John Broderick (writer) facts for kids

John Broderick (born Athlone, Ireland, 1924 - died Bath, England, 1989) was an Irish writer who wrote many novels. He is known for his stories that often explored life in Ireland.

Biography

Early Life and Education

John Broderick was born in Athlone, Ireland, in 1924. His family owned a bakery, which was a successful business. When he was three years old, his father passed away.

John first went to the Marist Brothers' School. At age 12, in 1936, his mother remarried the bakery manager. John was then sent to board at St Joseph's College, Garbally, Ballinasloe. He left school in 1941 without taking his final exams. People expected him to take over the family bakery, but John always wanted to be a writer.

Writing Career and Life Abroad

From 1951, John lived for some time in Paris, France. There, he met many French writers and writers from other countries. These included Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, and James Baldwin. A very important friend and mentor to him was Julien Green. Green was a respected French novelist and diarist. He visited John in Athlone in 1974 and 1975.

John lived most of his life in Athlone, Ireland. He lived with his mother until she died in 1974. He then lived alone until he moved to Bath, England, in 1981. He passed away in Bath in 1989.

Journalism and First Novel

In 1956, The Irish Times newspaper published a travel article by John. In the same year, the paper also published his first book review. He continued to review many books and write articles for The Irish Times and Hibernia magazine until shortly before his death.

His first novel, The Pilgrimage (1961), was not allowed to be sold in Ireland by the Irish Censorship Board. This board decided which books could be published. In 1968, John Broderick became a member of the Irish Academy of Letters. In 1975, he received the Academy's Annual Award for Literature. The Westmeath County Library has a collection of his writings and other materials.

Books

John Broderick wrote many novels. Here are some of them:

• The Pilgrimage (1961). This book was banned in Ireland. It was published in the United States as The Chameleons. It was also published in France.
• The Fugitives (1962).
• Don Juaneen (1963).
• The Waking of Willie Ryan (1965).
• An Apology for Roses (1973).
• The Pride of Summer (1976).
• London Irish (1979).
• The Trial of Father Dillingham (1982). This book was first published in France in 1974.
• A Prayer for Fair Weather (1984).
• The Rose Tree (1985).
• The Flood (1987).
• The Irish Magdalen (1991). This book was published after he died.

Memorials

Since 1999, John Broderick has been remembered in several ways:

• The Athlone Town Council named a street "John Broderick Street" after him.
• The John Broderick Committee helped publish a book about his life and works called Something in the Head. They also helped republish two of his novels, The Pilgrimage and The Waking of Willie Ryan.
• In 2007, another book called Stimulus of Sin was published. It included some of John Broderick's non-fiction writings and some stories that had not been published before.
• Literary events and weekends are sometimes organized to keep his memory alive.