Book News
Poet Derek Mahon takes writing honour
Friday 23 March 2007
The £40,000 award, which has been called "the British-and-Irish answer to the Nobel", has previously been presented to Harold Pinter, Doris Lessing, William Trevor and Muriel Spark.
At a ceremony in the British Library, Belfast-born Mahon said that he "couldn't be more grateful."
"There you are, staring at clouds and dreaming up unrealistic projects, when the world comes and tells you you've been noticed," he added.
Part of the David Cohen Prize involves the winner choosing the recipient of the Clarissa Luard Award, which is worth £12,500 for a literary body that supports young writers or an individual writer under 35.
Mahon gave Clarissa Luard Award to his publisher, the Gallery Press, which is based in Co Meath.
The Irish Times named Mahon as one of the ten most important Irish writers of all time in 1999 and he has been cited as a major influence by a number of Irish poets, including Seamus Heaney and Eavan Boland.
He is the author of 'Night-Crossing', 'The Yaddo Letter', 'The Hudson Letter', 'The Yellow Book' and his most recent book is 'Harbour Lights'.
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