About this episode
Roddy Doyle discusses his Booker Prize-winning novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and the experiences that shaped his writing.
In 1993, the Irish writer Roddy Doyle won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction. His novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, was remarkable for the way it conveyed gritty drama through the eyes of a 10-year-old boy. Roddy tells Ben Henderson about his inspiration for Paddy Clarke, how he balanced writing with becoming a father and teaching, and the emotions of the night he won the award. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia. You can…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Henderson
Guest: Roddy Doyle
Topics covered
- literature
- awards
- personal stories
- Irish culture
- writing process
Keywords
- Roddy Doyle
- Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
- Booker Prize
- Irish literature
- writing inspiration
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Booker Prize for Fiction
Books & works: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
Places: Ireland
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