Donal Ryan in Conversation with Paula Shields

Donal Ryan is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed contemporary writers. He is the author of seven number-one bestselling novels and a short story collection, earning praise for his lyrical, compassionate storytelling and deep understanding of modern Irish life.

His debut novel, The Spinning Heart, was nominated for the Booker Prize and later voted Irish Book of the Decade in 2016. He received a second Booker nomination in 2018 for From a Low and Quiet Sea. Donal’s many honours include the European Union Prize for Literature, the Guardian First Book Award, six Irish Book Awards, and the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature, making him the first Irish writer to receive the award.

His work has been translated into more than twenty languages and adapted for both stage and screen. Since 2014, Donal has lectured in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.