Roma_Tearne

Roma Tearne

Roma Tearne

Sri Lankan novelist settled in England

Roma Tearne (née Chrysostom; born 1954) is a Sri Lankan-born artist and writer living and working in England. Her debut novel, Mosquito, was shortlisted for the 2007 Costa Book Awards first Novel prize (formerly the Whitbread Prize).

Early life and education

Tearne moved to South London in 1964 with her Sinhalese mother and Tamil father when she was ten years old.[1]

Tearne attended the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford, (2000-2001) and earned an MA.[2][3]

Career

She was Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford in 2002–2003,[2][3] then Artist in Residence at Modern Art Oxford in 2004.[2] In October 2005 she started a three-year post-doctoral AHRC fellowship at Oxford Brookes University.[2][4][5]

Art and film

Tearne has exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.[1] In a 1998 review of her work in Modern Painter, J.B. Bullen described Tearne's work as, "light is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere in these powerful paintings."[6]

Tearne directed and shot five short films, including, Letter from Urbino, which was screened at the National Gallery, London, in 2012 as part of the launch of her novel The Road to Urbino.[7]

Writing

Tearne's first novel, Mosquito, published by HarperCollins in 2007, was shortlisted for the Costa Prize[3] and nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.[8] Her second novel, Bone China, was published in spring 2008.[1][9] Her third novel, Brixton Beach, was published in 2009.[1][10] Her fourth novel, The Swimmer, (May 2010)[11] was long-listed for the Orange Prize,[12] while a film based on the narrative was made by Tearne and shown at the Venice Biennale in 2011.[13][14] Her fifth novel, The Road to Urbino (2012) was long-listed for the Asian Man Booker,[15] while another film by Tearne, based on the novel, was shown at the National Gallery, London, in June of that year. Tearne's most recent novels, The Last Pier (2015)[16] and The White City (2017),[17] were published by Aardrark Bureau.

Publications

Novels

  • 2017 The White City. Aardvark Bureau ISBN 9781910709429[17]
  • 2015 The Last Pier. Aardvark Bureau ISBN 9781910709306[16]
  • 2012 The Road To Urbino, Little Brown ISBN 9781408703922[18][19]
  • 2010 The Swimmer, HarperCollins ISBN 9780007301591,[11][20] long-listed for Orange Prize 2011[12]
  • 2009 Brixton Beach, HarperCollins ISBN 9780007301560[1][10][21]
    • French translation of Brixton Beach launched at St. Malo Festival (2011), shortlisted for a French readers' prize
  • 2008 Bone China, HarperCollins ISBN 0007240732[1][9]
  • 2007 Mosquito, HarperCollins ISBN 0007233655,[1][22][23] shortlisted for Costa First Novel Award[3] and nominated for Los Angeles Times Book Prize[8]

Articles

  • 2015 "Ariadne's Thread: In memory of W.G. Sebald by Philippa Comber, book review: How Sebald remains a great inspiration for writer, Roma Tearne," The Independent[24]
  • 2012 "The Essay: In Search of the Art of Enchantment", The Independent[25]
  • 2010 "Sri Lanka's Writers Must Remember and Speak Out", The Independent[26]
  • 2008 "October 8, 1950...", The Guardian[27]
  • 2007 "In search of the Unseen Venice", The Times[28]
  • 2007 (March) Chasing Venus, for Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
  • 2004 Field Study – 2, (London College of Communication) in conjunction with Tate Modern
  • 2004 "My Shadow Collection", Nel Corpo delle Città (Gangemaini, Rome), pp. 19–43[29]
  • 2003 "Happenings in a Museum" (Ashmole Books) 23 pp.
  • 2002 "The House of Small Things" (Angel Row, Nottingham) 10 pp.
  • 2002 "House of Small Things", Source (Winter), pp. 26–33[30]

Films

Selected exhibitions

  • 2022 Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition[32]
  • 2019 Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition
  • 2009 198 Gallery, one person show[5]
  • 2008 "Watermuseum", Nottingham Castle Museum,[31] based on work during AHRC fellowship at Oxford Brookes University[4]
  • 2007 (August) Flashline: Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival
  • 2007 (March) "Crossing the Water": Modern Art, Oxford
  • 2007 Blindfolding of the Sheldonian Emperor Statues[23]
  • 2006 Every Object Tells a Story. The South Asian gallery, V & A
  • 2005 (February) Artist in Residence, Modern Art, Oxford
  • 2004 Museo Laboratorio di Arte Contemporaneo, "La Sapienza", Rome. Blindfolding of statues around the city, including Giordano Bruno[33]
  • 2004 Installation at Modern Art, Oxford
  • 2003 Light installations St Mary's University Church, Oxford
  • 2002 Ruskin MA degree show: London: Cubit gallery
  • 2002 Bracknell Manor House: "Traces". New work as part of prize-winning entry for "Open Shutter"
  • 2002 "The House of Small Things": Southern Arts and London Arts Board touring exhibition: Angel Row, Nottingham; X-Change Gallery, Oxford; 198 Gallery, London, Bracknell Gallery, Berkshire.
  • 2002 Fotonetsouth: Bracknell Gallery Photographic show: First Prize
  • 2001 "Sounding the Heart", one-person show, Milton Keynes General Hospital, National Health Service Trust[34]
  • 1997 Bankside Gallery, London, Royal Watercolour Society
  • 1997 Sphinx Gallery, St James's, London
  • 1997 Royal Academy of Arts, London
  • 1997 Cadogan Gallery, London
  • 1992 Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, South Asian Arts Festival
  • 1991 Bankside Gallery, London. Mixed show
  • 1991 Royal Society of Painters and Etchers, London
  • 1990 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool/Oxford Gallery. Mixed show
  • 1990 Royal Society of Painters and Etchers, London
  • 1991 Royal Academy of Arts, London
  • 1990 Royal Academy of Arts, London
  • 1989 Royal Academy of Arts, London

