Now and in Time to Be: Ireland and The Irish

by Thomas Keneally

The Australian novelist recounts his experiences traveling in Ireland, the country from which his forebears came, and discusses what he has learned about the Irish people

Genres: Travel, Ireland, History

198 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.

Life and Career:

Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.

Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.

Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).

In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.

He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.

Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).

In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.

Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.

Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.

Reviews

[Stephen Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a garage sale that was devoid of any other literary merit. The author, Thomas Keneally, was born and grew up in the ethnic Irish cultural environment in Australia and has had a successful career as a novelist and playwright. He won the Booker prize for his novel, Schindler's Ark (1982), on which the film, Schindler's List, was based. Steeped deeply in Irish history and culture, Keneally undertook a tour of the island in 1990 with his adult daughter. This book is the fruit of that journey, a beautifully poetic reflection on Irish culture, history, geography, social issues, politics, and religion, as it relates to each of the areas that he visits. He captures completely the enchanted, wild spirit of the Irish.

[Mike Davies]

p18: I can't read this. Having to access the dictionary every other sentence. Having to re-read the last 2 of a every group of 3 sentences in order to be clear on what was said and to grab a sense of flow from the last group and into the next. I'm sure it's insightful but the points will be lost on me, which can happen but in this case I can't even salvage a general albeit superficial story or collection of threads which might carry me. Maybe in the next life but not this one.