Hugo Hamilton is an Irish writer whose works frequently explore themes of identity and language. His upbringing, where he was compelled to speak only German or Irish, fostered a fascination with English and a sense of being an outsider in all languages. This experience shaped his literary voice, marked by a profound understanding of the complexities of intercultural life and the psychological impact of linguistic barriers. His writing is valued for its honesty and its ability to render deeply personal narratives that resonate with universal human experiences.
Exploring the evolution of Ireland over seventy years, Hugo Hamilton revisits Heinrich Böll's 1956 classic, reflecting on 18 significant locations. This work blends travelogue, memoir, and social commentary with humor, capturing the essence of Ireland's transformation while paying homage to its rich literary heritage. Hamilton's unique perspective offers insights into both the landscape and the cultural shifts that have shaped contemporary Irish identity.
'A rich, strange book. Very truthful and moving' Tessa Hadley 'A terrific, engrossing novel' Roddy Doyle 'A masterpiece' Sebastian Barry The new novel about the transformative power of art, the weight of history and the strange connection we make with one another from the author of The Speckled People.
The palm trees give the street a holiday atmosphere. There must be something
in the soil they like. They have straight leaves that get a bit ragged, with
split ends. At night you hear them rattling in the wind.
In Headbanger, Dublin cop Pat Coyne decides to take on the city's most
notorious gang leader, resulting in a personal feud with the underworld. In
Sad Bastard, Coyne is back, out of work after an injury. But when his own son
becomes a suspect in a murder case, he finds himself meddling in the Dublin
underworld once again. Two brilliant, funny and unpredictable crime stories
from a master of the genre.
Hugo Hamiltons ergreifender neuer Roman basiert auf einer Reise nach Berlin, die der irischdeutsche Schriftsteller im Mai 2008 mit seiner Kollegin Nuala O’Faolain unternahm. Die berühmte irische Schriftstellerin war an Krebs erkrankt und hatte nur noch wenige Tage zu leben. Ihr letzter Wunsch war es, dass ihr Freund Hugo Hamilton sie zwei Tage lang auf einer letzten Reise durch Berlin begleitete …Die Schriftstellerin Úna weiß, dass ihre Tage gezählt sind, weil sie unheilbar an Krebs erkrankt ist. Kurz vor ihrem sicheren Tod will sie sich noch einen letzten Wunsch erfüllen und einmal mit ihrem guten alten Freund nach Berlin reisen. Liam kennt Úna, die zwanzig Jahre älter ist als er, schon lange und hat sich gern auf diese Reise eingelassen, auch wenn er nicht weiß, ob er der Aufgabe gewachsen sein wird. Zwei Tage lang begleitet er seine Freundin durch Berlin. Úna hat eine Liste vorbereitet, will das Pergamon-Museum besuchen, sich bei einem Essen in der Paris Bar von alten Freunden verabschieden und unbedingt »Don Carlos« in der Berliner Staatsoper sehen. Vor allem aber will sie reden. Die Zeit drängt, und ihre Gespräche erfordern, wie Úna es nennt, einen »Rhythmus der Ehrlichkeit«. Es gibt keine Floskeln mehr, keine Ausflüchte, keine falsche Scham. Beide erzählen von entscheidenden Ereignissen in ihrem Leben, Úna von ihren Liebschaften, ihrem berühmten Vater, der alkoholsüchtigen Mutter und, immer wieder, dem schrecklichen Tod ihres jüngeren Bruders. Liam seinerseits spricht von den Unsicherheiten in seiner Liebesbeziehung und den Problemen mit seiner Tochter … Tiefe Zuneigung, Ehrlichkeit und ein unverwüstlicher, vielleicht typisch irischer Humor machen diesen Roman einer Abschiedsreise nach Berlin zu einem ganz besonderen, zuinnerst bewegenden Buch.
She was dying of cancer and had only ten days to live. In a moving fictional reconstruction, the book traces two days they spent fulfilling her final wish and the intensity of those final hours in Berlin before she returned to Dublin. The narrator, Liam makes his way around Berlin with his dying companion, Una. She has prepared a list of places that she wants to see. In small leaps of memory, both Liam and Una reveal things to each other. She speaks of key events in her life - her lovers, her famous father, her alcoholic mother and crucially, the death of her younger brother. The narrator also reveals his own love story and questions arising over his daughter. As the driver, Manfred continues to transport them around the city, meeting people who come to say farewell to her at the famous Paris Bar, the family stories slowly begin to resemble the opera, Don Carlo. It is a journey full of affection and honesty and humour between them, a journey leading to a heartbreaking and uplifting final discovery about her brother at the Berliner Staatsoper.
Vid Cosic is a Serbian immigrant whose immediate friendship with a young Dublin lawyer, Kevin Concannon, is overshadowed by a violent incident in which a man is left for dead in the street one night. The legal fallout forces them into an ever closer, uncertain partnership, drawing Vid right into the troubled Concannon family.
Vid Ćosić is a Serbian immigrant whose immediate friendship with a young Dublin lawyer, Kevin Concannon, is overshadowed by a violent incident in which a man is left for dead in the street one night. The legal fallout forces them into an ever closer, uncertain partnership, drawing Vid right into the troubled Concannon family.
