Paul Larkin

Paul Larkin is a Manchester Gael. He spent four years in the Danish Merchant Navy before taking a degree in Scandinavian and Celtic Studies at University College London. After college, he completed a successful traineeship with the BBC as a television producer/director. Paul stayed with the BBC first in Manchester and then Belfast until 1994. In 1994 he moved to Dublin and commenced working for RTÉ. In 1997, he won the overall Liam Hourican prize in the European Journalist of the Year awards. This award was in recognition of the series THE GAP IN THE MOUNTAIN which looked at Ireland's relationship with Europe. Paul wrote and directed the six part television series, which also won the film documentary section in the same awards. Paul regards himself as a film poet rather than being formally a film director and his film influences include Parajanov, Wong Kar Wai and Pasolini. Literary influences include Seosamh Mac Grianna, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Carlos Fuentes and Patricia Highsmith. Paul has written the screenplays for (and directed) two film poems which have attracted both acclaim and a share of opprobrium - BELFAST BLACK for the BBC starring Lalor Roddy and "IMEACHT NA nIARLAÍ for TG4 starring Stephen Rea and Dominic Mafham. Larkin captured the Best International Director award at the prestigious New York Independent Film and Video awards for his directing of Imeacht na nIarlaí.

Larkin spent part of the summer of 2009 in Sicily where he completed a literary translation of Henrik Ibsen's "Et Dukkehjem - A Doll's House" for Secondage Theatre Company, which is based in Dublin.

In May 2011, Larkin's translations of Danish painter Asger Jorn's anarcho communist essays on art and society were published by 010 Publishers Rotterdam.

At the moment (summer 2013), Larkin has recently completed Danish author Henrik Pontoppidan's most famous work - Lykke Per - my title A Fortunate Man - into English. Pontoppidan won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1917 but very little of his large volume of work has been translated into English. Larkin's translation was assisted edititorially by the Pontoppidan Society and was funded by the Danish Arts Council. In this year (2013) the Danish Arts Council awarded Larkin a work grant for the full translation of Danish author Klaus Rifbjerg's Den kroniske uskyld - my title Terminal Innocence.

Larkin has written two novels. The first - "The Escort" - is available as a Kindle/e book and the second, and most recent, novel - "The Hidden Nature of Irish Plastic" - is being considered by a publisher at the moment.

His advice to budding writers and directors - "Go and buy a hard hat, keep both chips on your shoulders for balance, and always stay true to yourself."

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PAUL LARKIN SCRÍBHNEOIR/AISTRITHEOIR /STIÚRTHÓIR SCANNÁN

Is duine de Ghaeil Mhanchain é Paul Larkin. Chaith sé ceithre bliana i gCabhlach Trádála na Danmhairge sular thug sé faoi chéim sa Léann Lochlannach agus Ceilteach i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Londain. Agus é críochnaithe leis an gcoláiste, rinne sé cúrsa oiliúna leis an BBC mar léiritheoir/stiúrthóir teilifíse. D'fhan Paul i Manchain, ar dtús, leis an BBC agus ina dhiaidh sin chaith sé seal leo i mBéal Feirste, go dtí 1994. Tháinig se go Baile Átha Cliath i 1994 agus thosaigh sé ag obair le RTÉ. I 1997, bhain sé amach príomhdhuais 'Liam Hourican' ag gradaim Iriseoir Eorpach na Bliana. Tugadh aitheantas dó, leis an ngradam sin, don tsraith THE GAP IN THE MOUNTAIN, sraith inar caitheadh súil ar an gcaidreamh idir Éire agus an Eoraip. Ba é Paul a scríobh agus a stiúraigh an tsraith teilifíse, ar a raibh sé chuid; sraith a thug gradam na gclár faisnéise leis ag an ócáid chéanna.

Is le file scannán a dhealraíonn Paul é fein seachas le stiúrthóir foirmiuil scannán agus leithéidí Parajanov, Wong Kar Wai agus Pasolini ag dul i bhfeidhm air ó thaobh scannáin de. Áirítear Seosamh Mac Grianna, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Carlos Fuentes agus Patricia Highsmith ar dhaoine a chuaigh i bhfeidhm air ó thaobh litríochta. Ba é Paul a scríobh na scripteanna scannán do dhá dhán scannán a bhfuil idir cháil agus dhroch-cháil bainte amach acu - BELFAST BLACK don BBC, agus Lalor Roddy sa phríomhpháirt agus IMEACHT NA nlARLAÍ do TG4 agus Stephen Rea is Dominic Mafham sna príomhpháirteanna, agus ba é a stiúraigh iad chomh maith. Bhain Paul duais amach ag na gradaim cháiliúla - "New York Independent Film and Video Awards", mar stiúrthóir scannán idirnáisiúnta is fearr de thairbhe a chuid ardscileanna stiúrthóireachta in IMEACHT NA nlARLAÍ .

Chaith Paul Larkin cuid den samhradh 2009 sa Sicil, áit a chuir sé aistriúchán liteartha de "Et Dukkehjem - Teach Bábóige" le Henrik Ibsen i gcríoch ar son Comhlachta Amharclainne Secondage, atá lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath

Faoi láthair (an samhradh 2011) tá Larkin i mbun an úrscéal is cáiliúla de chuid Henrik Pontoppidan - Lykke Per/Lucky Per a aistriú ón Danmhairgis go Béarla. Cé gur bhain Pontoppidan an duais litríochta Nobel i 1917, is beag a chuid saothair atá aistrithe go Béarla.

Tá dhá úrscéal scríofa ag Paul Larkin. Tá an chéad ceann - "The Escort" - le fáil mar Kindle/e-leabhar agus tá teach foilseacháin ag déanamh breathnaithe ar an dárna leabhar - "The Hidden Nature of Irish Plastic" - i láthair na huaire.

Is é seo an chomhairle a chuireann Paul Larkin ar scríbhneoirí agus stiúrthóirí óga atá ag teacht chun cinn sa lá atá inniu ann - "Tugaigí cluas bhodhar d'aon duine a mbíonn ag caitheamh anuas oraibh agus bígí dílis daoibh féin i dtólamh."