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VJ Books Presents Author John Banville! (aka Benjamin Black)

Author John BanvilleWilliam John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland on December 8th, 1945. He was educated at Christian Brothers Schools and St. Peter's College, Wexford. He worked in journalism from 1969, as a sub-editor on The Irish Press and from 1986 at The Irish Times. He was Literary Editor at The Irish Times from 1988 to 1999.

Banville's first book, Long Lankin, a collection of short stories and a novella, was published in 1970. His first novel, Nightspawn, came out in 1971. Banville also writes under the pen name Benjamin Black. As Benjamin Black, he has published a number of crime novels, most featuring Quirke, an Irish pathologist based in Dublin.

He has worked with the film director Neil Jordan on a number of projects, including The End of the Affair, and has co-authored a script based on the George Moore short story, Albert Nobbs, for Glenn Close.

Banville (again writing as Benjamin Black) was commissioned by the Raymond Chandler Estate to pen a new Philip Marlowe novel, The Black-Eyed Blonde, which was published in 2014.

John Banville Book List and Awards
His website: www.john-banville.com
Benjamin Black website: benjaminblackbooks.com
Similar authors: Philip Kerr, Ken Bruen, Declan Hughes, Andrew Taylor
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Black-Eyed Blonde
Signed First Edition

The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black

A Death in Summer
Signed 1st UK Edition

A Death in Summer by Benjamin Black

Holy Orders
Signed First Edition

Holy Orders by Benjamin Black

The Silver Swan
First Edition

The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black

John Banville Bibliography


Revolutions Trilogy

  1. Doctor Copernicus - 1976
  2. Kepler - 1981
  3. The Newton Letter - 1982

Quirke Series (written as Benjamin Black)

  1. Christine Falls - 2006
  2. The Silver Swan - 2007
  3. Elegy for April - 2010
  4. A Death in Summer - 2011
  5. Vengeance - 2012
  6. Holy Orders - 2013
  7. Even the Dead - 2015
  8. The Lemur - 2008
  9. The Black-Eyed Blonde - 2014

Other Novels

  • Nightspawn - 1971
  • Birchwood - 1973
  • Manifesto - 1986
  • Ghosts - 1993
  • Athena - 1995
  • The Ark - 1996
  • The Untouchable - 1997
  • Eclipse - 2000
  • Shroud - 2002
  • The Sea - 2005
  • The Infinities - 2009
  • Ancient Light - 2012
  • The Blue Guitar - 2015

Short Story Collections

  • Long Lankin - 1970

Non-Fiction

  • Prague Pictures: Portrait of a City - 2003

John Banville Awards

  • Allied Irish Banks Fiction Prize
  • American-Irish Foundation Award
  • James Tait Black Memorial Prize
  • The Guardian Fiction Prize

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