Joseph O’Connor’s masterful MY FATHER’S HOUSE on shortlist for 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

May 1, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor has been shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. This is the second time Joseph O’Connor’s work has been recognised by the prize – with his acclaimed novel SHADOWPLAY also making the shortlist in 2020.

Honouring the achievements of the great Scottish historical novelist, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes. It celebrates quality, innovation and ambition of writing, provided the majority of the novel’s storyline is set at least sixty years ago. Previous winners include THE NARROW LAND by Christine Dwyer Hickey and THE GALLOWS POLE by Benjamin Myers.

The other shortlisted titles for this year’s prize are as follows: THE NEW LIFE by Tom Crewe, THE HOUSE OF DOORS by Tan Twan Eng, HUNGRY GHOSTS by Kevin Jared Hosein, IN THE UPPER COUNTRY by Kai Thomas and ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER by Rose Tremain.

The winner receives £25,000 and shortlisted authors each receive £1,500. This year’s winner will be announced at an event that opens the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland, on Thursday 13th June 2024.

The judging panel commented: ‘The Walter Scott Prize judging criteria – originality, innovation, ambition, durability and of course quality of writing – are beautifully showcased in our 2024 shortlist. In addition, we have six novels as diverse in their subject-matter as in style of writing: an attempted sexual revolution in 18th century London; dangerously entwined lives in 1940s Trinidad; gripping tensions in Nazi-occupied Rome; a gentle 1960s home-counties heartbreaker; stories within stories from the terminus of the Underground Railroad; and love, betrayal and scandal in the Straits Settlements of Penang. At the heart of each novel lies a deep understanding of humanity in all its quirky strengths and weaknesses, with each of the WSP 2024 shortlisted authors having something new to say and a new way of saying it.’

Based on the true story of Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest in the Vatican who helped escaped prisoners evade capture in Nazi-occupied Rome, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. It was first published to great acclaim in the UK and Ireland by Harvill Secker in January 2023 and in the US by Europa Editions in April 2023. Paperback editions followed in February 2024 (UK) and April 2024 (US), with the latter accompanied by an inclusion in The New York Times – it was a ‘6 New Paperbacks to Read This Week’ pick. Translation rights have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden, and film rights are under option.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE flew straight to No.1 in Ireland on publication and occupied the top spot for four weeks, and has sold over 100,000 copies in the English language overall. It was longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award and shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards (with Joseph shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award at the same event). In June Joseph O’Connor is taking part in an exciting live multi-city theatre version of the hugely successful BBC Two series BETWEEN THE COVERS (which featured MY FATHER’S HOUSE in November 2023). O’Connor features alongside the BETWEEN THE COVERS celebrities Kacey Ainsworth, Jo Brand, and Stephen Mangan.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has also been very well received in its many translation markets – most recently in France where Payot & Rivages are already onto their second reprint and publications like Les chroniques de Goliath are describing it as ‘dazzling… A fiction that dives its roots so deeply into historical truth that it becomes entirely credible.’

Joseph is going to be the Writer in Residence at the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival this July, and earlier this year the Irish ambassadors to Italy and the Vatican jointly organised a celebratory event at the Irish Embassy in Rome to mark both the release of Harvill Secker’s paperback edition of MY FATHER’S HOUSE and Guanda’s Italian edition of LA CASA DI MIO PADRE.

Joseph is currently working on THE GHOSTS OF ROME, the second novel in the Escape Line trilogy (of which MY FATHER’S HOUSE is the first), which is due to be published by Harvill Secker in the UK and Europa in the US in early 2025.

About Joseph O’Connor

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin, where he still lives. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is his tenth novel: he is also the author of film scripts, radio and stage plays, two collections of short stories, and several bestselling works of non-fiction.

2022 was the 20th anniversary of Joseph O’Connor’s novel STAR OF THE SEA which was an international bestseller, selling more than a million copies in the UK alone and being published in 38 languages. It won France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, the Irish Post Award for Fiction, the Nielsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, an American Library Association Award, the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, and the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year.

