AUTHOR Danny Morrison has been presented with an international literary award in Belfast before a gathered audience of writers from countries as diverse as Canada, Germany and the US.
The awards panel described the special ‘Literary Achievement Award’ to the former national director of publicity for Sinn Féin as being presented to Morrison for ‘creating an inspiring body of writing in diverse genres.’ Morrison, who spent several years imprisoned in Long Kesh, has written novels, memoirs, and short stories over the years. During the 1981 hunger strikes, he acted as spokesman for Bobby Sands. He is also a political commentator in newspapers, and on television and radio.
“Due to his unwavering efforts on behalf of justice, fairness and equality – not just in Ireland but in many other countries – and his prolific body of written work over his lifetime, Danny has inspired countless people,” said fellow author Sean Hillen, co-founder of Ireland Writing Retreat (irelandwritingretreat.com), an organisation that has hosted week-long international writing retreats in several different countries including France, Romania and Ireland over the last 11 years. “His literary achievements are impressive not just for their sheer diversity but their high level of excellence.”
Morrison’s books range from memoirs including ‘Then the Walls Came Down: A Prison Journal’ described by The Irish Times as “one of the most important books to emerge from the conflict in Northern Ireland... a vividly humane account of life in prison” to ‘All The Dead Voices.’ His novels include ‘The Wrong Man,’ a political thriller set during the ‘Troubles,’ and ‘On The Back of the Swallow’ about a gay relationship.
