Peter Cunningham

Peter Cunningham is an Irish novelist who is known for his historical novels about Ireland. His works have received several literary awards in Ireland and Europe. Cunningham's fiction is said to be distinguished by its fusing of political material with psychological realism and a lyrical sensitivity to place and people. Career Cunningham's first novel, Noble Lord, was a thriller, written under the pseudonym Peter Lauder. He is best known for the historical novels The Sea and the Silence, Tapes of the River Delta, Consequences of ihe Heart and Love In One Edition, which chronicle the lives of local families during the twentieth century in Monument, Cunningham's fictional version of Waterford, Ireland. Cunningham's novel The Taoiseach, based on the life of Charles J. Haughey, was a controversial bestseller. Capital Sins, a satirical novel, dealt with the collapse of the Irish economy during the 2008 financial crisis. Critical reception The Sea and the Silence (translated into French as La Mer et le silence) was awarded the Prix de l’Europe in 2013. This novel also won the Prix Caillou in France and was short-listed for the Prix des Lecteurs du Telégramme.