Known as Ireland’s Chekhov, Frank O’Connor was a master of the modern short story, with an eye for capturing the spaces between our selves and our surroundings. The Genius brings together some of his very best stories, often told from the perspective of young children and forming a revealing portrait of coming of age in postwar Ireland. Humorous and poignant in equal parts, these stories are a lesson in craft from a celebrated, prolific author.

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"One of the masters of the short story".--NEWSWEEK. "In almost all the stories in this excellently balanced collection O'Connor's people explode from the page. The nice are here and the nasty: the gentle, the generous, the mean, the absurd, those rich in dignity, those without a shred of it. . . . Without adornment, he simply tells the truth".--WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD.

From its origins in the folk tale, through its evolution in response to changing social and political conditions to its current form, the Irish short story has retained its own distinct and unique form. The finest writers of their time are represented here by their best work, showing the variety of style and approach within the genre. From George Moore's masterpiece, `Homesickness', and the warmth and humour of James Stephens, to the romantic eloquence of Bryan MacMahon, these stories capture the Irish people, their way of life, mythology and history.

The story of the title deals with a little boy named Larry and his feelings towards his father. When his father returns home from World War II, Larry is resentful and jealous of losing his mother's undivided attention, and finds himself in a constant struggle to win back her affections.

Not Quite Poetry is a book of prose, structured poetry and essays describing quantum science, random thoughts on life, friendships and art. Lastly, the words reflect upon a life without the facility of speech taken for granted by most of us.

Sinisteria Begins describes in detail the slow development, over the course of several years, of a large and complex sculptural installation located on the grounds of the Charles E. Burchfield Nature and Art Center in West Seneca, New York. Comprised of hundreds of dead, painted tree branches, the work covers and engulfs a hollow, fourteen-foot-tall metal sculpture. This unique and inviting artificial environment exists in harmony with its natural surroundings, while at the same time referencing invasive species, emotional trauma and even string theory.

Re-issued with an introduction by Neil Jordan, 'The Big Fellow' is the 1937 biography of the famed Irish leader Michael Collins by acclaimed author Frank O'Connor. It is an uncompromising but humane study of Collins, whose stature and genius O'Connor recognised. A masterly, evocative portrait of one of Ireland's most charismatic figures, 'The Big Fellow' covers the period of Collins' life from the Easter Rising in 1916 to his death in 1922 during the Irish Civil War. The author, having served with the Anti-Treaty IRA during the Irish Civil War, wrote 'The Big Fellow' as a form of reparation over the guilt he felt with regards to taking up arms against his fellow Irishmen and Collins' untimely death. Liam Neeson has said that he found the book of great assistance when preparing for the role of Collins in the 1996 film directed by Neil Jordan.

The story of Frank O'Connor is that of a shy child from a Cork slum who becomes aware that there is something beyond the confines of his life and the lives around him, something grander. And with resolve and labor, he makes his way toward it. From his childhood to the time of his release from imprisonment as a revolutionary, O'Connor conveys the moral fortune and the tragic elements of life, that sparked his storytelling - a life he describes as a "celebration of those who for me represented all I should ever know of God".

Award-winning edition of this outstanding translation of Brian Merriman's eighteenth-century erotic masterpiece. Translated by Frank O'Connor Illustrations by Brian Bourke.