Mervyn Wall
Mervyn Wall | |
|---|---|
 Wall in 1990 | |
| Born | August 28, 1908 Dublin |
| Died | May 19, 1997 (aged 88) Dun Laoghaire |
| Occupation | civil servant, writer |
| Education | Belvedere College |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Notable works | The Unfortunately Fursey |
Mervyn Wall (1908–1997) was an Irish writer and public servant, best known for two satirical fantasy novels about a monk named Fursey.
Life
[edit]Wall was born in Rathmines, Dublin.[1] He attended Belvedere College as well as school in Bonn, Germany,[1] and completed a B.A. with the National University of Ireland in 1928.[2]
He worked in the public service from 1934 to 1975 - as a civil servant from 1934–48, for Radio Éireann from 1948 to 1957, and as Secretary of the Arts Council from 1957–75.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Wall published novels, short stories and plays, and wrote for a short-lived literary magazine, Ireland Today.
Wall wrote two humorous fantasy novels, The Unfortunate Fursey and The Return of Fursey, about the misadventures of a monk in Dark Ages Ireland.[5] The Fursey novels have been highly praised in North America. E. F. Bleiler in The Guide to Supernatural Fiction described The Unfortunate Fursey as "a landmark book in the history of fantasy".[4] Darrell Schweitzer described Wall as "one of the finest comic fantasists ever, but also one of the most neglected."[4] Parke Godwin described both Fursey novels as "pure gold".[4]
Wall won an award, the Best European Novel award, for Leaves for the Burning.[1]
Writings
[edit]Novels
[edit]- The Unfortunate Fursey, 1946
- The Return of Fursey, 1948
- Leaves for the Burning, 1952
- No Trophies Raise, 1956
- Hermitage, 1982
- The Garden of Echoes, 1982
Plays
[edit]- Alarm among the Clerks, 1940
- The Lady in the Twilight, 1971
Other publications
[edit]- A Flutter of Wings, 1974, short stories
- Forty Foot Gentlemen Only, 1963, history
Personal life
[edit]Wall's wife, Frances Feehan, was a theatre and music critic.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Showers, Brian J. (25 October 2017). "Mervyn Wall (1908-1997)". Swan River Press. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Mervyn Wall". Swan River Press. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Former members: Mervyn Wall". Aosdána. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d Darrell Schweitzer, "Wall, Mervyn" in St. James Guide To Fantasy Writers, edited by David Pringle. London, St. James Press, 1996. ISBN 1558622055 (pp. 585–6).
- ^ Robert Hogan, "Mervyn Wall", in E. F. Bleiler, Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror. New York: Scribner's, 1985. ISBN 0-684-17808-7 (pp. 645–650).
- Darrell Schweitzer. "Mervyn Wall and the Comedy of Despair" in Schweitzer (ed). Discovering Classic Fantasy Fiction, Gillette BJ: Wildside Press, 1986, pp. 56–67.
External links
[edit]- Mervyn Wall at Library of Congress, with 8 library catalogue records
- Mervyn Wall Collection at the Harry Ransom Center
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