John MacKenna
Encyclopedia
John MacKenna is an Irish
playwright and novelist.
MacKenna taught for a number of years before working as a producer at RTÉ
Radio in 1980. Between then and 2002, when he left the station to spend more time writing, and acting with Meeting Lane Theatre Company, he worked in a number of areas - including music, education, current affairs, documentaries, features and religion - as a senior producer and commissioning editor.
MacKenna produced several memorable radio series, including work on the Amish people of Pennsylvania; the Shaker Community of Sabbath Day Lake; a ground-breaking series called "Someone Has To Do It" and the highly-regarded "Secret Gardens of the Heart," which followed a young woman through the last months of her life. His radio documentary series on Leonard Cohen
, "How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns", won him a Jacob's Radio Award.
He is the author of several novels, "Clare", "The Last Fine Summer", "A Haunted Heart", and "The Space Between Us"; three collections of short stories, "The Fallen", "A Year of Our Lives" and "The River Field"; a volume of poetry and a biography of Ernest Shackleton
; his memoir, "Things You Should Know" (October 2006) and his story cycle titled "The River Field" (autumn 2007, both published by New Island Books) won considerable critical acclaim.
MacKenna writes for, directs and acts with Mend and Makedo Theatre Co and his most recent works for that company are "Breathless" (2005 & 2010 - Directed by Petra Costigan-Oorthuijs and Richard Ball ) and "My Father's Life" (2006). His theatrical work, "Who by Fire", for the Water to Wine Theatre Company is based on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and uses Leonard Cohen's songs the mood for a chilling exposition of the continuing threat of totalitarianism. It has toured Ireland to great popular acclaim.
His radio play "The Woman at the Window" - based on the life of the Quaker writer Mary Leadbeater - was broadcast by RTE Radio and won a silver medal at the Worldplay Radio Festival in New York in 2007.
In 2008 his play "Corner Boys" (Directed by Marian Brophy) toured the country and "The River Field" was published by New Island Books.
His novel "The Space Between Us" was published in 2009 by New Island Books.
More recent theatrical works include "We Once Sang Like Other Men" (2009) and "Resurrection Song" (2011) from Mend and Makedo Theatre Co.
Among the awards his works have won are the Hennessy Literary Award, the Irish Times Fiction Award and the C Day Lewis Award. He also teaches a number of courses in media studies and creative writing at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
playwright and novelist.
MacKenna taught for a number of years before working as a producer at RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
Radio in 1980. Between then and 2002, when he left the station to spend more time writing, and acting with Meeting Lane Theatre Company, he worked in a number of areas - including music, education, current affairs, documentaries, features and religion - as a senior producer and commissioning editor.
MacKenna produced several memorable radio series, including work on the Amish people of Pennsylvania; the Shaker Community of Sabbath Day Lake; a ground-breaking series called "Someone Has To Do It" and the highly-regarded "Secret Gardens of the Heart," which followed a young woman through the last months of her life. His radio documentary series on Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, "How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns", won him a Jacob's Radio Award.
He is the author of several novels, "Clare", "The Last Fine Summer", "A Haunted Heart", and "The Space Between Us"; three collections of short stories, "The Fallen", "A Year of Our Lives" and "The River Field"; a volume of poetry and a biography of Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...
; his memoir, "Things You Should Know" (October 2006) and his story cycle titled "The River Field" (autumn 2007, both published by New Island Books) won considerable critical acclaim.
MacKenna writes for, directs and acts with Mend and Makedo Theatre Co and his most recent works for that company are "Breathless" (2005 & 2010 - Directed by Petra Costigan-Oorthuijs and Richard Ball ) and "My Father's Life" (2006). His theatrical work, "Who by Fire", for the Water to Wine Theatre Company is based on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, and uses Leonard Cohen's songs the mood for a chilling exposition of the continuing threat of totalitarianism. It has toured Ireland to great popular acclaim.
His radio play "The Woman at the Window" - based on the life of the Quaker writer Mary Leadbeater - was broadcast by RTE Radio and won a silver medal at the Worldplay Radio Festival in New York in 2007.
In 2008 his play "Corner Boys" (Directed by Marian Brophy) toured the country and "The River Field" was published by New Island Books.
His novel "The Space Between Us" was published in 2009 by New Island Books.
More recent theatrical works include "We Once Sang Like Other Men" (2009) and "Resurrection Song" (2011) from Mend and Makedo Theatre Co.
Among the awards his works have won are the Hennessy Literary Award, the Irish Times Fiction Award and the C Day Lewis Award. He also teaches a number of courses in media studies and creative writing at the National University of Ireland Maynooth.