Creative Conversations returns to the University Chapel for the first in-person event for over 18 months. They are delighted to announce their inaugural guest of the ’21-’22 academic year, the novelist, short-story writer, film writer / director and librettist Bernard MacLaverty, who will be in conversation with Professor Louise Welsh.

Born in Belfast in 1942, MacLaverty is the author of five novels: Lamb (1980), Cal (1983), Grace Notes (1997), The Anatomy School (2001) and Midwinter Break: A Novel (2017). His most recent publication is the short story collection Blank Pages and Other Stories (2021), which has been described by Ian Rankin as “masterly” and MacLaverty praised by John Self in The Guardian as “a matchless observer of human details both trivial…and significant.” He has also published six other collections of short stories, many of which are gathered into Collected Stories (2013).

MacLaverty has written versions of his fiction for other media – radio plays, television plays, screenplays, libretti. He has been nominated and won numerous awards for his work in this area, including a Bafta Scotland Award for the short film Bye-Child (2004).

MacLaverty’s other awards include Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2017, the Hennessey Literary Hall of Fame (2018), Saltire Scottish Book of the Year (1997, 2018), Sunday Herald Best Writer Award (2018), Whitbread Novel of the Year (1997), Pharic McLaren Award (1981).

Note: seats are limited at this event as we are operating a social distancing policy and reduced capacity. If it turns out you are unable to take your place, please cancel your ticket so that it can be released for someone else.

Creative Conversations is funded by the Ferguson Bequest. Professor Thomas Ferguson (1900-1977), Henry Mechan Chair of Public Health (1944-64), bequeathed his estate to the University, with the instruction that the money should be used to foster the social side of University life.

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(Photo Credit: Robert Burns)

Review of Bernard MacLaverty at Creative Conversations – February, 2016 (Pat Byrne)

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