RENOWNED AUTHOR GEORGE R R Martin has received an international recognition award from the An Post Irish Book Awards in the GPO in Dublin tonight.
The author wrote the A Song of Ice and Fire book series which is the basis for TV show Game of Thrones. The award was given in recognition of his contribution to fantasy and science fiction over the past four decades.
Previous recipients include David Walliams, Bill Bryson and Jilly Cooper.
Martin said he was honoured to be receiving this award and thanked the people of Ireland for “bestowing it upon me”.
Speaking before an audience at the GPO tonight, which he dubbed “Ireland’s Alamo” in reference to the 1916 Easter Rising, Martin made a short speech in which he spoke of the importance of understanding history, even when writing fiction.
The author commented that “we are living in perilous times”, citing the political situations in both the US and the UK, adding that we must learn our history in order not to repeat it and that he wakes up wondering what part of history we are about to repeat.
The accolade was presented tonight ahead of the 2019 An Post awards event on 20 November in the Convention Centre Dublin.
The popular series has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide since the first book, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996.
The accolade was presented tonight ahead of the 2019 An Post awards event on 20 November in the Convention Centre Dublin.
The popular series has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide since the first book, A Game of Thrones, was published in 1996.
Martin is currently writing The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the series.
Chair of the An Post Irish Book Awards Maria Dickenson said the award is given to writers who have contributed to Irish book trade and have a large body of popular work.
“A Song of Ice and Fire has become much more than a landmark series of books. The series has been elevated to the ultimate pantheon of J R R Tolkien and C S Lewis,” said Dickenson.
The shortlist of nominations for the awards will be announced on 24 October.
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