Colum McCann

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Colum McCann

Goodreads Author


Born
in Dublin , Ireland
Website

Genre

Member Since
February 2009


Sign up for Colum's newsletter: http://bit.ly/mccannsignup

Colum McCann is the author of three collections of short stories and six novels, including "Apeirogon," published in Spring 2020. His other books include "TransAtlantic," "Let the Great World Spin," "This Side of Brightness,""Dancer" and “Zoli,” all of which were international best-sellers.

His newest book, American Mother, written with Diane Foley, is due to be published in March 2024.

American Mother takes us deep into the story of Diane Foley; whose son Jim, a freelance journalist, was held captive by ISIS before being beheaded in the Syrian desert.
Diane’s voice is channeled into searing reality by Colum, who brings us on a journey of strength, resilience, and radical empathy.

"Am
...more

Average rating: 3.97 · 200,477 ratings · 23,506 reviews · 84 distinct worksSimilar authors
Let the Great World Spin

3.96 avg rating — 109,284 ratings — published 2009 — 12 editions
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Apeirogon

4.25 avg rating — 26,326 ratings — published 2019 — 64 editions
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TransAtlantic

3.83 avg rating — 27,042 ratings — published 2013 — 6 editions
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Thirteen Ways of Looking

3.95 avg rating — 7,056 ratings — published 2015 — 44 editions
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Twist

3.74 avg rating — 6,297 ratings — published 2025 — 5 editions
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Dancer

3.94 avg rating — 5,510 ratings — published 2003
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This Side of Brightness

3.86 avg rating — 4,065 ratings — published 1998 — 5 editions
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Zoli

3.70 avg rating — 4,202 ratings — published 2006 — 50 editions
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Letters to a Young Writer: ...

4.19 avg rating — 2,335 ratings — published 2017 — 31 editions
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American Mother: A Life Rec...

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4.12 avg rating — 1,333 ratings16 editions
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Spread the word

Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm.

As this book is being published by a small (and wonderful) non-profit publisher, Etruscan, here in the States, we really do need your help getting the word out about this book.

Here's the schedule so far ...

MARCH 4 NEW YORK … with NBC’S CRAIG MELVIN! 7 p.m
NYC/BARNES & NOBLE: Link to event

MARCH 6 NEW YORK IRISH ARTS CENTER … with BUDD MISHKIN
Listing TO C Read more of this blog post »
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Published on February 16, 2024 13:42

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Twist
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Colum’s Recent Updates

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Twist by Colum McCann
“It was no great surprise that the world felt as if it were in chains since they actually trawled the ocean floor and tied us up in easy knots.”
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“The most casual things can, after all, twist our tired hearts.”
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“Stupid to think that our wine will never turn.”
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"Jim Foley had every reason not to go to Syria. He had already been held hostage once—44 days in Libya. He had solid job offers in America. He had a loving family. He understood Syria was a chaotic, unpredictable war zone. He knew that as a freelance " Read more of this review »
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" Thank you Lillian! I am still trying to get used to navigating Goodreads but your support means a great deal to me ... and to this book! "
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Quotes by Colum McCann  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The world spins. We stumble on. It is enough.”
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin

“Some people think love is the end of the road, and if you're lucky enough to find it, you stay there. Other people say it just becomes a cliff you drive off, but most people who've been around awhile know it's just a thing that changes day by day, and depending on how much you fight for it, you get it, or you hold on to it, or you lose it, but sometimes it's never even there in the first place.”
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin

“The thing about love is that we come alive in bodies not our own.”
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin

Polls

Best Fiction

The Help
 
  1124 votes 17.3%

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Let the Great World Spin
 
  134 votes 2.1%

This is Where I Leave You
 
  130 votes 2.0%

Little Bee
 
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Brooklyn
 
  119 votes 1.8%

Drood
 
  107 votes 1.6%

The Children's Book
 
  104 votes 1.6%

A Reliable Wife
 
  103 votes 1.6%

A Gate at the Stairs
 
  96 votes 1.5%

The Weight of Silence
 
  91 votes 1.4%

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  77 votes 1.2%

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet
 
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  69 votes 1.1%

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The School of Essential Ingredients
 
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6511 total votes
More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
The Life of a Boo...: National Book Award 2009 6 144 Nov 23, 2009 02:30PM  
Between the Lines: April 2010 - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann 5 59 May 09, 2010 12:46PM  
Between the Lines: Beth K's 2010 Challenge 52 108 Sep 07, 2010 06:44AM  
The Life of a Boo...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Picking Our October Books! 80 261 Sep 08, 2010 05:56AM  
Barnes & Noble Nook: This topic has been closed to new comments. Nominations for Oct 2010 16 57 Sep 23, 2010 10:03AM  
The Next Best Boo...: September's Group Reads ARE..... 78 355 Sep 23, 2010 10:51AM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. * READERBOARD 10 611 Oct 17, 2010 10:08AM  
“It struck me then that it wasn’t just one reporter who had been beheaded. The knife had been unsheathed to threaten all journalists everywhere.”
Colum McCann, American Mother

“Is an aid worker any less American, less essential, than a desk sergeant? Is an ambulance driver any less important than a Marine? And what happens when an American citizen goes in search of truth for the greater good? Is that not as patriotic as the actions of a soldier in a firefight?”
Colum McCann, American Mother

“Listening is the quiet soul of storytelling”
Colum McCann, American Mother

“The truth is kaleidoscopic, it has many mirrors, and it can be viewed from a variety of angles.”
Colum McCann, American Mother

“Scientists say that the world is held together with atoms, and of course, it is. But it is also held together with stories.”
Colum McCann, American Mother

Comments (showing 1-2)    post a comment »
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Lillian Hello Colum,
The post came through.
Thank you so much for becoming my friend on Goodreads. Seriously though it is not the dreaded FB. Goodreads is just plain fun. You'll enjoy it I'm sure.
We are all extremely excited and eagerly awaiting the publication of Transatlantic. I'm looking forward to catching up with you again in Seattle on your book tour. Be well.

BTW: What are you reading?

Best,
Lillian


message 1: by Colum

Colum McCann Hello!
I have finally crawled out of the woodwork, or the pagework. Have just pressed "send" on the very last draft of my new novel TransAtlantic which will come out this summer. I feel like the sky suddenly opened.

Apologies to anyone who sent me a message on Goodreads and I didn't get back to you. First of all I'm a complete idiot when it comes to technology. Secondly I dread the Facebook disease where I will just get sucked into doing posts (like this!)over and over again. But I want to say hello to everyone and to let you know that I hope to post in a more regular way. I have to re-familiarize myself with Goodreads ... I'm not even sure how this post goes out or if anyone will get it.

In the meantime, in between time, all the best to everyone and thanks for keeping the faith ...

Colum


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