A popular Irish author who has been compared to epic writer James Joyce is to receive a prestigious literary award in Chicago .
Cónal Creedon is an Irish novelist , dramatist, playwright and documentary filmmaker behind works including Art Imitating Life Imitating Death, Cornerstone, and The Immortal Deed of Michael O’Leary .
The 63-year-old from Co Cork has written and produced more than 60 hours of original radio drama on both sides of the pond and has long enjoyed praise in the US from prolific writers including the late Malachy McCourt .
"They say if Dublin was burnt down it could be rebuilt again by reading the work of James Joyce," The 92-year-old, who died in March , said. "The same could be said about Creedon's work. Cork City could be built from his words.”
Now, the talent will be clearing space on his packed mantlepiece to make room for an Irish Books, Arts and Music (iBAM) award for literature. Past recipients include Frank McCourt, Marian Keyes , Maeve Binchy, and Colm Tóibín .
A ceremony will take place at the American Irish Heritage Center in October. It comes after Creedon bagged another distinguished global arts gong - the World Cultural Council’s (WCC) Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts.
"We were impressed by the diversity of Creedon’s artistic practice, reaching back over thirty years and across various media," jury members said.
"When examined in its entirety, his diverse output becomes a single cohesive body of work that resonates far beyond the inner-city streets of his native Cork ."
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Creedon is regularly in the States to speak at universities and Irish festivals, introduce screenings of his documentaries and attend productions of his stage plays. Many of his plays are produced in New York .
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