He holds an honorary Doctorate in Literature from University College Dublin and received the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature in 2012. He is the Inaugural Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Praise for MY FATHER’S HOUSE

‘A gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant read.’ – Liz Nugent

‘I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a beautifully produced advance copy of Joseph's new novel. What a joy and privilege to be an early reader of a work of art from a towering figure in world literature. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a masterwork. No writer in the world can tell a story the way Joseph O’Connor does. He can, without seeming effort, be all things to all readers, taking us by the hand and guiding us into the very heart of a story, his narrative techniques deployed with such unearthly skill that we’re hardly aware that this was written at all, it feels so real, so urgent, so incredibly alive. This novel is a searing and beautiful example of storytelling’s infinite importance, to our humanness, to our chances of learning from our most terrible and our most transcendent moments, and all our moments in between, to hold all life sacred, to see each other as brothers and sisters, to love and protect each other. No wonder he is so cherished and loved by his countless devotees across the earth. He is a national and international treasure, the most generous and noble of writers, a true master of the art.’ – Donal Ryan

‘A spectacular, thrilling novel… offering much more than tensely plotted thrills… MY FATHER’S HOUSE celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. It would require a present-day Puccini to do operatic justice to its tremendous tale.’ – Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times

‘This formidable talent for writing across genres is reflected in his masterly 10th novel, which should reap similar plaudits… This is a literary thriller of the highest order. The incarnation of O’Flaherty, the Irish Oskar Schindler, is sublime. What often elevates a writer is compassion, and O’Connor has it in spades – paying tribute to the courage of those who resist tyranny. Beautifully crafted, his razor-sharp dialogue is to be savoured, and he employs dark humour to great effect. The plot twists keep on coming until the novel’s coda, where a final joyful conceit is revealed.’ – Lucy Popescu, The Observer

‘Joseph O’Connor’s historical novel MY FATHER’S HOUSE manages to be at once a ripping yarn and a profound exploration of moral choices in the worst of times… With lyrical evocation of time and place, scabrous humour and heart-stopping tension, it combines the pleasures of the ideal holiday read with those of a literary masterpiece.’ – Fintan O’Toole, The Irish Times, ‘The Best Books of 2023 so far’

MY FATHER’S HOUSE longlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

February 22, 2024 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are thrilled to announce that MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Joseph O’Connor has been longlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. This is the second time Joseph O’Connor’s work has been recognised by the prize – with his acclaimed novel SHADOWPLAY making the shortlist in 2020.

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is a prestigious literary prize celebrating quality, innovation and ambition of writing, provided the majority of the novel’s storyline is set at least sixty years ago. Previous winners include WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel and THE LONG SONG by Andrea Levy.

The other longlisted titles for this year’s prize are: THE NEW LIFE by Tom Crewe, A BETTER PLACE by Stephen Daisley, THE HOUSE OF DOORS by Tan Twan Eng, HUNGRY GHOSTS by Kevin Jared Hosein, FOR THY GREAT PAIN, HAVE MERCY ON MY LITTLE PAIN by Victoria MacKenzie, MUSIC IN THE DARK by Sally Magnusson, CUDDY by Benjamin Myers, THE FRAUD by Zadie Smith, MISTER TIMELESS BLYTH by Alan Spence, IN THE UPPER COUNTRY by Kai Thomas, and ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER by Rose Tremain.

Katie Grant, the chair of the judging panel, said: ‘From the epic to the intimate, from the philosophical to the swashbuckling, from the traditional to the experimental, in each book emotions run deep. If you read the whole list, just like the panel of judges, you’ll never be short of conversation.’

From February 2024, the prize is being managed by The Abbotsford Trust, which is responsible for Sir Walter Scott’s Borders home. With the support of The Hawthornden Foundation, and the ongoing patronage of prize founder and Abbotsford patron, the Duke of Buccleuch, the existing Walter Scott Prize team and judges will continue their work.

