Roddy Doyle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roddy Doyle
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Doyle in c. 2006
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| Born | Roderick Doyle 8 May 1958 Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Novelist, dramatist, short story writer, screenwriter, teacher |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Subject | Working-class Dublin |
| Notable works | The Barrytown Trilogy, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, The Woman Who Walked into Doors, A Star Called Henry |
| Spouse |
Belinda Moller (m. 1989)
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| Children | 3 |
Roderick Doyle (born on May 8, 1958) is a famous Irish writer. He writes novels, plays, and movie scripts. Roddy Doyle has written many books for both adults and children. Some of his books have even been turned into popular movies.
His stories often take place in Ireland, especially in Dublin. He is known for using lots of real-sounding conversations and Irish slang in his writing. In 1993, Roddy Doyle won the important Booker Prize for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.
Contents
About Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle was born in Dublin, Ireland. He grew up in an area called Kilbarrack. His mother, Ita, was a cousin of another writer named Maeve Brennan.
Education and Early Career
Roddy Doyle went to University College Dublin. There, he studied English and geography. He earned his degree in 1979. After that, he got a special diploma to become a teacher. For several years, he taught English and geography. In 1993, he decided to become a full-time writer.
Helping Young Writers
In 2009, Roddy Doyle helped start a creative writing center in Dublin. It is called "Fighting Words." He got the idea after visiting a similar project in San Francisco. This center helps young people learn how to write their own stories.
Family Life
In 1989, Roddy Doyle married Belinda Moller. Belinda is the granddaughter of a former Irish President, Erskine Hamilton Childers. Roddy and Belinda have three children: Rory, Jack, and Kate.
Roddy Doyle's Writing Style
Roddy Doyle's books are known for having lots of conversations between characters. He doesn't use many long descriptions. His stories are mostly set in Ireland, focusing on the lives of working-class people in Dublin. He writes about everyday family life, but also about bigger topics in Irish history. You can find his original notes and workbooks at the National Library of Ireland.
Novels for Adults
Roddy Doyle wrote a popular series of three novels called The Barrytown Trilogy. These books are about the Rabbitte family. The first one is The Commitments (1987), followed by The Snapper (1990), and The Van (1991). All three of these books were made into successful movies.
- The Commitments is about a group of Dublin teenagers who start a soul music band. It was made into a movie in 1991.
- The Snapper is about Jimmy's sister, Sharon, who gets pregnant. This book was made into a movie in 1993.
- The Van was considered for the 1991 Booker Prize and became a movie in 1996.
In 1993, Doyle published Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. This book won the 1993 Booker Prize. It tells the story of the world through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy in Dublin in 1968.
Doyle also wrote The Woman Who Walked into Doors (1996). This book tells the story of a woman named Paula Spencer who faces difficult situations at home. Ten years later, her story continued in Paula Spencer (2006).
His more recent series for adults is called The Last Roundup. It follows a character named Henry Smart through many years.
- A Star Called Henry (1999) is the first book. It tells about Henry Smart's life, from being born in Dublin to becoming a father and a fighter in the 1916 Easter Rebellion.
- Oh, Play That Thing! (2004) continues Henry's adventures in America in 1924. He meets famous people like Louis Armstrong.
- In the last book, The Dead Republic (2010), Henry helps write a Hollywood movie script. He later returns to Ireland.
Roddy Doyle often shares short, funny conversations on his Facebook page. These conversations are usually between two older men in a pub, talking about current events. These became a short book called Two Pints (2012). Other recent books include The Guts (2013), which continues the story of Jimmy Rabbitte from the Barrytown Trilogy, and Two More Pints (2014).
Novels for Children
Roddy Doyle has written many books especially for children. He wrote the "Rover Adventures" series, which includes:
- The Giggler Treatment (2000)
- Rover Saves Christmas (2001)
- The Meanwhile Adventures (2004)
Other children's books by him are:
- Wilderness (2007)
- Her Mother's Face (2008)
- A Greyhound of a Girl (2011)
Plays, Screenplays, and Short Stories
Roddy Doyle has also written many plays and screenplays (scripts for movies or TV shows).
- His plays include Brownbread (1987) and War (1989). He also wrote a play based on his novel The Woman Who Walked into Doors (2003).
- He wrote the TV screenplay for Family (1994), which was a TV series.
- He also wrote the movie script for When Brendan Met Trudy (2000), a romantic comedy about a shy teacher and a free-spirited thief.
Doyle has written many short stories. Some of them have been published in The New Yorker magazine. These stories have also been collected into books like The Deportees and Other Stories (2007) and Bullfighting (2011). His short story "New Boy" was made into a short film in 2008 that was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2002, he wrote a non-fiction book called Rory and Ita. This book is about his parents and is based on interviews he did with them.
His novel The Commitments was turned into a musical by Roddy Doyle himself. It started showing in London's West End in 2013.
In 2017, his play Two Pints was performed in pubs and later in a theater. In 2018, the Gate Theatre asked him to adapt The Snapper for the stage, which was very popular.
Awards and Achievements
Roddy Doyle has received many awards for his writing:
- 1991: Shortlisted for the Booker Prize for The Van
- 1991: Won a BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Commitments
- 1993: Won the Booker Prize for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
- 2003: Became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- 2009: Received the Irish PEN Award
- 2011: Won the French Literary Award ("Prix Littéraire des Jeunes Européens") for The Snapper
- 2013: Won the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards (Novel of the Year) for The Guts
- 2015: Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from University of Dundee
- 2021: Shortlisted for the Dalkey Literary Awards
See also
In Spanish: Roddy Doyle para niños
