Local author Donal Ryan has enjoyed further success having won the '2013 Guardian First Book Award' for his debut novel 'The Spinning Heart' at a ceremony in London last week. This comes nearly 12 months to the day after scooping the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year award at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards in November 2012.
Speaking at the awards in Tate Modern in London, Donal expressed his total surprise in securing the coveted award, "I can't believe it, I know everybody says it but I really can't." 'The Spinning Heart' was released in the Republic of Ireland in October 2012 and was published in the UK in January 2013. Donal went on to dedicate his award to all writers "working at their beginnings".
The Spinning Heart revolves around dangerous tensions which surface in an Irish town in the aftermath of Ireland’s financial collapse. The direct consequences of greed begin to affect good and bad alike while a kidnapping and murder envelopes the entire community. Then, and through a unique chorus of voices, each struggling character endeavours to tell their own story. The Spinning Heart reflects contemporary Ireland - it is all too human and captures the language and spirit of a rural community. The book is technically daring (structured upon a series of twenty linked monologues) while also witty, dark and sweetly poignant.
Guardian Review editor, Lisa Allardice who was chairperson of the judging panel said 'The Spinning Heart' stood out for its "startling audacity" and was "hugely ambitious in structure and devastating in its emotional impact".
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