Angeline King

Angeline King (known professionally as Dr. Angeline Kelly) is a Northern Irish novelist, essayist and poet.[1][2][3] Her work includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry, with a particular focus on Ulster, language, cultural memory, and shared cultural traditions.[4] She has served as Writer in Residence at Ulster University, holds a PhD in English, and is known for including Ulster Scots language and international perspectives into contemporary Irish writing.[5]

Writing career

Fiction

King’s fiction is primarily based in Northern Ireland and is characterised by social observation, humour, and linguistic richness.[6] Her debut novel, Snugville Street (2015), attracted critical attention for its portrayal of Belfast life and its empathetic narrative voice.[7] Her second novel, A Belfast Tale (2016), continued this engagement with urban community and identity.[8][9] The novel was re-published as Road to Snugville Street in 2025. In Dusty Bluebells (2020), a haunting family saga set largely in County Antrim, King made more extensive use of Ulster Scots dialect as a literary medium.[10] Ruth McKee gave the novel high praise in The Irish Times: "Pithy with Ulster Scots, old rhymes, cures and sayings, there is a sense of magic to it all."[11] King subsequently translated Dusty Bluebells into Scots, the first novel of its kind to be written by a female writer in Ireland.[12] In Scotland, the novel was compared to the work of Jessie Kesson: "Past haunts present across the generations. King gets inside her people... More Jessie Kesson than Kailyard."[13]

A fourth novel, The Secret Diary of Stephanie Agnew (2025), addresses language and identity in Northern Ireland and draws on King’s childhood experiences.[5] The short novel explores the forgotten history of east Antrim’s Gaelic bards, the Ó Gnímh / Agnew,[14] and considers the hereditary poets’ contribution, identity and history in the context of a contemporary diary novel.[4][14]

Selected works

King has published fiction, non-fiction and children's literature.[15][16]

Novels

Snugville Street (2015)[7][17][18]
A Belfast Tale (2016), re-published as Road to Snugville Street (2025)
Dusty Bluebells (2020) & Dusty Bluebells Scots Edition (2021)[10][19]
The Secret Diary of Stephanie Agnew (2024)[5][14]

Non-fiction

Irish Dancing: The Festival Story (2018)[20][21]

Children’s literature

Children of Latharna (2017)

Awards and recognition

  • Writer in Residence, Ulster University (2020-2023)[12]
  • Libraries NI Emerging Author (2017)[22]
  • Arts Council of Northern Ireland SIAP Award (2017 & 2025)[6]

King has been shortlisted for, and winner of, several regional literary prizes for poetry and short fiction.[23][2][24]

References

  1. ^ Doyle, Martin (21 November 2016). "An Author in Wonderland". The Irish Times.
  2. ^ a b Ferguson, Frank (2024). "Still rhyming on weavers. Fortnight". Fortnight. 492: 22–26. JSTOR 27304482.
  3. ^ King, Angeline (2023). "The Agnews of Kilwaughter: hereditary sheriffs, hereditary bards". Familia: Ulster Genealogical Review. 39. Belfast: Ulster Genealogical & Historical Guild: 131–151. OCLC 672009384.
  4. ^ a b Neill, Deborah (July 2025). "Review: Angeline King's The Secret Diary of Stephanie Agnew". Fortnight (498): 44. JSTOR e27396504.
  5. ^ a b c Bain, Mark (10 July 2024). "Larne author's new novel serves up quare yarn". The Belfast Telegraph.
  6. ^ a b McCarthy, Mary (2020). "This Literary Life". Books Ireland.
  7. ^ a b McClements, Freya (14 May 1016). "Snugville Street by Angeline King review". The Irish Times.
  8. ^ Kelly, A (2 March 2016). "In search of the elusive Protestant protagonist in Irish fiction". The Irish Times.
  9. ^ Kelly, A (13 September 2016). "Wanted: A Loveable Protestant Protagonist". The Irish Times.
  10. ^ a b McManus, Helena (10 August 2020). "Larne-set tale seeks to brings Ulster Scots to a wider audience". News Letter.
  11. ^ McKee, Ruth (30 January 2021). "Dusty Bluebells by Angeline King". The Irish Times.
  12. ^ a b Graham, Angela (23 November 2022). "Ulster Scots Writers". The Irish Times.
  13. ^ The Courrier (9 January 2021). "Dusty Bluebells by Angeline King".
  14. ^ a b c Ó Maitiú, Ciarán (18 December 2024). "A novel exploration of the shared Gaelic heritage of Ireland and Scotland". The Irish Times.
  15. ^ Henry, Adeline (2025). "Examining the gap in Troubles fiction: A PhD journey". Fortnight. 499: 33–35. JSTOR 27425204.
  16. ^ The Monthly (2025). "The Monthly interviews author Angeline King". Community Arts Partnership.
  17. ^ Kelly, A (2 March 2016). "In search of the elusive Protestant protagonist in Irish fiction". The Irish Times.
  18. ^ Leonard, Victoria (28 September 2015). "French exchange inspires Larne author's debut book". The Larne Times.
  19. ^ "Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]". UK Parliament. 12 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Antiques Road Trip Series 19 Episode 16". BBC One. 27 August 2020.
  21. ^ McAllister, Kelly (18 October 2018). "Irish dancing always part of Protestant culture says Larne author Angeline King". The Irish News.
  22. ^ The Newsroom. "Larne Library to host emerging authors". The Larne Times. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ McLaughlin, Rachel (12 August 2021). "First festival to honour blind poetess Frances Browne". Donegal Daily.
  24. ^ "Lockdown anthology by women writers shortlisted for indy prize". County Down Spectator. 12 September 2024.
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