Bill Long (writer)

Bill Long ( born April 28, 1932 in Waterford, † 21 May 2010) was an Irish writer and broadcaster. He often appeared at RTÉ Radio 1. He was also Ireland's longest living heart transplant patient.

Early years

Long was born in Waterford. He lived in a thatched house with his family, including mother, father, brother and maternal grandparents. His father was a vegetable farmer. Long was obsessed as a kid back in reading, so he devoured Henry David Thoreau, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Zane Grey. Thus he got in trouble at school because he read when he pretended supposedly to devote himself to religious studies. His time at the boarding school was funded by a family friend, but he dropped out after two years. He attended the school of the Congregation of Christian Brothers in Tramore, but broke off these at the age of 14 years. With his wife, Peg, he had two sons and two daughters.

Career

Long After leaving school, he enlisted in the Navy. He left but soon returned. He started for the Cork Examiner to work before moving to a newspaper in Waterford, then he went to the Irish Press, followed by the Irish Independent, The Irish Times and Raidió Teilifís Éireann briefly. He also worked in the public relations department of Revlon. Long lived in London, where Raymond Chandler was his neighbor. The two were closely linked, since both together shared a youth Waterford. Long also took trips to the United States and South America. He learned personalities like Thomas Merton and Katherine Anne Porter know, the latter of whom encouraged him to write seriously. He gave up his job at Revlon. To support his family he made, in addition to his literary activities, radio documentaries. These documentaries Singing Ark belongs (for which he won a Jacob's Award ) and the Dylan Thomas - Documentation Flowering Flood. In addition, he hosted in RTÉ Radio 1 Sunday Miscellany. In addition, Long was a lecturer in theology at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

With Bright Light, White Water, he published in 1993 a book in which he documented the history of every Irish lighthouse and its keeper. After a heart attack in 1994, he underwent a transplant. These and his recovery aroused public interest - RTE made ​​a documentary and Longs book Change of Heart, described what had happened and advocated the increased donor awareness. He continued to write in the location and publish more books, his memoirs he completed shortly before his death in 2010.

Works

  • Bright Light, White Water (1993 )
  • Change of Heart (?)
  • Title unknown ( memoirs ) (2010 )
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