This month our book club features on Ireland AM’s book club slot discussing Sebastian Barry’s On Canaan’s Side. We were delighted to participate, and despite the nerves and sleepless nights, we survived the experience! Thanks to Marie, Sheila and Emer for being brave enough to take part, and thanks to TV3 for inviting us in the first place.

To catch up on the discussion, click on this link -

http://www.tv3.ie/videos.php?video=39003&locID=1.65.74.155

A surprise victory for Howard Jacobson last night beating off strong favourites, Tom McCarthy’s C and Emma Donoghue’s Room, to win The Man Booker Prize for his 11th novel, The Finkler Question. Chair of Judges Andrew Motion said,

It won because it was the best book. You expect a book by Howard Jacobson to be very clever and very funny and it is both those things. But it is also, in a very interesting way, a very sad, melancholic book. It is comic, it is laughter, but it is laughter in the dark…. a book for grownups, for people who understand that comedy and tragedy are linked.”

Jacobson jested that he would use the £50,000 prize money to buy a new handbag for his wife, and that he would rather be described as a “Jewish Jane Austen than an English Philp Roth.” Of The Man Booker prize he said,

I think that that’s terribly, terribly important that there is still a prize for books that are proper books in an age when we are swimming in a sea of improper books.”

The Company of Books are proud to sponsor John Banville’s appearance as part of the 2010 Ranelagh Arts Festival. John Banville will discuss his writing with arts broadcaster and playwright Vincent Woods on Wednesday 29 September. Banville, whose novels include The Booker winning The Sea, Shroud, The Book of Evidence and The Inifinties, also writes as crime novelist Benjamin Black.

Elegy for April, due to be published in October, is the much anticipated third Quirke crime offering. We are delighted to announce that we will have advance copies of Elegy for April, along with other Banville titles, available to purchase on the night for signing by the author.

Tickets are available from the Ranelagh Arts Office, 26 Ranelagh, priced 8 euro or online at http://www.ranelagharts.org/2010_tickets.php. The event starts at 8pm at the Sandford Park School, Sandford Rd, Ranelagh. Please note the school requests that stiletto heels should not be worn. If you would like to reserve your copy of Elegy for April please drop in to the bookshop or call us on 4975413.

The Booker Shortlist has been announced and as always includes some surprises. Congratulations to Irish novelist, Emma Donoghue, who made the shortlist with her novel Room. The six books chosen are:

1. Room by Emma Donoghue
2. In A Strange Room by Damon Galgut
3. Parrot And Olivier in America by Peter Carey
4. The Long Song by Andrea Levy
5. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobsen
6. C by Tom McCarthy

Chair of Judges, Andrew Motion said - 

We feel sure we’ve chosen books which demonstrate a rich variety of styles and themes – while in every case providing deep individual pleasures.”

The Booker winner will be announced on Tuesday 12 October and will receive a prize of £50,000.

Two Irish writers, Emma Donoghue and Paul Murray, are featured in this year’s Booker longlist -

1. Room by Emma Donoghue
2. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray
3. Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey
4. The Long Song by Andrea Levy
5. The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore
6. C by Tom McCarthy
7. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
8. February by Lisa Moore
9. Trespass by Rose Tremain
10. In A Strange Room by Damon Galgut
11. The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
12. The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
13. The Stars in the Bright Sky by Alan Warner

The shortlist will be announced on 7 September and the winner 12 October.

Poet Anthony Cronin will read from his new collection The Fall at Scoil Bhride tomorrow, Wednesday 14th July at 8.15pm. ‘An Evening of Poetry and Music’ has been organised by the Ranelagh Arts Festival and in addition to Cronin, features musicians Donal Lunny and Jimmy MacCarthy. Tickets are 10 euro and are available from the Ranelagh Arts office at 26 Ranelagh or Grogans Bar, South William St., Dublin 2.

The Company of Books will have copies of Anthony Cronin’s The Fall (9.99 euro) and his Collected Poems (19.99 euro) available to purchase at the event. Scoil Bhride is located at Oakley Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Wine reception from 7.30pm.