Public events

  • 2013 BBC Radio Open Book[35]
  • 2013 BBC Radio Woman's Hour
  • 2012 BBC Radio 3 The Essay[36]
  • 2012 BBC Radio Front Row
  • 2009 BBC Radio Woman's Hour[37]
  • 2008 (June) Art and Neuroscience. A series of talks at Oxford University

References

  1. [1]
    Hickling, Alfred (3 July 2009). "A healing art". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  2. [2]
    Taylor, Anita (2022). "Trowbridge Poetry Stanza with Roma Tearne + open-mic - 5 March 2022". Drawing Projects. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  3. [3]
    "Roma Tearne - Biography". British Council - Literature. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Roma Tearne - Watermuseum - Exhibition at Ovada in Oxford". ArtRabbit. 2009. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  5. [5]
    Smyth, Ash (29 July 2009). "Roma Tearne in words and images". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  6. [6]
    Bullen, J. B. (Summer 1998). "Roma Tearne". Modern Painters. 11 (2): 102–103 – via EBSCOhost.
  7. [7]
    "Book launch - The Road to Urbino". National Gallery. 2012. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. A beautiful short film based on an idea from the novel will be screened at this book launch...
  8. [8]
    Kellogg, Carolyn (3 March 2009). "Robert Alter wins Kirsch Award; The 45 nominees in nine categories for The Times Book Prizes are announced". The Los Angeles Times. pp. D.3.
  9. [9]
    Wheelwright, Julie (17 April 2008). "Roma Tearne: The enemy within". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  10. [10]
    Wyndham, Susan (26 May 2018). "A Novel of Sri Lanka's Civil War, in Lush Tropical Detail". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  11. [11]
    Hagestadt, Emma (21 October 2010). "The Swimmer, By Roma Tearne". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  12. [12]
    "Orange Prize for Fiction announces 2011 Long-list". Orange Prize for Fiction. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. [13]
    "The Swimmer: A True Story…". The Swimmer. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012.
  14. [14]
    "The Swimmer, a film by Orange longlisted author Roma Tearne". Womens Interests. June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  15. [15]
    "Man Asian Literary Prize Announces Long List". Poets & Writers. 18 December 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  16. [16]
    Hoggard, Liz (9 April 2015). "The Last Pier by Roma Tearne, book review: A poetic tale of family ties, love and loss". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  17. [17]
    "Bleak yet beautiful fiction of near-future disintegration". Morning Star. 19 October 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  18. [18]
    Housham, Jane (21 June 2013). "The Road to Urbino by Roma Tearne – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  19. [19]
    Scholes, Lucy (21 August 2012). "The Road to Urbino, By Roma Tearne". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  20. [20]
    Popescu, Lucy (8 June 2010). "The Swimmer, By Roma Tearne". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  21. [21]
    Wood, Liana (8 June 2009). "Treasured Island". New Statesman. 138 (4952): 48 – via EBSCOhost.
  22. [22]
    Ondaatje, Christopher (17 March 2007). "Dear, unhappy isle". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  23. [23]
    "Artist 'blinds' emperor heads". Oxford Mail. 26 March 2007. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  24. [24]
    Tearne, Roma (10 February 2015). "Ariadne's Thread: In memory of W.G. Sebald by Philippa Comber, book". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  25. [25]
    Tearne, Roma (21 June 2012). "The Essay: In search of the art of enchantment". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  26. [26]
    Tearne, Roma (7 May 2010). "Roma Tearne: 'Sri Lanka's writers must remember and speak out'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  27. [27]
    Tearne, Roma (13 June 2008). "October 8 1950..." The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  28. [28]
    Tearne, Roma (1 September 2007). "In search of the unseen Venice". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  29. [29]
    Tearne, Roma (2004). "My Shadow Collection". Nel Corpo delle Città [In the body of the city]. Rome: Gangemi. pp. 19–43. ISBN 9788849206258.
  30. [30]
    "The House of Small Things - Roma Tearne". Source Photographic Review (33): 6–7. Winter 2002. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  31. [31]
    Clark, Robert (20 December 2008). "Exhibition preview: Roma Tearne, Nottingham". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  32. [32]
    "1325 - Atacama Stars by Roma Tearne". Royal Academy of Arts. 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023. This work was on display in the Summer Exhibition 2022 in the Lecture Room
  33. [33]
    "Nel corpo delle città" [In the body of the city]. Servizi Culturali (in Italian). 2 July 2004. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  34. [34]
    Bullen, J. B. (Autumn 2001). "Roma Tearne". Modern Painters. 14 (3): 124 – via EBSCOhost.
  35. [35]
    Mishra, Pankaj (14 March 2013). "BBC Radio 4 - Open Book, AL Kennedy discusses her book On Writing". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  36. [36]
    "BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, InterRail Postcards, Roma Tearne". BBC. 21 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  37. [37]
    "Woman's Hour: Roma Tearne on Sri Lanka; Miscarriage". BBC. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
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