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Professor Joseph O Connor novel earns a coveted spot on Richard and Judy book club list 2020

Shadowplay has earned a coveted spot on the famous Richard and Judy Bookclub list for 2020.

Professor Joseph O Connor novel earns a coveted spot on Richard and Judy book club list 2020

By I Love Limerick correspondent Mary Caroline McCarthy

Shadowplay

The book is set in 1878, the Lyceum Theatre, London.


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Professor Joseph O’Connor’s novel, ‘Shadowplay’, has earned a coveted spot on the famous Richard and Judy Bookclub list for 2020.

Since 2008, Professor Joseph O’Connor has been the Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick. The University of Limerick is very proud of the work that Professor Joseph O’Connor is putting out into the world. Professor Joseph O’Connor has been an active author since 2002 and is the author of eight other novels and several bestselling works of non-fiction. He has also written several radio diaries, film scripts, and stage-plays including the multiple award-winning ‘Red Roses’ and ‘Petrol’.  

Among Professor Joseph O’Connor’s awards are the Prix Zepter for European Novel of the year, France’s Prix Millepages, and an American Library Association Award. His work has been translated into forty different languages.

His newest book, ‘Shadowplay’, was published in 2019.

The book revolves around the little-known relationship between Dracula author Bram Stoker and two of the most famous actors of the late-Victorian era, Henry Irving and Ellen terry. Bram was a struggling writer who died never knowing how successful Dracula would become. ‘Shadowplay’ is a funny, clever, beautifully written, and altogether fabulous take on this era.  

Shadowplay

Professor Joseph O’Connor has been an active author since 2002 and is the author of eight other novels and several bestselling works of non-fiction.

This year, Professor Joseph O’Connor’s book has made its way onto the coveted Richard and Judy book club list for 2020. The Richard and Judy book club has been working with WHSmith for the last ten years. This book-loving couple hand-picks some of the favourite books from their own reading piles and adds them to their coveted reading list, the Richard and Judy book club has always had a unique ability to uncover stories that have an enormous impact on readers. Richard and Judy have made it their mission to choose books that feel special and exciting to them, and that is what has made this list as unique and coveted as it is.

Both Richard and Judy sang the praises of Professor Joseph O’Connor’s writing and his book. Judy said, “It’s a fabulous read, full of insights, gossipy, and bursting with camp humour. O’Connor is so wonderful at writing in the Victorian style: he never strikes a wrong note.”

While Richard agrees with Judy’s thoughts he is also bewitched by the depth that O’Connor gives to his characters saying, “O’Connor’s Bram Stoker is a wonderful character, sad and self-critical, but also full of poetry with a strong nose for evil. Hence his great creation- Dracula. Shadowplay is complex, rich, sad, funny, and a beautiful read. You’ll LOVE it.”

 

For more about Professor Joseph O’Connor and his works, go HERE

For more stories about Limerick authors, go HERE

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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.