Colm Toibin

Colm Tóibín, an accomplished author and academic, has a diverse portfolio of literary awards and prestigious positions. His compelling novel "The Master" won the International Dublin Literary Award in 2006, while another novel, "Nora Webster," received the Hawthornden Prize. "The Magician" added another feather to his cap by winning the Folio Prize. Tóibín's lifetime achievement in literature was recognized in 2021 when he received the David Cohen Prize. Apart from his writing, he has served as the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and as Chancellor of the University of Liverpool from 2017 to 2022, succeeding Martin Amis as a professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester.

Bringing a wealth of personal experience to his work, Tóibín's novels frequently delve into themes of Irish society, living abroad, creativity, and personal identity. His novel "The Master" offers a fictional glimpse into the inner life of Henry James. "Brooklyn," another one of his novels, was adapted into a movie in 2015 where he wrote the screenplay, and a sequel, "Long Island," was published in 2024. His short story collections, "Mothers and Sons" (2006) and "The Empty Family" (2010), demonstrate his versatility as a writer, with the latter being shortlisted for the 2011 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. As an essayist and critic, Tóibín has contributed to publications like The London Review of Books and The New York Review of Books.

Colm Tóibín has also made significant contributions to the performing arts. His play "Beauty in a Broken Place" was staged in Dublin in August 2004. In 2017, he wrote the screenplay for another film, "Return to Montauk." His work is archived at the National Library of Ireland, a testament to his significant impact on literature.