Sons+fathers – the perfect read this Christmas
Buy him a copy of SONS+FATHERS, a powerful book in aid of The Irish Hospice Foundation
Looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Are you determined not to make it a boring tie, colourful socks or golf balls again this year?
You can wrap up Christmas for the man in your life by buying him a copy of sons+fathers, (R.R.P €20), a powerful anthology of personal contributions from some of the world’s best known men including U2, President Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Farrell, and Bob Geldof in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation.
Edited by Kathy Gilfillan this moving, fascinating and often funny collection of portraits reveals the stories behind some of the great men of our age through their relationships with their dads. From writing about memories and special moments, to open letters addressed to their fathers, these pieces will give readers an insight into the unique relationship between sons and fathers.
This beautiful hard back coffee table book is not just aimed at dads, and would make a wonderful gift for any bookworms this festive season.
The brilliant cast also includes stars from the world of stage and film Cillian Murphy; Gabriel Byrne; John Boorman; Neil Jordan and Colin Farrell. Other musicians include all members of U2 and the band’s former manager Paul McGuinness and his son Max; Gavin Friday while John Lennon’s son Julian is also a contributor. Writers include John Banville; Roddy Doyle; Robert Fisk; Paul Auster; Mick Heaney; Colum McCann; Joseph O’Connor and Salman Rushdie. From the political world there are contributions from Bill Clinton, Alastair Campbell and Bobby Shriver.
In his moving tribute to his late father Bob in the book, Bono says, “I have no scientific evidence to back up the claim that sometimes a close relation, in passing, bequeaths us a gift. Something to get us through. I can’t explain this, but I do know that ever since my father died, my voice changed.”
In his personal reflection, former US President Bill Clinton details his lifelong struggle to keep hold of the memory of a father tragically lost before he was born. “When I became a father myself, I tried to remember that it was my most important job, one I wanted to do well for the daughter I adore and a lost father who was denied life’s greatest gift.
Mick Heaney, son of the late poet Seamus Heaney, said: “One of the things I miss about Dad is having those conversations, where nothing of consequence was said because there was no need to, and I could just bask in his company.”
The Park Hyatt hotel brand supports the sons+fathers project as its major worldwide sponsor.Park Hyatt has ordered 10,000 books to be placed in the guestrooms and suites of 34 Park Hyatt hotels around the world, includingthe newest additions Park Hyatt Vienna and Park Hyatt NewYork.
Ardagh Group has sponsored the Irish printing of sons+fathers.
Irish Hospice Foundation CEO Sharon Foley said, “Bono planted the seed for this book with his generous gift of the drawing he made of his father when he was dying.He asked if they could be used to raise money for The Irish Hospice Foundation, so we decided on a book, and the net was cast wide and far. We were blown away by the response and generosity of the participants, all who are very busy, well-known people.”
The proceeds of the book will go towards The Irish Hospice Foundation’s Nurses for Night Care Programme, a service which provides over 1,400 nights of free nursing care at home annually to people with a non-malignant terminal illness.
Part of the proceeds will also go towards Hospice Africa Uganda founded by the inspirational 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Anne Merriman who did her medical training in Dublin.
The book is being published by Penguin Random House and Hospice Press.
sons+fathers is available in all good book stores and the book can be ordered on line at http://hospicefoundation.ie/shop/books/sons-fathers-pre-order/
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