The shortlist will be announced in May, and the winner announcement and prize-giving event will take at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose, in June.

Based on the true story of Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest in the Vatican who helped escaped prisoners evade capture in Nazi-occupied Rome, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O’Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in extreme circumstances.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE was first published to great acclaim in the UK and Ireland by Harvill Secker in January 2023 and in the US by Europa Editions in April 2023. Translation rights have been sold in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden, and film rights are under option.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been a stellar success, flying straight to No.1 in Ireland upon publication, occupying the spot for four weeks and selling over 100,000 copies in the English language overall. A Waterstones’ Irish ‘Book of the Month’ for February 2024, it is longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award and last year was shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year Award at the 2023 An Post Irish Book Awards (with Joseph shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award at the same event). Last week MY FATHER’S HOUSE was picked by Peter Kemp as a Sunday Times ‘Paperback of the Week’.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been very well received in its many translation markets – most recently in France where Payot & Rivages are already onto their second reprint and publications like Les chroniques de Goliath are describing it as ‘dazzling… A fiction that dives its roots so deeply into historical truth that it becomes entirely credible.’ You can see more of the international praise below and on Joseph O’Connor’s website.

The Irish ambassadors to Italy and the Vatican have jointly organised a celebratory event at the Irish Embassy in Rome in this month which marks both the release of Harvill Secker’s paperback edition of MY FATHER’S HOUSE and Guanda’s Italian edition of LA CASA DI MIO PADRE.

Joseph is currently completing THE GHOSTS OF ROME, the second novel in the Escape Line trilogy (of which MY FATHER’S HOUSE is the first), which is due to be published by Harvill Secker in the UK and Europa in the UK in 2025.

About Joseph O’Connor

Praise for MY FATHER’S HOUSE

‘A gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant read.’ – Liz Nugent

‘This historical thriller is a captivating page-turner.’ – ActuaLitté

‘With his new fiction, Joseph O’Connor once again reinvents the historical genre, intertwining it with elements of suspense typical of noir fiction.’ – Livres Hebdo

‘This book is a real page-turner, where compassion prevails over hatred.’ – L’Arche

‘The interwoven narrative of the protagonists’ testimonies lends a powerful momentum to this page-turner.’ – Benzine

‘In this beautifully written novel, Joseph O’Connor raises the painful question of neutrality. While the Pontiff clings to it like a mussel to its rock, the Irish priest rejects it. He didn’t don the habit to indulge in contemplation. He made a vow of obedience, but his conscience whispers disobedience to him. Do we ever truly know who we are? Only danger reveals it to us. For Hugh O’Flaherty and his choir, doubt is not allowed. Coming from all walks of life, destined never to meet in times of peace, these amateur singers have found each other to form only one audacious soul. Noble heroes on the altar of sacrifice, on the altar of humanity.’ – La Vie en Noir

Visit Joseph’s website

Costa-winner Monique Roffey brings ‘electrifying’ new novel PASSIONTIDE to Harvill Secker

October 20, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

Returning three years after the enormous international success of the Costa Book of the Year winner, THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH, we are thrilled to announce Monique Roffey’s new novel PASSIONTIDE, a timely and captivating women-led story about violence and revolution set in the Caribbean. Harvill Secker will launch the novel in the UK and Commonwealth in May 2024 with an “unmissable” marketing and publicity campaign, as part of the two-book deal agreed in 2021 between Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann and Vintage senior commissioning editor Alex Russell.

‘Written with much thought love and care, this is a book about women I’ve waited my whole life to write,’ says Monique. ‘It’s been a huge pleasure to work with a dream team at Harvill Secker.’

