Derry Girls writer awarded prestigious literary prize
Date Posted: February 28, 2024
Lisa McGee won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize for the 3rd series of the television comedy drama ‘Derry Girls.
Derry Girls, the Bafta and international Emmy winning series supported by Northern Ireland Screen, has been honoured with the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize for promoting peace and reconciliation in Ireland. The award ceremony was held in London, and the show’s creator, Lisa McGee, received the prestigious award for writing the final episode.
The concluding episode, aired in 2022, showcased the characters voting in the 1998 referendum on the Good Friday Agreement.
Speaking for the Judges, Professor Roy Foster said:
‘This year’s short-list highlighted various analyses of Northern Ireland’s recent past, from different genres: historical research, personal testament, literary analysis, fiction and drama. Each of these powerful works defined, in unexpected ways, the journey towards the Agreement reached just over a quarter of a century ago – reminding us not only of its considerable achievement, but the fragility of the structures on which it was based.
‘In the end the Judges decided that ‘Derry Girls’ approached the underlying questions of prejudice, antagonism, cultural division and violence with unique humour, empathy and verve, illuminating the decision to endorse the Good Friday Agreement, and linking it to a generation coming of age at a moment of hope. This powerfully endorsed key objectives of the Prize, namely to promote and encourage peace and reconciliation in Ireland, and a greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland.’
The Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize is presented every two years to honour writing that fosters peace in Ireland and promotes greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland or closer cooperation among the partners of the European Community. The award was presented by the renowned Line of Duty actor, Adrian Dunbar.
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