UCC’s English Department, in association with Anglo Irish Bank, have instituted an annual lecture on fiction to be delivered by distinguished writers and critics.The inaugural lecture, open to the public, will be given by the American novelist, Richard Ford on Tuesday, November 13th in UCC.

Born Michael O’Donovan in Cork City on September 17th 1903, he wrote under the pen name Frank O’Connor, and describes his Cork childhood in the first volume of his autobiography An Only Child. He became a director of the Abbey Theatre alongside WB Yeats and wrote more than two hundred memorable stories.  His collected works also include journalism, two novels, several plays, poetry, translations, literary and cultural criticism.  His books have been translated into many languages and are read worldwide.

Speaking at the launch of the lecture series, Professor Colbert Kearney of the English Department, UCC said: “We are delighted that the inaugural lecturer will be Richard Ford, arguably the outstanding contemporary writer of fiction in English”. Richard Ford was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, Independence Day, the second of a trilogy which opened with The Sportswriter and concluded this year with The Lay of the Land.  Among his many awards was an honorary degree from the National University of Ireland.  He has long been an admirer and champion of Frank O’Conor and a supporter of the annual Frank O’Connor Award for the best collection of short stories.  In his lecture on November 13th, Richard Ford will talk about the experiences that led him to becoming a writer, including his delight in the story-telling of Frank O’Connor.

Earlier this year, UCC launched the ‘Frank O’Connor Web Pages’, a specially commissioned resource celebrating the work and life of the writer (www.frankoconnor.ie)

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