Speaking on behalf of Harvill Secker, Alex Russell said: ‘We are immensely proud to be publishing Monique’s new novel. It is an electrifying story about community and protest, courage and freedom, friendship and love. PASSIONTIDE speaks powerfully to our moment and brings us a remarkable cast of characters who live on in the mind. Monique is a vital, spellbinding storyteller and we look forward to sharing this major new book with her legions of fans.’

‘Monique Roffey writes with such insight about both tenderness and violence, an unforgettable depiction of a wounded community and the fierce belief in the possibility of creating a better future,’ added Isobel Dixon. ‘I am delighted that the exceptional Harvill Secker team are working with Monique on PASSIONTIDE.’

Set in the Caribbean, PASSIONTIDE follows four women as they spark a revolution in the aftermath of a shocking event. The synopsis reads: ‘Early one morning, at the close of St Colibri’s carnival, a young female steel pan player is found dead beneath a tree. It is a discovery that will transform the lives of everyone on this small island. Vivid and fiercely alive, PASSIONTIDE is a novel of women daring to imagine a different world.’

About Monique Roffey

Monique Roffey is an award-winning Trinidadian-born writer. She is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her novel HOUSE OF ASHES was shortlisted for the COSTA Fiction Award, as well as the OCM BOCAS Award. ARCHIPELAGO won the OCM BOCAS Award for Caribbean Literature in 2013 and was shortlisted for the Orion Award 2014. In 2010, her novel THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Encore Award.

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH was shortlisted for the 2020 Goldsmiths Prize and the 2021 Rathbones Folio Prize, and won both the Costa Novel Prize and the Costa Book of the Year Award 2020. The book was first published in the UK by Peepal Tree Press in 2020, before reaching a wider audience with a new edition published by Vintage in 2021, becoming one of the imprint’s first ‘Vintage Earth’ titles the following year. It was also published in the US and Canada by Knopf in 2022. Translation rights have been sold in fifteen countries, it was featured as a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime, and Film/TV rights were won (at auction) by Dorothy Street Pictures.

Praise for Monique Roffey

‘A unique talent and most daring and versatile of writers. I never know what to expect and I’m never disappointed.’ – Bernardine Evaristo

‘A major contribution to the new wave of Caribbean writing… Roffey is a magical storyteller’ – Olive Senior, Commonwealth Prize-winner

‘Monique Roffey has established herself as a fearless writer with her choices of subject and her visceral style.’ – Kapka Kassabova, The Guardian

‘Monique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read.’ – Sarah Hall

‘Roffey is a fantastic talent who, one hopes, will keep writing for years to come’ – Lisa Rohrbaugh, Literary Journal

‘One of our most exciting new Caribbean voices.’ – A.L. Kennedy

‘Monique Roffey has a sharp, original way of looking at the world.’ – Christina Hardyment, The Times

Visit Monique’s website

Follow Monique on Twitter

Joseph O’Connor’s MY FATHER’S HOUSE takes the Number One spot in Ireland

February 6, 2023 Intern BlakeFriedmann

The powerful new literary thriller from bestselling author Joseph O’Connor, MY FATHER’S HOUSE, has flown straight to the Number One spot on the Irish bestseller chart after its first three days on sale. The novel is published by Harvill Secker in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is also just published in the US by Europa Editions. Two launch events for MY FATHER’S HOUSE took place this month, the first hosted at the Irish Embassy in London, featuring a Q&A between Andrew Holgate and Joseph O’Connor, and the second at the Pavilion Theatre in Dublin.

The audio edition features an exhilarating cast of narrators and UK-based listeners can also hear the Book at Bedtime abridgement of MY FATHER’S HOUSE, running over ten episodes on BBC Radio 4 over the next week, with catch-up possible on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001hp16

