Novellist and playwright Sebastian Barry, the writer of this year’s new Canterbury Festival play Dallas Sweetman, has made it onto the long list for the Man Booker Prize for his latest novel The Secret Scripture.

This is the most important literary prize in the English-speaking world.

In The Secret Scripture the very elderly Roseanne McNulty talks to her psychiatrist at Roscommon regional mental hospital, where she’s spent the best part of her adult life, as it prepares for closure. The story that emerges of Roseanne’s life is at once shocking and beautiful.

Dallas Sweetman similarly delves into Ireland’s troubled past and delivers intertwined accounts of love and loyalty, suffering and betrayal, in which you can never be too sure where the truth lies.

A commission by Canterbury Cathedral and Canterbury Festival, with leading London-based theatre company Paines Plough, Dallas Sweetman will be performed in the Cathedral nave from Wednesday, September 24, to Sunday, September 28. Starting in the same week locally-based writers, reading groups and the public will join together at three weekly Man Booker clubs to discuss the six novels that make it to the shortlist which will be announced on September 9.

Sessions take place on September 23, September 30 and October 7 at 7.30pm at Waterstone’s, St Margaret’s Street.

People can then vote for the book they think should win and results will be revealed on Tuesday, October 14, at 8.30pm at the International Study Centre in the Cathedral Precincts, just before the official winner is announced.

Tickets for all festival events can be obtained from the box office on 01227 378188 and online at www.canterburyfestival.co.uk