William Wall (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Wall
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| Born | 6 July 1955 Cork City, Ireland |
| Occupation | Novelist, poet |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
| Notable works | This Is The Country, Alice Falling, No Paradiso, Mathematics & Other Poems |
William "Bill" Wall (born 6 July 1955) is a well-known Irish writer. He writes novels, poems, and short stories.
Contents
About William Wall's Early Life and Education
William Wall was born in Cork city, Ireland, in 1955. He grew up in a small village by the sea called Whitegate. He went to school at the Christian Brothers School in Midleton. After that, he studied Philosophy and English at University College Cork.
William Wall's Writing Career
William Wall has written many books. He has published seven novels, five collections of poems, and three books of short stories. For many years, he taught English at Presentation Brothers College, Cork. He even inspired the famous actor Cillian Murphy to try acting!
Awards and First Books
In 1997, William Wall won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for his poetry. That same year, he published his first book of poems. His first novel, Alice Falling, came out in 2000. It was a story about power and difficult situations in Ireland.
In 2005, his novel This Is The Country was released. This book looked at politics in Ireland during a time called the "Celtic Tiger" period, when the country's economy grew very fast. The book was considered for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was also nominated for the Irish Book Awards.
Later Works and International Recognition
In 2006, William Wall published his first collection of short stories, called No Paradiso. Later, in 2017, he made history by becoming the first European writer to win the Drue Heinz Literature Prize. This was a big achievement for him!
His seventh novel came out in Italian first in 2022, called La Ballata Del Letto Vuoto. The English version, Empty Bed Blues, was published in 2023. His next novel also came out in Italian first in 2024.
William Wall also writes a blog called The Ice Moon. On his blog, he shares his thoughts on current events and reviews books and movies. His writings have been translated into many different languages, so people all over the world can read his work. In 2010, he was one of the Irish writers who attended the European Writers Conference in Istanbul.
William Wall's Personal Life
William Wall has a health condition called Still's disease, which can make it hard to move. To help him write, he uses special computer programs that turn his speech into text. He has said that using these programs is like "a battle between me and the software" to keep writing.