The first in a trilogy, MY FATHER’S HOUSE takes place in September 1943, while German forces occupy Rome and SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. He gathers a team to set up an Escape Line. But Hauptmann's net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas, it's too late to turn back. Based on a true story, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is an unforgettable novel of love, sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE has been published to huge acclaim. Peter Kemp in the Sunday Times describes it as ‘a spectacular, thrilling novel… [which] celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie’ while Sarah Gilmartin in the Irish Times says it’s ‘a riveting tale about the power of community in the face of unfathomable evil… a seamless blend of fact and fiction by a master of the genre; a brisk polyphonic narrative that brings the heroism of ordinary people thrillingly to life.’ In the US, Martin Kemp says in the Washington Post that Joseph O’Connor brings Hugh O’Flaherty ‘vividly to life… His cat-and-mouse game with Hauptmann is expertly plotted; his desperate mission through the streets of Rome is brilliantly paced. It is hard not to be captivated by his presence throughout this hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end.’ Further praise can be found below.

Last year, Joseph won the AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Literary Award, one of Ireland’s most illustrious literary prizes given each year to a ‘promising or established writer in Ireland who best reflects the Irish literary tradition’. His previous novel, SHADOWPLAY, won Eason Novel of the Year Award 2019 and was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards 2020, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2020, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2020, the Jean Monnet Prize 2020, the RTE Radio 1 Listeners’ Choice Award 2019, Book of the Year Award at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019, the Costa Novel Award 2019, and the Polari Prize 2020.

Praise for MY FATHER’S HOUSE

‘A spectacular, thrilling novel… the novel offers much more than tensely plotted thrills. O’Flaherty’s deep and impressively detailed love of Rome is emphasised and handsomely conveyed by O’Connor, who shares his responsiveness to its majestic and crumbled splendours, and its “painter’s palette… of burnished pinks, old copper, walnut, honey, ivory, mocha”. Dawn is watched “purpling” statues on its church rooftops… MY FATHER’S HOUSE celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. It would require a present-day Puccini to do operatic justice to its tremendous tale.’ – Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times

‘O’Connor’s imagining of the characters’ thoughts helps bring them to life, but he also allows himself to trade on what happened while improving it as suits his dramatic purposes. This remains a tale worth re-telling, adorned as it is by the brilliants of O’Connor’s impressionistic writing.’ – James Owen, The Times, ‘The best new thrillers for January 2023’

‘Confrontational dialogue is one of O’Connor’s great strengths, and the scenes in which O’Flaherty and Hauptmann give battle crackle… the diverse ventriloquism of O’Connor’s novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality.’ – Luke Brown, The Financial Times

‘Joseph O’Connor’s new novel my father’s house is a riveting tale about the power of community in the face of unfathomable evil… a seamless blend of fact and fiction by a master of the genre; a brisk polyphonic narrative that brings the heroism of ordinary people thrillingly to life... Historical details are scattered like gems throughout my father's house… Where my father's house really shines is in O'Connor's assembly of the material and his ventriloquistic way with voice. From the map of Rome and the Vatican at the beginning that locates the action, to the classical three-act structure, to a central narrative that moves forward in time over one momentous day, there is a clear sense of authority, a composer at work. In the hands of a less experienced writer, the many metafictional devices – unpublished memoirs, letters, transcripts from BBC interviews, among others – could confuse or detract from the story. O’Connor keeps an admirable command of the various strains and voices, some fictional, others, such as the British diplomat Sir D’Arcy Osborne, drawn from reality… O’Connor is a visualist who revels in evocative cityscapes of a Rome under siege… readers will be too caught up in O’Connor’s writing, the delight in watching a plan come together, the tension of wondering whether it will succeed… MY FATHER’S HOUSE, the first in a trilogy, is a novel full of deft characterisation and knowledge, not just the historical facts, but the broader – grander? – wisdom to be found in excavating the past.’ – Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times

‘The novel’s evocative scene-setting, its propulsive narration and its powerful depiction of bravery and unity in extremis, all make for an engrossing read.’ – Houman Barekat, The Telegraph

