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Limerick Author Dan Mooney Receives Luke Bitmead Bursary

Limerick Author Dan Mooney Receives Luke Bitmead Bursary.
Dan Mooney, author of ‘Me, Myself and Them: Your Own Worst Enemy’. Picture: Cian Reinhardt.

Limerick’s Dan Mooney, author of the self-published title, ‘Me, Myself and Them: Your Own Worst Enemy’ has been awarded a bursary worth £2,500 including a publishing contract. The Luke Bitmead Bursary established in honour of the late author Luke Bitmead aims to promote up-and-coming authors.

‘Me Myself and Them: Your Own Worst Enemy’ follows protagonist Denis who is recovering from a tragedy and is described as “living alone.” As he tries to cope with the tragedy and the pressures of the world around him, Denis struggles with his mental health as his friends turn on him as well as each other.

Speaking to ilovelimerick, Dan Mooney said, “suddenly your four years of work isn’t four years wasted. Someone has looked at it and said ‘this is great well done’. Ultimately what you’re writing for and towards is to be published – to walk into O’Mahony’s and see your book on a shelf, and to know when you leave your book is still inside there being sold.”


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“Six-hundred-thousand people self-publish each year. That’s a lot. With rare exceptions, most of it is getting lost in the noise. Then you have something like the Luke Bitmead Bursary, and all of a sudden you are not one of the six-hundred-thousand voices, you now stand out,” he added.

The Limerick author Dan Mooney spoke of the importance of this competition because of the connection with Luke Bitmead and his mother, Dan Mooney says there is a ‘soul’ to the competition which has given nine authors their break.

Lauren Parons, Editorial Director of Legend Press commented on the Luke Bitmead website saying, “We all found Dan’s novel to be ultimately captivating. The plot is unlike anything we’ve ever read before with a wonderful sense of foreboding. Dan creates a truly memorable character in Denis, with a thought-provoking storyline. We are thrilled to add this title to our list and publishing this fantastic debut novel in June 2017.”

Luke Bitmead had published two books with Legend Press, and was the first novelist published by the company before his passing in 2006. The company worked with the Luke Bitmead Bursary to hold the award every year, but it was announced that this would be its final year, making Dan Mooney the final award winner.

Here you can read more about the Luke Bitmead Bursary.
You can read more stories about Limerick authors here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.