Faces in a Bookshop: Irish Literary Portraits

Galway: Kennys of Galway, 1990. pp 163 This is the illustrated book of an exhibition of portraits of more than 100 Irish writers by 75 contemporary artists organised by Kennys of Galway to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. It includes sculpture such as Seamus Heaney by Marjorie Fitzgibbon, drawings by Brian Bourke and Michael O Dea and numerous paintings of authors including Samuel Beckett, Michael Hartnett and Kate O'Brien. Each portrait is reproduced in a full page colour plate and the volume concludes with brief biographical notes on each artist and writer. Inscribed by Monica Kenny and other members of the bookshop staff to Scottish author Alasdair Gray. The book is fine, the dust jacket is very good, rubbed to edges and corners. A fascinating celebration of the visual and creative arts in Ireland. Provenance: from the recent Glasgow dispersal sale of Alasdair Gray's library. Gray (1934-2019) is acknowledged as one of the most innovative figures in Scottish literature and culture. Painter, novelist, playwright, poet and editor, Gray frequently combined his diverse artistic talents within single works to challenge existing forms. He has been described as 'Blending satire and tragedy, realism and fantasy, his work has been credited with spurring a renaissance in Scottish literature.' Please contact Christian White at Modernfirsteditions if you would like more information about this item. Fine in a very good dust jacket 1990