‘Joseph O’Connor’s latest novel, My Father’s House, begins with a potent blend of excitement, suspense, and intrigue. After making his mark with his grand entrance, O’Connor’s priest goes on to steal many more scenes by showing not just the courage of his convictions but also courage under fire. The result is a gripping World War II-set drama featuring the unlikeliest of heroes, one whom the reader roots for every step of the way. For a while, the book feels like an ensemble piece. However, O’Flaherty (or as May calls him, “Hughdini”) emerges as the star of the show. O’Connor brings vividly to life a man who, despite his calling, stands up to be counted after witnessing Nazi atrocities. His cat-and-mouse game with Hauptmann is expertly plotted; his desperate mission through the streets of Rome is brilliantly paced. It is hard not to be captivated by his presence throughout this hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end.’ – Malcolm Forbes, The Washington Post

‘If the story were told in typical thriller style, emphasizing action over language, it would still be good, but O’Connor’s phrasings are a special joy… A deeply emotional read. And when the action is over, the coda could water an atheist’s eye.’ – Kirkus Reviews

‘There have been many books written and films made about Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the Kerry-born Vatican priest who rescued thousands of Jews and Allied Prisoners of War during the Second World War. But his latest incarnation, as the hero of this fast-moving novel by Joseph O’Connor, is surely the most memorable… The use of so many different voices, more suited to the gentler pace of literary fiction, is a risky technique for a thriller writer, relying on the reader’s willingness to get to know each new character in turn, hence the description “literary thriller”. Only a highly skilled writer could carry it off, but it is no problem to Joseph O’Connor… a novel that triumphantly recreates the extraordinary human being that was Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and his colourful co-conspirators.’ – Alannah Hopkin, Irish Examiner

‘Superb’ – Madeleine Keane, Irish Independent

‘The overall tone of Mr. O’Connor’s new novel, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is, by contrast, more urgent than elegiac, and its suspenseful plot has little time for bittersweet rumination… All of which Mr. O’Connor re-creates with consummate skill while painting a subtle portrait of an erudite scholar who was also a defi ant and formidable man of action… There is a boyish gusto in the staccato style he employs when describing a rescue being planned, for example, or a daring mission being executed… For all its thrills, however, MY FATHER’S HOUSE is primarily – and triumphantly – an intimate drama that illuminates both the fragility and the wonder of unlikely human connections forged in adversity and, in some cases, enduring for a lifetime.’ – Anna Mundow, The Wall Street Journal

‘O’Connor has a flair for spry historical fiction involving real-life figures… He’s on stellar form with this ensemble thriller… while the story’s inbuilt tension urges you on, it’s the sheer vigour of O’Connor’s beautifully turned phrases that really makes the book sing. Through the twists and turns, you feel in the safe hands of an expert story-teller dedicated to your pleasure… I can’t wait for part two.’ – Anthony Cummins, The Daily Mail

‘The riveting latest from O’Connor… Through wonderfully developed and varied characters, O’Connor conveys both the painful privations of life during wartime and the nobility of the Choir’s goals, and the unfolding of O’Flaherty’s marathon of undercover subterfuges that lay the groundwork for their mission in the middle section is a storytelling tour de force. This is top-drawer WWII fiction.’ – Publishers Weekly, starred review

‘A polyphonic retelling of how an Irish priest set out to rescue resistance fighters, PoWs and Jews from Nazi-occupied Rome… O’Connor rejects voyeurism or titillation. Violence is indirectly conveyed in the destruction of a fine piano, the appearance of a full set of teeth… O’Connor is playing with the possibilities of multiple narrators, and thinking also about plurality, reliability and the historical record: is a collection of witnesses more accurate than a solo narrator? … the final twist is satisfyingly theological.’ – Sarah Moss, The Guardian

‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant read. O'Connor's gift for exquisite language shines through.’ – Liz Nugent

