William Wall (writer) facts for kids

William "Bill" Wall (born on July 6, 1955) is a well-known Irish writer. He writes novels, poems, and short stories.

Early Life and School

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. Later, he studied Philosophy and English at University College Cork.

Writing Career and Achievements

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 start acting!

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 explored themes of power in modern Ireland.

In 2005, his novel This Is The Country was published. This book looked at politics in Ireland during a time of fast economic growth. It was considered for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was also a finalist for the Irish Book Awards. The book talks about how money and power can sometimes lead to problems. It also shows how a young person grows up and learns about the world.

William Wall's second collection of poetry, Fahrenheit Says Nothing To Me, also touches on political ideas. In 2006, he released his first collection of short stories, called No Paradiso. In 2017, he made history by becoming the first European writer to win the Drue Heinz Literature Prize.

His seventh novel was first published in Italian in 2022 as "La Ballata Del Letto Vuoto." The English version, "Empty Bed Blues," came out in 2023. He said that publishing it first in Italian was an interesting "experiment." His next novel also came out first in Italian in May 2024, titled "Ti ricordi Mattie Lantry?".

William Wall also writes a blog called The Ice Moon. On his blog, he often shares his thoughts on the Irish government's economic decisions. He also reviews books and movies, especially those with a focus on social issues. His writings have been translated into several languages, meaning 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.

Personal Life and Health

William Wall has a long-term health condition called Still's disease. This condition can make it hard to move. He has talked about how he uses special computer programs that turn his speech into text to help him write. He calls this process "a battle between me and the software."