Ré na bhFathach

Ré na bhFathach; 136 lch; clúdach bog; 978-1-913814-12-0

Shortlited for An Post Irish Book Awards

Ré na bhFathach: The stories in this collection shine a light on a sometimes flawed, but very recognisable, cast of characters as they come to terms with the truths – and mistruths – of their existence. Set in the present day and in the past – and indeed in a past that never was – we are taken on a tour of their own private universe, starting out on ‘the twetieth largest island in the world,’ a strange land that the reader may yet recognise, even in this new and distorted form.

Shortlisted for Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin

Colm Ó Ceallacháin lives in Cork. His first short story collection, I dTír Mhilis na mBeo, was published in 2017, a collection that shared first prize in that year’s Oireachtas na Gaeilge literary competition for a work of prose, as well as being shortlisted for Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin. He has won several other prizes at Oireachtas na Gaeilge, and has been awarded literary bursaries from the Arts Council on a number of occasions. His work has appeared in Comhar, Feasta, Aneas, gorse and Southword, as well as in a number of anthologies such as Díolaim/Antologia (Focail Eile/Other Words), Best European Fiction 2019 (Dalkey Archive Press) and Strokestown Poetry Anthology 2020. Ré na bhFathach is his second collection of short stories.

Deep-Rooted Compassion

“Tá gach scéal anseo go hiontach agus tá an daonnacht go smior agus go fial sna scéalta. Tá úire, samhlaíocht agus slacht as an ngnách ag baint leis an insint agus leis na plotaí. Is amhlaidh go gcuireann na scéalta le bríonna a chéile mar aonad ealaíne, agus téamaí agus cúlraí ag freagairt dá chéile. Ina dhiaidh sin, is geall le míorúilt éagsúlacht an ábhair agus éagsúlacht na gcúlraí sna scéalta, cé go bhfuil snáithe ceangail ann chomh maith, an pholaitíocht go háirithe.” — Dr Róisín Ní Ghairbhí

“As with many of the stories, there is light and shade, social realism and personal tragedy, sexual awakening and an uncertain future.” — cathal Poirtéir, Books Ireland.

Read Colm Ó Ceallacháin in Tuairisc.ie

Read the review in Books Ireland