Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts 2024
Field of Work: Literature
Date: 23 October 2024
Place of Ceremony: Faculty Club
Host Institution: McGill University
Host Country: Canada
Cónal Creedon has been awarded the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts 2024.
Cónal Creedon is an award-winning novelist, short-story writer, playwright, documentary film maker, essayist, and collaborative artist. His creative practice has been described as an exploration of ‘the spaghetti bowl of streets’ in downtown Cork city, Ireland – where his family has lived and traded for over a hundred years. His detailed investigation of such a tight-knit neighbourhood reveals insights into the universal nature of the human condition and constitutes a significant contribution to the artistic legacy of creative expression.
The WCC Jury members were also impressed by the diversity of Cónal’s artistic practice, reaching back over thirty years and across various media including: publication, theatre, film, radio, music, live performance, and collaboration with other artists. When examined in its entirety, his diverse output becomes a single cohesive body of work that resonates far beyond the inner-city streets of his native Cork. As a guest speaker at universities and literary festivals, Cónal continues to tour his work to USA, China and Europe. With extracts of his work translated into Bulgarian, German, Italian and Chinese, Cónal’s international appeal is not restricted to English-speaking communities. The global appeal of Cónal’s work becomes self-evident in the apparent ease and affability of his interaction with diverse international audiences. But above all, it is the quality of his writing that shines through.
In the words of reviewer Malachy McCourt: “
Good writing knows no nationality …, [this] is excellent writing, very personal, very humorous. They say if Dublin was burnt down, it could be rebuilt again by reading the work of James Joyce – well the very same could be said about Creedon’s work – Cork city could be built from his words.”
Cónal’s creative output has received international recognition, including the Eric Hoffer Award USA 2020 and the IP Gold Award USA 2023. His stage plays have been produced in the UK, Shanghai and New York to high critical acclaim and have received several awards at the Irish Theatre Awards New York. His latest collection of short stories was awarded One City One Book and is on record as the most borrowed adult fiction book from the library service in 2022. His film documentaries have had public screenings in New York and World Expo Shanghai 2010. During the Covid pandemic Cónal remained busy, streaming online over 30 literary podcasts, films, stage plays, lectures, readings, interviews as well as collaborations with universities in India.
In addition, Cónal has written more than 60 hours of original radio drama, broadcast by RTE, BBC, CBC, and ABC.
In his home city of Cork, Ireland, Cónal’s contribution to the arts continues to be recognized. In 2016 he was presented as Writer-in-Residence at University College Cork (UCC) and was subsequently inducted as adjunct Professor of Creative Writing to the School of English and Digital Humanities (UCC). Nominated Person of the Year in 2001 and 2018, Cónal was appointed Cultural Ambassador for Cork City in 2020 and awarded Cork City Lord Mayor’s Cultural Award.
The members of the WCC Jury are happy to conclude that whether as a cultural or goodwill ambassador, a keynote speaker or simply a guest, Cónal Creedon never fails to bring humour and warmth with his insightful and entertaining words. As one nominator remarked,
“Cónal brings beauty and truth wherever he chooses to be.”
The Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts is an acknowledgment to those who lift our existence to a higher level by the beauty or inspiration of their creative talent. In addition to considering the winners’ remarkable work, the jury also takes into account the service which each has made to humankind and their qualities as a role model who inspires future generations to contribute to a better world.
The prize is given every two years and consists of a diploma, a commemorative medal and an Award Cheque.
