Andrew Zawie’s Paper

Interview with Aidan Higgins

Looking through the list of all the writers on the Dalkey page I did not recognize any of them.  By reading various writers pages I noticed that Aidan Higgins was a name that would constantly pop up in the articles. I decided to choose him because of one particular quote about him by John O’Brien, one of Higgins’ friends. He stated, “In terms of his use of language, I don’t think there is a writer who could produce a line of prose equal to Aidan’s, who made it all seem so effortless. He has certain passages that must rank with the finest lines of prose ever written in English.”  I felt that being considered one of the finest prose writers of all time drew me toward learning about his life.  Aidan Higgins was born in Celbridge, County Kildare, one of Ireland’s larger islands, in March 1927.  He began his work in writing as a copywriter for an advertising agency in Dublin.  During the mid-1950’s he worked numerous jobs in London but then began traveling across the globe to places including Spain, South Africa, and Berlin.  Aidan Higgins passed away in on December 27th, 2015 at the age of 88.

Aidan Higgins most notable novels and short stories throughout his career include:

  • Langrishe, Go down (1966)
  • Balcony of Europe (1972)
  • Scenes from a Receding Past (1977)
  • Bornholm Night-Ferry (1983)
  • Lions of Grunewald (1993)
  • Felo de Se. (1960)
  • Helsingor Station and Other Departures (1989)

Langrishe, Go Down was Aidan Higgins’ first major novel.  Set in the 1930’s he tells a story of three Catholic sisters, one of which has an affair with a German man.  This novel received very high acclaims including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.  His next novel, Balcony of Europe, is regarded as a piece of literary genius that includes numerous literary references to Spanish and Irish settings.  The book was re-edited in 2010 by Neil Murphy and uploaded to the Dalkey Archive site.

To start the interview with Aidan Higgins I would ask him which of his novels resides closest to his heart.  I imagine the response would be Langrishe, Go Down because it was his first great publication as well as holding numerous connections to his own life growing up in an Irish Catholic household.  Another question I would approach him with would be asking him how traveling across the world affected his works.  I believe that traveling the globe opened his eyes to so many different lifestyles and customs that you would not see just in Ireland.  Places like Spain and South Africa are so rich in their cultural pasts that he had to learn a great amount from studying there.  Finally, I would ask him if he wished he had accomplished all he wanted to as a writer throughout his life.  I don’t have exactly a great idea of what his response would be, but If I were him I would be pleased with what I had done.  Most people have great reviews and stories about him as a person and a writer.  He seemed to do a great job using very particular words in his writing so that his message would be conveyed through the lines of literature.  Aidan Higgins was a very accomplished writer as well that seemed to live his life to everything it could have been.  I am glad I could read about him and learn about such a great writer.