Hi °C | Lo °C One of Northern Ireland’s leading novelists has been awarded a prestigious American literary fellowship worth $100,000 (£65,039).
Belfast-born Glenn Patterson (47) was awarded a Lannan Literary Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation in the USA in recognition of his talent and to support his future work.
He has written seven novels and a recently published memoir. He has been Writer in Residence at the Universities of East Anglia, Cork and Queen's University, Belfast, and is a former Board Member of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
The awards were established in 1989 to recognise writers who have made significant contributions to English-language literature.
Panto looks set to survive wrangle
A children’s pantomime threatened with police action is set to go ahead after an agreement was thrashed out at emergency talks yesterday.
Bosses at the village hall in Culter, near Aberdeen, had previously been told criminal charges could follow if they proceeded with next week’s production of Aladdin.
Aberdeen City Council’s licensing department said the hall needed a theatre licence for the five-date show.
But following talks yesterday, the council confirmed the authorities were content for the show to go ahead if the fire and rescue services found no problems during a hall inspection on Monday.
Ex Apprentice star in benefit fraud
A former star of hit TV show The Apprentice was found guilty of falsely claiming housing benefits yesterday.
Tre Azam, who finished third in the 2007 series of Sir Alan Sugar’s reality show, was sentenced to 80 hours community service.
The 29-year-old described the prosecution by Epping Forest Council as “disgusting” and he planned to appeal.
Charges were brought against him by Epping council fraud squad because his father had paid bills for him while he was on benefits between July 2004 and July 2006.
Travellers’ art to be explored in seminar
THE art and culture of Ireland’s Travelling community will be explored at a special seminar in Belfast next week.
‘Travellers and Working Through the Arts’ is open to artists and arts organisations that are either from the Travelling Community or work with its members. It will be held at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Malone Road, on December 2. To book call Edel Murphy on (028) 9038 5269.
