a fictional village in the west of Ireland called Faha. Similar to Macondo in the works of Gabriel García Márquez, Faha is a rural village steeped in magic realism which acts as a backdrop for Williams’ stories. History of the Rain was published in 2014 and recounts the saga of a family from the perspective of Ruth Swain, a bed bound teenage girl. It was longlisted for the 2014 Booker Prize. Williams’ ninth novel, This is Happiness, was published in September 2019. It tells the story of rural electrification and the changes to a small, isolated community, recounted from the perspective of Noe, a 78 year old man recalling his youth in the late 1950s. Recognition Four Letters of Love Notable Book of the Year, The New York Times Book Review, 1997 As It Is In Heaven Shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 1999 The Fall of Light Longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, 2000 History of the Rain Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, 2014 This is Happiness Washington Post Best Books of the Year, 2019 Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards, Best Book of the Year, 2019 Novels Four Letters Of Love (1997) As It Is In Heaven (1999) The Fall of Light (2001) Only Say the Word (2005) The Unrequited (2006) Boy in the World (2007) Boy and Man (2008) Personal life Williams and Breen have two adult children, Deirdre and Joseph, and live in County Clare. References External links Official website 1958 births Living people Irish novelists People educated at Oatlands College Irish male novelists