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John Banville
Banville in 2019
Banville in 2019
Born (1945-12-08) 8 December 1945 (age 79)
Wexford, Ireland
Pen name Benjamin Black
B. W. Black
Occupation Novelist
Screenwriter
Language Hiberno-English
Alma mater St Peter's College, Wexford
Subjects Acting, mathematics, mythology, painting, science
Years active 1970s—present
Notable works Doctor Copernicus
Kepler
The Newton Letter
The Book of Evidence
Ghosts
Athena
The Untouchable
Eclipse
Shroud
The Sea
The Infinities
Ancient Light
Notable awards James Tait Black Memorial Prize
1976
Booker Prize
2005
Franz Kafka Prize
2011
Austrian State Prize for European Literature
2013
Prince of Asturias Award for Literature
2014
StellaItalia-Cav.png Ordine della Stella d'Italia
2017
Spouse Janet Dunham (div.)
Children 4

William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is a famous Irish novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He is known for his unique writing style. Many people compare his writing to famous authors like Marcel Proust and Vladimir Nabokov. However, Banville himself says that W. B. Yeats and Henry James are his biggest inspirations.

John Banville has won many important awards for his books. These include the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1976 and the Booker Prize in 2005. He also received the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011 and the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature in 2014. In 2017, Italy even made him a Cavaliere of the Order of the Star of Italy, which is like being given a knighthood. He is a respected member of the literary world.

Banville was born and grew up in Wexford, a town in the southeast of Ireland. He published his first novel, Nightspawn, in 1971. He has written many books, including a series called "The Revolutions Trilogy," which features scientists like Copernicus and Kepler. He also writes popular crime novels under the name Benjamin Black. These books often feature a character named Quirke, a pathologist in 1950s Dublin.

Early Life and Career

Growing Up in Wexford

William John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland. His parents were Agnes and Martin Banville. He is the youngest of three children. His older brother, Vincent, is also a novelist. His sister, Anne Veronica "Vonnie" Banville-Evans, has written children's books and a memoir about their childhood. When he was a teenager, Banville once borrowed a collection of Dylan Thomas's poetry from the local library.

Education and Early Jobs

Banville went to a Christian Brothers school and St Peter's College, Wexford. Even though he thought about becoming a painter or an architect, he did not go to university. He later said that not going to college was "a great mistake" because he missed out on the social experiences. However, he also felt that university might have made him less daring as a young writer.

After school, Banville worked as a clerk for Aer Lingus, an airline. This job allowed him to travel cheaply to places like Greece and Italy. When he returned to Ireland, he started working as a sub-editor at The Irish Press newspaper. He eventually became the chief sub-editor. Later, he moved to The Irish Times and became its literary editor in 1998. He left The Irish Times in 2001.

Personal Life

John Banville has two sons from his marriage to Janet Dunham, an American artist. He also has two daughters from another relationship. Banville does not eat meat. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

Writing Style and Themes

How Banville Writes

Banville is known for his beautiful and carefully crafted writing. Critics often call him a master of the English language. He uses dark humor and sharp wit in his stories. He has said that he tries to mix poetry and fiction to create a new kind of writing. He writes in the Hiberno-English dialect, which is the English spoken in Ireland.

Banville is very critical of his own work. He has said that he "hates them all" and finds his books embarrassing. He prefers to always look forward and try to improve his writing. He also does not read reviews of his books because he believes he already knows their flaws better than anyone else.

A Day in the Life of a Writer

Banville's typical writing day starts with a drive from his home in Dublin to his office by the river. He writes from 9 a.m. until lunchtime. For lunch, he usually eats bread, cheese, and tea. He then continues writing until 6 p.m. before returning home. He works at two desks that are at right angles to each other. One desk faces a wall, and the other faces a window that he never cleans. He often compares writing to being an athlete, saying that you have to perform at your best for many hours each day, which can be very tiring.

Literary Influences

Banville has mentioned that he liked Vladimir Nabokov's writing style. He also said that he imitated James Joyce when he was younger. However, he places himself more in the camp of Samuel Beckett. He considers Henry James and W. B. Yeats to be the two main influences on his work.

His Books

Early Novels and Trilogies

Banville's first book was a collection of short stories called Long Lankin, published in 1970. His first novel, Nightspawn, came out in 1971. He has written several trilogies, which are sets of three books.

  • The Revolutions Trilogy: This series focuses on famous scientists. It includes Doctor Copernicus (1976), Kepler (1981), and The Newton Letter (1982). Banville became interested in these scientists after reading a book called The Sleepwalkers. He realized that scientists, like writers, try to bring order to their work.
  • The Frames Trilogy: This trilogy includes The Book of Evidence (1989), Ghosts (1993), and Athena (1995). These books often feature characters who tell their stories in an unreliable way and explore the power of art.
  • The Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy: This series follows the characters Alexander and Cass Cleave. It includes Eclipse (2000), Shroud (2002), and Ancient Light (2012).

