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Dubliner wins America’s National Book Award for fiction

Novelist Colum McCann won the 2009 National Book Award for fiction for his novel Let the Great World Spin

The book uses Philippe Petit’s high-wire crossing between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in 1974 as a motif around which to assemble the stories of 10 New York characters.

Dubliner McCann is the first Irish person to win this prestigious literary award. It was also the first time the winner was voted for by public vote.

Speaking before the announcement, McCann said of his nomination: “One only has to look down the roll-call of nominees through the years to realize what an incredible honour it is. It’s humbling and thrilling.”

Previous winners include William Faulkner, Philip Roth, Saul Bellow and John Updike.

To be eligible for consideration, a book must have been published by a US publisher and its author must be an American citizen. McCann who has long lived in New York had in recent years taken US citizenship.

He is a son of Sean McCann writer and former features editor for the Evening Press who gave a platform to many new writers.

For detail, see the website:

21Nov09 340
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