John Banville: ‘I despise this’ awakening ‘movement, it has become a religious cult’



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Irish author John Banville has said that he “despises the awakening movement” and likened it to a religious cult.

At a Hay Festival event, the former Booker Prize winner was asked if he would be at a disadvantage in the awards because “this trend raised suspicions about straight white men.”

In response, Mr. Banville, winner of the 2005 Booker Prize, said that he would not like to start in the industry now, that “it is very difficult” and went on to say:

“I hate this ‘wake up’ movement. Why were they sleeping so long? The same injustices occurred. It has become a religious cult.

“You see people kneeling in the street, raising their fists, that is not going to do anything for blacks.”

Originally from Wexford, Mr. Banville (74) previously won the Booker Award for his novel The Sea, which was adapted into a movie in 2013 and starred Ciarán Hinds, Charlotte Rampling and Rufus Sewell.

The 2020 Booker Prize was awarded to Douglas Stuart for his novel Shuggie Bain, an autobiographical account of the growth of the gay son of an alcoholic mother in the 1980s in Scotland.

Winner of the 2020 Booker Prize and £ 50,000 Mr Stuart, he grew up in Glasgow before moving to New York in hopes of starting a career in fashion design.

The novel follows the story of Shuggie Bain, a boy who lives in a housing estate with his alcoholic mother.

Online editors

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