‘What a joy and privilege to be an early reader of a work of art from a towering figure in world literature. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a masterwork. No writer in the world can tell a story the way Joseph O'Connor does. He can, without seeming effort, be all things to all readers, taking us by the hand and guiding us into the very heart of a story, his narrative techniques deployed with such unearthly skill that we're hardly aware that this was written at all, it feels so real, so urgent, so incredibly alive. This novel is a searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importance, to our humanness, to our chances of learning from our most terrible and our most transcendent moments, and all our moments in between, to hold all life sacred, to see each other as brothers and sisters, to love and protect each other. No wonder he is so cherished and loved by his countless devotees across the earth. He is a national and international treasure, the most generous and noble of writers, a true master of the art.’ – Donal Ryan

‘I was utterly engrossed from start to finish. The writing hums with energy. Such a gloriously vivid depiction of a Rome that is both familiar and altogether strange. And a powerful story of ordinary humans showing extraordinary bravery and tenacity. Bravo!’ – Danielle McLaughlin

‘I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed MY FATHER’S HOUSE. Everything about it spoke to me. The characters, the location and the story itself. It is that rare thing, a literary page-turner. There were times when I was almost reading with my eyes closed because I couldn't handle the suspense! … O'Flaherty of course, is the star of the novel but he is probably upstaged just a little by Rome herself. Rome at such a difficult time in her history, bristling with fear and still full of beauty and courage. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is a terrific read and will stand among the best of World War 2 novels.’ – Christine Dwyer Hickey

‘Gripping… O’Connor is a masterful storyteller, weaving a violent, terrifying, suspenseful, yet ultimately uplifting story of one man’s courage and determination to fight back against Nazi brutality, whatever the risk. Superb!’ – Emily Melton, Booklist, Starred Review

‘Based on true events, this gripping narrative is rendered in beautifully evocative prose.’ – Simon Humphreys, Mail on Sunday

‘I cannot say enough good things about this World War II thriller... Readers will hold their breath if the Choir will fulfil their critical mission. It’s the first of a trilogy and a must read.’ – Elisa Shoenberger, Book Riot

‘I am enjoying this hugely. It's a great story and a real page-turner, but Joe O'Connor is such a beautiful writer that you can't help stopping sometimes, just to savour the words… a wonderful book.’ – Kathleen Mac Mahon

‘Pacy well-crafted historical thriller... Building moment by moment to an almost unbearably tense climax, it is a gripping story of what it means to keep your humanity, even in the most extreme circumstances. Joseph O'Connor's books have long been favourites at Daunt Books and MY FATHER’S HOUSE does not disappoint.’ – Daunt Books newsletter, ‘Our five favourite books of the week’

About Joseph O’Connor

His novel GHOST LIGHT was chosen as Dublin’s One City Book novel for 2011. Published in 2019, SHADOWPLAY, has won him extraordinary praise, was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, The Dalkey Novel Prize, the Costa Novel Prize, among others, and won him Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. The French edition was shortlisted for the Jean Monnet Prize and the Vintage paperback was a Richard and Judy Winter 2020 pick.

Visit Joseph O’Connor’s website

Joseph O’Connor returns with the Rome Escape Line trilogy

July 14, 2022 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We’re thrilled that Harvill Secker will be publishing an extraordinary trilogy of literary thrillers set in Rome during the final, tumultuous years of World War II, by the bestselling author of SHADOWPLAY and STAR OF THE SEA, Joseph O’Connor. Liz Foley, Publishing Director at Harvill Secker, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) in all three novels and has been joined by Europa’s Editor-in-Chief Michael Reynolds, who has also acquired the three titles for publication in the US and Canada.

My FATHER’S HOUSE, the first title in the Rome Escape Line trilogy, is inspired by the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest assigned to the Vatican who, together with a group of unlikely accomplices, risked his life to smuggle Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy right under the nose of his Nazi nemesis, Gestapo officer Paul Hauptmann. The further titles will take two other characters in the Escape Line group as their focus, as they face their own challenges in the fight to save others in dangerous times.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE will be published by Harvill Secker and Europa in January 2023. Rights are also already sold in France, Italy and Sweden.

