John McGahern: A Writing Life

The definitive biography of Ireland's greatest post-war writer, rich in dramatic revelations bringing to life the world that inspired his masterpieces.

On his death in 2006, John McGahern was hailed as 'the most important Irish novelist since Samuel Beckett' (Guardian) that ‘everyone should read’ (Colm Tóibín) and ‘one of the greatest writers of our era’ (Hilary Mantel). But who was the enigmatic man behind the literary myth?

McGahern became famous in 1965 when his novel The Dark - exposing child abuse in the rural Irish community - was banned for its ‘pornographic content’. But his private life before and after has been shrouded in mystery.

One of seven children on a farm ruled by his militant father, McGahern’s universe was shattered by the death of his mother when he was nine. After studying at University College Dublin, his early marriage failed - and once dismissed from his position as a teacher after the censorship scandal, his turmoiled love affairs as an exile in London lead to the secret birth of a son. But it was the moment he met his future wife, Madeline Green – his partner for the rest of his life – that defined his future existence of literary creativity.

After decades of research, Frank Shovlin has crafted a magisterial portrait of this elusive figure, drawing on hours of new interviews and unseen archival material to illuminate a cultural legend.