The Lamp and the Lullaby
A Memoir
Published on 30. June 2010
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-1-84840-072-6 (ISBN)
Description
Ireland's longest-surviving recipient of a heart transplant, Bill Long has been, at various times: in the British Navy, a journalist, a cyclist, a public relations officer, a 'serious' writer, a broadcaster and documentary-maker. He has made over 200 contributions to RTAe's Sunday Miscellany programme. The Lamp and the Lullaby is Bill Long's memoir of growing up in County Waterford during the 1930s and 1940s. Unlike many recent memoirs gracing bookshelves, Bill Long's story is refreshingly positive, as he shares his memories of a happy childhood. The lamp and the lullaby of the title refer to the light and the sound made by Hook Head and Mine Head lighthouses as he went to sleep at night. 'From my country cradle, lighthouse beam and boom were my lamp and my lullaby.'
More details
Person
Bill Long was a long-time journalist with all national broadsheets and documentary maker with RTAe, prior to his heart transplant 15 years ago. He now dedicates himself entirely to his writing. His previous books include a history of Irish lighthouses, Bright Light, White Water, a memoir of meetings with interesting people, Brief Encounters, and a diary of his heart transplant, which was also made into a documentary, A Change of Heart.