Celtic Literature
Many of history’s most famous writers and poets were born in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Irish authors have been particularly adept at reaping prestigious honors and awards for their life’s work: Several Irishmen have been awarded The Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Foundation honored William Butler Yeats in 1923; George Bernard Shaw, 1925; Samuel Beckett, 1969; and Seamus Heaney, 1995. (Ironically, the man whom many single out as the most influential and greatest of all Irish authors, James Joyce, was snubbed by the Nobel Prize Committee.)
By visiting the Nobel Prize in Literature website, you can read biographies, speeches about and by the laureates, and even view images of their “diplomas” – the one-of-a-kind, artist-designed award certificates bestowed upon each recipient by the King of Sweden.
Below is a regrettably short and admittedly incomplete list of several notable authors and poets of Irish, Welsh, and Scottish descent. We apologize in advance should your favorite author not be listed here. For each writer a link is given where you can search for books written by and about them.
Irish WritersSamuel Beckett |
Welsh Writers Roald Dahl |
Scottish Writers Sir James Matthew Barrie |