David Park (writer)

David Park (born 1953) is a novelist and poet from Northern Ireland.[1]

Biography

Parks was born in Belfast in 1953.[2] He grew up in a Protestant working-class family in East Belfast,[3] going on to attend Queen's University, Belfast, where to was awarded a BA degree in 1975.[2] He then worked as a teacher in County Down,[4] during which time he wrote seven novels before retiring to write full time.[3][5]

Writing career

Park's first book, a collection of short stories entitled Oranges from Spain, was published in 1990, when he was 37 years of age.[6] Following that, he wrote six novels while still working as a teacher.[3] All of those novels and stories were set in Northern Ireland and dealt in some way with the Troubles.[3]

By the time he published his eighth book (The Light of Amsterdam) in 2022, Park had retired from teaching.[3]

Before publishing his novels, Park published a volume of poetry with two co-authors. He has also had poetry published elsewhere.[7]

Adaptations

In 2016, a filmed adaptation of Park's novel The Truth Commissioner was broadcast by the BBC.[8] The book was adapted for the screen by Eoin O'Callaghan, directed by Declan Recks, and Roger Allam played the lead role.[9] Filming took place in a number of locations in Northern Ireland between February and April 2015.[10]

An adaptation of the same book had previously been broadcast in January 2008 on BBC Radio 4 in the Book at Bedtime slot.[11] The programme was repeated on Radio 4 Extra in May 2011.[12] Another of his books, Travelling in a Strange Land, was adapted for Book at Bedtime in August 2018.[13] That book was also the prompt for a creative collaboration with the photographer Sonya Whitefield, which was published on the web and exhibited at the Market Place Theatre, Armagh, in July 2018.[14][15][16]

Awards and nominations

Year Book Award Result Ref.
1992 The Healing Authors' Club Best First Novel Award Won [17]
University of Ulster McCrea Literary Award Won [2]
1994 The Rye Man University of Ulster McCrea Literary Award Won [2]
1996 Stone Kingdoms University of Ulster McCrea Literary Award Won [2]
2007-2008 The Truth Commissioner Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize Won [18][19]
2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Longlisted [20]
2014 The Light of Amsterdam International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Shortlisted [21]
2019 Travelling in a Strange Land Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Won [22]
2020 International Dublin Literary Award Longlisted [23]
2023 Spies in Canaan Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize Runner-up [24][6]

Park was also awarded the AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award in 2008.[25]

Works

Collections of short stories

  • —— (1990). Oranges from Spain. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0224027654.
  • —— (2016). Gods and Angels. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781408866078.

Novels

  • —— (1992). The Healing. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0224033433.
  • —— (1994). The Rye Man. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0224033034.
  • —— (1996). Stone Kingdoms. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 1897580339.
  • —— (2002). The Big Snow. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 0747557268.
  • —— (2004). Swallowing the Sun. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 0747570361.
  • —— (2008). The Truth Commissioner. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0747591290.
  • —— (2012). The Light of Amsterdam. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1408821367.
  • —— (2014). The Poets' Wives. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1620405246.
  • —— (2018). Travelling in a Strange Land. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1408892787.
  • —— (2019). A Run in the Park. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1526619976.
  • —— (2022). Spies in Canaan. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1526631930.
  • —— (2025). Ghost Wedding. London: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-0861549740.

Poetry

  • Colhoun, Will; Johnstone, Robert; Park, David (1980). Trio Poetry 1. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. ISBN 0856401641.

References

  1. ^ "David Park". literature.britishcouncil.org. British Council. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "David Park - The Truth Commissioner". Queen's University Belfast. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Sansom, Ian (20 April 2012). "David Park: a life in books". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  4. ^ "David Park". Literature Ireland. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. ^ Leonard, Sue (7 August 2022). "Book Interview: Publicity shy Park has always let his novels do the talking". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b Self, John (17 May 2022). "Making amends: David Park on loss, regret and youthful idealism". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Four poems about sport". The Irish Times. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  8. ^ "The Truth Commissioner". BBC Two. BBC. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. ^ "The Truth Commissioner". UK Films Database. British Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. ^ "The Truth Commissioner". Northern Ireland Screen. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Book at Bedtime, The Truth Commissioner". BBC Radio 4. BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. ^ "David Park - The Truth Commissioner". BBC Radio 4 Extra. BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Book at Bedtime, Travelling in a Strange Land". BBC Radio 4. BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Sonya and David Park Travel in a Strange Land". Sonya Whitefield. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Travelling in a Strange Land". LensCulture. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  16. ^ Park, David (7 July 2018). "How my latest novel became a photography exhibition". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  17. ^ "David Park". Fantastic Fiction.
  18. ^ Doyle, Kilian (27 February 2009). "Belfast novelist wins peace award". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Winners and shortlists". Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  20. ^ "2010 Longlist: The Truth Commissioner". Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  21. ^ "2014 Shortlist: The Light of Amsterdam". Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  22. ^ Doyle, Martin (29 May 2019). "€15,000 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year winner revealed". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. ^ "2020 Longlist: Travelling in a Strange Land". Dublin Literary Award. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  24. ^ McDonald, Teddy (29 June 2023). "'A plethora of riches' – announcing the winners of the 2023 Society of Authors' Awards". Society of Authors. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. ^ "AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award" (PDF). The Ireland Funds. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
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