Frank Shovlin, professor of Irish literature in English at the University of Liverpool, spoke at the Watauga County Public Library Monday about his biographical work on John McGahern.
The discussion covered McGahern’s life and writing origin, followed by Shovlin speaking about his personal journey with McGahern’s work and its impact on his life. Shovlin concluded by reading a closing passage from his upcoming biography.
“By far the most important thing is, I want people to go and read John McGahern. That’s the thing and that’s what I want from the biography, too,” Shovlin said. “The biography will be a success if it sends people either back to reading McGahern or reading for the first time.”
Shovlin’s authorized biography, “John McGahern: A Writing Life,” will be released in 2026.
Shovlin wrote three books over 15 years on McGahern and is writing a fourth covering the life and death of McGahern. Shovlin’s research draws from McGahern’s published literature and archival letters, conversations with McGahern’s widow and Shovlin’s own experience as McGahern’s student.
“I haven’t got tired of him, and I’m not going to get tired of him. There’s enough there; it’s deep enough,” Shovlin said.
Shovlin spent seven years combing and refining McGahern’s archival letters for his 2021 publication “The Letters of John McGahern,” and said he still receives letters today.
Shovlin said McGahern’s work presented universal themes while exploring Irish culture, specifically.
McGahern’s work depicts life in Ireland in the years after the Irish independence from the United Kingdom. These themes are reflected vividly in his novels “The Dark,” “The Barracks” and “Amongst Women.”
“Just describing the details of life in a way that, perhaps you can’t get all this from history books, but you can from good literature,” Shovlin said.
Shovlin said McGahern’s work can resonate with those raised in Irish culture by depicting shared, pervasive experiences.
“The world he describes is the world I grew up in,” Shovlin said.
Adrian Rice, Irish poet and a senior lecturer at App State, attended the event. Rice said McGahern is a leading literary figure in Irish culture.
“McGahern is one of the legends from back home,” Rice said. “And so these letters, when they came on the scene, they sucked me back in.”
The National Humanities Center, an organization that financially supports research projects, accepted Shovlin for the 2024-2025 Fellowship Experience where he spent seven months in the Durham area working on his project alongside 30 independent researchers.
“The National Humanities Center provides a haven for scholars, and that’s such a valuable thing, no matter what your area is or what you’re working on,” Shovlin said.
Shovlin referred to his time at NHC as being the most productive year in his life.
The NHC offers scholars a dedicated office space to focus on their projects, with the only requirement being a shared lunch with fellow researchers every day.
“You get to hang out with really smart people who are doing totally different things to what you’re doing, but it makes you think,” Shovlin said.
Shovlin connected with the Appalachian Regional Library to organize the event and Monica Caruso, the Watauga County Librarian, assisted in arranging the event.
Caruso said events like these are perfect opportunities for county libraries to serve the community and encourage cultural involvement.
“Public libraries, museums and educational institutions are just so important to bring these kinds of cultural programs,” Caruso said. “Where are you going to find out if you don’t have a public library?”
Kathryn Kirkpatrick, an English professor at App State, also emphasized the importance of libraries in a community.
“They’re stimulating, they’re broadening, they open the rest of the world to people,” Kirkpatrick said. “I love public libraries. I think they’re some of the best places in the world. Librarians are such advocates for literature and culture.”
The Watauga County branch of Appalachian Regional Library hosts a range of weekly events including author talks, book clubs, readings and workshops, cultivating a space for community connection.