Professor Claire Connolly of University College Cork has been awarded the Robert Rhodes Prize for Books on Irish Literature by the American Conference for Irish Studies for her monograph "Irish Romanticism: A Literary History." The award recognizes exceptional scholarship, and the judging panel praised the work for its sweeping yet precise analysis, granular readings, and compelling argument for the dynamic political and aesthetic agenda of Irish Romanticism. Separate major literary awards were also announced, with Karen Bartlett winning the Orwell Prize for Political Writing for "The Escape From Kabul" and Ben Lerner winning the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for "Transcription."
Professor Claire Connolly, a distinguished scholar of Modern English at University College Cork, has received the Robert Rhodes Prize for Books on Irish Literature from the American Conference for Irish Studies (ACIS) for her highly acclaimed monograph, " Irish Romanticism: A Literary History.
" This prize is awarded to a monograph that demonstrates exceptional depth of research, originality of argument, clarity, and a significant contribution to Irish Studies. The book is described as a major reappraisal of Irish Romanticism, exploring its cultural, political, and literary significance and its enduring influence on Irish intellectual and artistic life. Professor Cóilín Parsons of Georgetown University, who chaired the judging panel, delivered a commendation highlighting the work's expansive scope and rigorous argument.
He stated, "In an astonishingly wide-ranging but tightly argued cultural history, Connolly makes a definitive case for the Irish romantic moment (in a broad sense) as dynamic, politically engaged and experimental. The book covers much ground - gardens, graves, seas, coasts, the material book, demography, fashion, and more - and makes a convincing argument that romanticism in Ireland sets an aesthetic and political agenda that will last for centuries.
It is both a sweeping and a precise book, with granular close readings, a deep understanding of European romanticism more generally, and a keen ear for the traces of contemporary critical concerns in distant conversations.
" Upon receiving the award, Professor Connolly expressed her gratitude, noting the importance of books in the arts and humanities. "Books matter a lot to those of us working in the arts and humanities. It is a tremendous relief to complete one and to see it in the world and an unexpected joy to receive such recognition.
My sincere thanks to the judging panel of the Robert Rhodes prize for reading and engaging with Irish Romanticism in such detail and for their lending their authority to its cultural and historical argument.
" The President of University College Cork, Professor John O'Halloran, also extended his congratulations, emphasizing the award's recognition of scholarship of the highest calibre. He described the monograph as a landmark work that has reshaped the understanding of Irish literary history, making the award a fitting tribute to Professor Connolly's exceptional contribution to Irish Studies and her standing as a leading literary scholar.
In separate major literary award announcements, writer and journalist Karen Bartlett has won The Orwell Prize for Political Writing for her book "The Escape From Kabul," a chronicle of Afghan women judges under Taliban rule. American poet and novelist Ben Lerner won the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his novel "Transcription," which explores truth, memory, and the politics of the digital age.
Rohan Silva, chair of judges for the Political Writing prize, praised Bartlett's work for its taut prose and its illumination of a crucial story, calling it "truly Orwellian in the most positive sense.
" Fiammetta Rocco, chair of judges for the Political Fiction prize, noted the judges sought a book that spoke to both head and heart. The news also briefly mentions the contents of an upcoming books section in The Irish Times, which includes interviews with authors Sara Baume, Sheila Armstrong, Claire Gleeson, and Dermot Bolger, along with numerous book reviews covering fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's literature by various critics
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