As a child, Heaney read adventure stories and comics but was taught to write in a formal, conventional style.
Heaney read books about savages and explorers from a box that served as school library. The first book he ever owned was 'Kidnapped' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Comic books played a prominent role in children's reading during the 1940s and 1950s. However, children were taught to write in a formal, conventional style that led to everyone writing in the same way. Heaney tells John Quinn that he didn't know you could tell the truth in writing until he was in his 20s.
'I Remember, I Remember' was a radio series in which famous people recalled their childhoods. It was presented and produced by John Quinn. Each half-hour programme focused on the memories of one person. ‘I Remember, I Remember’ was originally designed as a summer series for the 1980 season. A second series was broadcast in the summer of 1981 and a third in December of that year.
| Title: | I Remember, I Remember: Seamus Heaney |
| Clip Duration: | 00:04:57 |
| Material Type: | Audio |
| Clip Title: | Books, Comics and Writing Proper Compositions |
| Series Title: | I Remember, I Remember |
| Information: | ‘I Remember, I Remember’ was a radio series in which famous people recalled their childhoods. It was presented and produced by John Quinn. Each half-hour programme focused on the memories of one person. ‘I Remember, I Remember’ was originally designed as a summer series for the 1980 season. A second series was broadcast in the summer of 1981 and a third in December of that year. The accompanying image of a Dublin classroom was taken by Peter Harding in 1979. © RTÉ Archives 2284/041 |
| Local Keywords: | Seamus Heaney, Poet, Poetry, Literature, Childhood, Education, Comics, Adventure Stories, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, Mossbawn, Derry, Northern Ireland, John Quinn |
| Coverage: | Ireland |
| Genre: | Factual |
| Topic: | Arts and Culture |
| Provider: | RTÉ |
| Contributor(s): | John Quinn (Presenter) |
| Publisher: | RTÉ |
| First Broadcast Channel: | RTÉ One |
| Production Year: | 1981 |
| Country of Production: | Ireland |
| Original Identifier: | BB1183 |
| IPR Restrictions: | Rights Reserved - Free Access |
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If you wish to licence video or audio clips, still images or text, or would like further guidance please contact us. RTÉ Archives are committed to respecting the copyright of others and have attempted to source and credit the copyright owners of all material used here. RTÉ would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified here so that the necessary corrections can be made. If you feel your copyright has not been respected please contact us. |
| Item Type: | part/extract |
| Sound: | Mono |
| Language: | English (eng) |
