Colum McCann is an Irish writer born in Dublin on February 28, 1965. He began his career as a journalist for The Irish Press before moving to the United States, where he worked as a naturalist guide in Texas and spent some time living in Japan. He currently resides in New York with his wife, Allison, and their three children.
McCann is the author of six novels and three collections of short stories. Among his major works are Let the Great World Spin, which won the National Book Award and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and became a New York Times bestseller. His novel TransAtlantic was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2013, while Apeirogon received critical acclaim.
In addition to the aforementioned awards, McCann has garnered numerous international honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and various literary prizes in both Ireland and the United States. In 2017, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
McCann is also known for his commitment to charity and education. He is a co-founder of Narrative 4, a global nonprofit organization that promotes the exchange of stories to foster empathy and understanding among people. He teaches in the MFA program at Hunter College in New York, which is considered one of the best in the country.