Based on an extraordinary true story, MY FATHER'S HOUSE is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O'Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances.

Joseph O’Connor said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled and excited that MY FATHER’S HOUSE will be published by Harvill Secker and Europa. Working on the book with editor Liz Foley has been a joy, and I deeply admire the skill and professionalism of the whole Harvill / PRH team. It is also such a great pleasure to be published by Michael Reynolds at Europa, where the passion for excellence is so strong. This novel means a lot to me and I couldn't imagine it in better hands as it sets out to meet its readers on both sides of the Atlantic.’

Liz Foley, Harvill Secker said: 'MY FATHER'S HOUSE is a moving and masterful literary thriller – quite extraordinary in being a beautiful read and also intensely gripping. We can’t wait to bring readers to the wartime Rome Joe so brilliantly conjures and introduce them to the Escape Line.’

Michael Reynolds, Europa, said: ‘Joe’s ability to render character and atmosphere, to create a fully realized world in his novels is unparalleled. He writes each member of his cast of characters with remarkable vividness and conveys just what is at stake in their actions—not only the lives of the people they help but the future political and moral bearings of a world riven by war. MY FATHER’S HOUSE is epic in scope, gripping, beautifully written, and it is an important book because of the questions it raises about how one ought to act. The publication of MY FATHER’S HOUSE will be a big event at Europa, and the excitement in-house is already palpable.’

Isobel Dixon said: ‘MY FATHER’S HOUSE is an extraordinary true story, conjured into an unforgettable novel, one that delivers nail-biting tension along with scenes of great beauty and heartbreaking tenderness. There is such excitement around this very special book, and I know that excitement will spread from Joe’s publishers to many more readers – and we are all thrilled that there is more to come from Joe’s magnificent characters as well.’

About Joseph O’Connor

Joseph O'Connor was born in Dublin. His most recent novel, SHADOWPLAY, won Eason Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 and in 2020 was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award, Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and the Jean Monnet Prize. In 2022, he was awarded the AWB Vincent American Ireland Fund Award for his contribution to Irish literature.

Joseph is the author of eight other novels: COWBOYS AND INDIANS (Whitbread Prize shortlist), DESPERADOES, THE SALESMAN, INISHOWEN, STAR OF THE SEA (American Library Association Award, Irish Post Award for Fiction, France's Prix Millepages, Italy's Premio Acerbi, Prix Madeleine Zepter for European novel of the year), REDEMPTION FALLS, GHOST LIGHT (Dublin One City One Book Novel 2011) and THE THRILL OF IT ALL. His fiction has been translated into forty languages. He received the 2012 Irish PEN Award for outstanding achievement in literature and in 2014 he was appointed Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Praise for Joseph O’Connor and SHADOWPLAY

‘A masterful storyteller.’ — Neel Mukherjee, The Times

‘Joseph O’Connor’s magnificent novel does even more than fly, it soars.’ — Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

‘A great writer performing Olympian literary storytelling.’ — Sir Bob Geldof

‘Breathtaking … SHADOWPLAY is a book undaunted. … As much as this is a hugely entertaining book about the grand scope of friendship and love, it is also, movingly – at times, agonisingly – a story of transience, loss and true loyalty.’ Sadie Jones, The Guardian

‘A vibrantly imaginative narrative of passion, intrigue and literary ambition’ — Miranda Seymour, New York Times

'Like Joyce, O'Connor combines his panoramic range with a close eye to the grain and texture of the phrase... An astonishingly accomplished writer.' — Terry Eagleton, The Guardian

‘Ireland’s greatest storyteller.’ — The Sunday Independent

‘Subtly drawn and intensely affecting… Mr. O’Connor’s main characters—Stoker, Irving and the beloved actress Ellen Terry—are so forcefully brought to life that when, close to tears, you reach this drama’s final page, you will return to the beginning just to remain in their company.’ — Anna Mundow, Wall Street Journal

‘One of the best writers working today.’ – Alice Walker