Michael Harding

Michael Harding (born 1953) is an Irish writer.

Biography Harding was born and raised in Cavan, Ireland. He went to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, initially graduating as a lay graduate. He then taught for two years in St. Patrick's College in Cavan Town, then worked as a social worker in a prison. He returned to Maynooth as a seminarian and was ordained in 1980, after which he went to work in a parish in Fermanagh. He left the priesthood in 1985, then spent seventeen years practising Buddhism.

He is married to the sculptor Cathy Carman (whom he first met in 1984) and they have a daughter Sophia and a son, Simon. He lives in Tarmon, County Leitrim.

Work He is an active writer of novels and poetry. He is a regular columnist with The Irish Times. He was Writer in Association with The Abbey Theatre in 1993 and was Writer in Residence at Trinity College Dublin, in 1999.

Publications Novels Priest (1986) The Trouble With Sarah Gullion (1988) Bird in the Snow (2008)

Plays Strawboys, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1987 Una Pooka, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1989 Misogynist, Abbey Theatre, 1990 Burying Brian Boru, Theatre Omnibus, 1990 Where the Heart is, Project Arts Centre, 1993 Hubert Murray's Widow, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1993 The Kiss, Project Arts Centre, 1994 Ceacht Houdini, Amharclann de hIde, 1994 Backsides to the Wind, Red Kettle, 1995 Sour Grapes, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1997 Amazing Grace, Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1998 Bog Dances, Steve Wickham and Shake the Spear Theatre @ Dunamaise Arts Centre, 2000 Sleeping a Lovesong, Project Arts Centre, 2002 Talking Through His Hat, Dublin Fringe Festival @ The Focus, 2002 Swallow, Gare St Lazare Players @ Dublin Fringe Festival, 2003 Birdie Birdie, for Blue Raincoat Theatre, 2004 Tearmann for Siamsa Tire, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland, 2006 The Tinker's Curse, Livin' Dred Theatre Company, 2007. Is There Balm in Gilead? Pavilion Theatre Dublin, 2007

Other Staring at Lakes (winner of the Bord Gais Energy Book of the Year Award Hanging with the Elephant Talking with Strangers On Tuesdays I'm a Buddhist (2017) Chest Pain, A man, a stent and camper van (2019)

Awards 1989 - shortlisted for the Irish Times Aer Lingus Literature Award 1990 - Stewart Parker Trust Award for Theatre 1990 - Bank of Ireland RTÉ award for excellence in the arts 1980 - Hennessy Literary Award for short stories 2004 - Best Actor, Dublin Fringe Festival for his performance in Gare St Lazare's production of Swallow. 2006 - Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – British Theatre Management Awards 2007 - The Tinker's Curse, nominated for Best New Play at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards 2013 - Staring at Lakes, Non-Fiction Book of the Year Irish Book Awards 2000 - Member, Aosdána, Irish National Academy for Creative Artists