Michael Harding
Michael Harding (born 1953) is an Irish writer.
Biography
Harding was born and raised in Cavan, Ireland. He went to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, initially graduating as a lay graduate. He then taught for two years in St. Patrick's College in Cavan Town, then worked as a social worker in a prison. He returned to Maynooth as a seminarian and was ordained in 1980, after which he went to work in a parish in Fermanagh. He left the priesthood in 1985,[1] then spent seventeen years practising Buddhism.
He is married to the sculptor Cathy Carman (whom he first met in 1984) and they have a daughter Sophia and a son, Simon. He lives in Tarmon, County Leitrim.
Work
He is an active writer of novels and poetry. He is a regular columnist with The Irish Times. He was Writer in Association with The Abbey Theatre in 1993 and was Writer in Residence at Trinity College, Dublin, in 1999. [2]
Publications
Novels
- Priest (1986)
- The Trouble With Sarah Gullion (1988)
- Bird in the Snow (2008)
Plays
- Strawboys, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1987
- Una Pooka, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1989
- Misogynist, Abbey Theatre, 1990
- Burying Brian Boru, Theatre Omnibus, 1990
- Where the Heart is, Project Arts Centre, 1993
- Hubert Murray's Widow, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1993
- The Kiss, Project Arts Centre, 1994
- Ceacht Houdini, Amharclann de hIde, 1994
- Backsides to the Wind, Red Kettle, 1995
- Sour Grapes, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1997
- Amazing Grace, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1998
- Bog Dances, Steve Wickham and Shake the Spear Theatre @ Dunamaise Arts Centre, 2000
- Sleeping a Lovesong, Project Arts Centre, 2002
- Talking Through His Hat, Dublin Fringe Festival @ The Focus, 2002
- Swallow, Gare St Lazare Players @ Dublin Fringe Festival, 2003
- Birdie Birdie, for Blue Raincoat Theatre, 2004
- Tearmann for Siamsa Tire, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland, 2006
- The Tinker's Curse, Livin' Dred Theatre Company, 2007.
- Is There Balm in Gilead? Pavilion Theatre Dublin, 2007
Other
- Staring at Lakes (winner of the Bord Gais Energy Book of the Year Award
- Hanging with the Elephant
- Talking with Strangers
- On Tuesdays I'm a Buddhist (2017)
- Chest Pain, A man, a stent and camper van (2019)
Awards
- 1989 - short listed for the Irish Times Aer Lingus Literature Award
- 1990 - Stewart Parker Trust Award for Theatre
- 1990 - Bank of Ireland RTÉ award for excellence in the arts
- 1980 - Hennessy Literary Award for short stories[2]
- 2004 - Best Actor, Dublin Fringe Festival for his performance in Gare St Lazare's production of Swallow.
- 2006 - Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – British Theatre Management Awards
- 2007 - The Tinker's Curse, nominated for Best New Play at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards
- 2013 - Staring at Lakes, Non-Fiction Book of the Year Irish Book Awards
- 2000 - Member, Aosdána, Irish National Academy for Creative Artists
References
- ^ Michael P. Harding - Biography.
- ^ a b Michael Harding Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Irish Writers Online.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1953 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
- Irish male dramatists and playwrights
- Irish novelists
- Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
- Laicized Roman Catholic priests
- Aosdána members
- Irish male novelists
- People from County Cavan
- 21st-century Irish dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century Irish male writers
- 21st-century Irish male writers