His novel The Sea won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2005.

Crime Novels as Benjamin Black

Since 2006, Banville has also written popular crime fiction novels under the pen name Benjamin Black. He writes these books much faster than his literary novels. He sees his work as Benjamin Black as a "craft," while his work as John Banville is "art."

Most of his Benjamin Black novels feature a main character named Quirke, a pathologist in Dublin in the 1950s. Some of these books, like Christine Falls (2006), The Silver Swan (2007), and Elegy for April (2011), were even made into a TV show called Quirke. More recent Quirke novels, such as April in Spain (2021), The Lock-Up (2023), and The Drowned (2024), have been published under Banville's own name.

He also wrote an alternative history crime novel called The Secret Guests (2020) under the name B. W. Black. This book imagines a scenario where young British princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were sent to Ireland for safety during World War II.

Views and Interests

Admiration for Women

Banville has often spoken about his respect and admiration for women. He supports women's rights and has welcomed the changes in Ireland that have given women more freedom and opportunities. He believes that men and women are simply "people" and has a special talent for writing about female characters.

He has praised other female writers, like Edna O'Brien, calling her "one of the most sophisticated writers now at work." He also worked on a screenplay for a novel by Elizabeth Bowen, another important writer.

Thoughts on Animals

Banville cares deeply about animals. He had a Labrador dog named Ben who lived for 11 years and passed away in 1980. Decades later, Banville still thinks of Ben as a "lost friend."

In 2017, he spoke on a radio show about the use of animals in scientific research at Trinity College Dublin. He called the practice "absolutely disgraceful" and questioned why scientists don't volunteer for experiments themselves if they believe animals don't suffer. He even got famous novelist J. M. Coetzee to write a letter of protest to The Irish Times about it. Banville rarely uses his public voice for protests, but this issue was very important to him.

Awards and Honors

John Banville has received many awards throughout his career, recognizing his contributions to literature.

Winning the Booker Prize

Literaktum John Banville (24741154858)
Banville in Spain in 2017

The Booker Prize is one of the most important awards for English-language novels. Banville was first shortlisted for the prize in 1989 for his novel The Book of Evidence. He joked that a friend told him to bet on the other books on the shortlist. That way, if he won, he'd get the prize money, and if he lost, he'd win money from his bet.

He was shortlisted again in 2005 for his novel The Sea. The judges were split between Banville and another author, Kazuo Ishiguro. The chairman of the judges, John Sutherland, cast the deciding vote in favor of Banville. Banville later said he was surprised to win because he had criticized another author's book earlier that year, and the chairman of the judges had defended it.

When the Booker Prize rules changed to allow American writers to enter, Banville initially welcomed it. However, he later felt that the prize lost its special quality and wished it would go back to its original rules.

The Franz Kafka Prize

In 2011, Banville received the Franz Kafka Prize. This award is named after the famous writer Franz Kafka. Banville said it was "one of the ones one really wants to get" and that he had been interested in Kafka's work since he was a teenager.

Nobel Prize Hoax

In 2019, John Banville experienced a strange event. On the day the Nobel Prize in Literature was to be announced, he received a phone call from someone pretending to be a representative of the Swedish Academy, telling him he had won the Nobel Prize. He was even asked if he preferred to be named the 2018 or 2019 winner.

Banville was at a physical therapy appointment when he got the call. He told his daughter the exciting news. However, when the official announcement was made, his name was not mentioned. He then had to call everyone he had told to say it was a mistake.

Later, the person who made the hoax call left a voicemail claiming the prize was withdrawn due to a disagreement. Banville realized it was a trick when he compared the caller's voice to the real representative's voice. He believes the hoax was meant to cause trouble for the Swedish Academy, not specifically for him. Despite the disappointment, Banville handled the situation with grace and even found some humor in it.

Works

  • Nightspawn (1971)
  • Birchwood (1973)
  • The Revolutions Trilogy:
    • Doctor Copernicus (1976)
    • Kepler (1981)
    • The Newton Letter (1982)
  • Mefisto (1986)
  • The Frames Trilogy
    • The Book of Evidence (1989)
    • Ghosts (1993)
    • Athena (1995)
  • The Untouchable (1997)
  • The Alexander and Cass Cleave Trilogy
    • Eclipse (2000)
    • Shroud (2002)
    • Ancient Light (2012)
  • The Sea (2005)
  • The Infinities (2009)
  • The Blue Guitar (2015)
  • Mrs Osmond (2017)
  • Snow (2020)
  • The Secret Guests (2020)
  • April in Spain (2021)
  • The Singularities (2022)
  • The Lock-up (2023)
  • The Drowned (2024)

Images for kids

  • StellaItalia-Cav

    Order of the Star of Italy medal

See also

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