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Manchán Magan in h-Aoifric

Chuir Manchán Magan orm cóip a leabhair nua faoi An Aoifric. Is é "Fiabhras Trucaile." Scríobh Manchán chuigam tiomnú dea-chríoch: "le beannacht agus buíochas ucht de chuid tacaíochta (Lúnasa 2008)." Tá mé corraithe ar bronntanas seo air. Bhí mian liom a léamh seo. Tá mé ag bheith faoi bunús as Béarla. Cén fáth?

Críochnaíonn Manchán trí cuntais as Gaeilge, agus ag aistriú as Béarla, anois. Ar dtús, nuair bhí sé féin ach fiche blian d'aois, thaistil Manchán ar troma Aoifric leis lucht siúil bithíunochái Sasanach ar feadh ríocht Bhean uí Thatcher. Cuireann leabhar as Gaeilge i 1998 le "Manchán ar Seachrán: ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go Nairobi i seanleoiraí airm."

An chéad uair eile, d'inis sé féin faoi a h-eachtraí ag imeall ina Hiomoleatha agus an taobh thiar thuaidh na hIndia. Seo é "Baba-ji agus T na G: Seachrán san India," as Gaeilge i 2006. As Béarla, léirmhínigh mé "Turas Mhanchán" (2007) ar An Amazon agus anseo ar mo bhlog. Is maith liom leabhar seo go leor. Is mian liom a foghlaim me féin faoi lascannaí idir idéalú India agus Thibéad leis Éirinn agus na Ceilteach sa fichiú céad déag--agus go dtí anois.

An trí uair eile, rinne sé féin taistealaí go Meiricea Theas. Chuaigh sé timpeall na hAindéas. Ansin, d'fhág sé go dtí Meiricea Thuaidh. Chuir síos air go maith ina spiorad ainrialaí ina Sléibhte Easannaí ina gceantar Cholóim Briotanach. Faigheann tú leabhar seo as Béarla le "Áingeal agus Confadh." (2006) Ábalta tú fáil mo lhéirmeas faoi áiteannaí céann go raibh ag raite os cionn.

Cád as bun dóibh? Ar cosúil leo an dhá teangachaí? Níl mé ábalta feiceáil orthu as Gaeilge, mar sin "Manchán ar Seachrán" agus "Babi-ji agus T na G" go bhfuil is iannamh ina Stáit Aontaithe, ar ndóigh. Fhiafríonn air faoi seo!

D'oscail mé an leabhar nua inniu. Bhí mé ag déanamh seo sula mhúin mé. Dúirt mé leis mac léinn Afrocach faoi Manchán ann. D'fhiafraigh sé orm faoi An Nigeir. Is é chlann Yoruba. Tá sé igcónaí ina priomchathair Abidjan. Pléimis an úrscéal cáiliúil le Chinua Achebe, "Rudaí titeann as a chéile." Múininn mé sin ar ár ollamh!

Ar An Nigeir go mbeidh ina leabhar nua Mhanchán seo? Níl fhíos agam fós. Measaim go rachaidh fírinne faoi ann. Feicfaidh mé féin faoi seo gan mhoill.

Manchán Magan in Africa.

Manchán Magan sent to me a copy of his new book about Africa. It's "Truck Fever." Manchán writes regarding me a heartfelt dedication: "with blessings and thanks for your share of support (August 2008)." I'm touched at this gift from him. I've been wanting to read this. I'm wondering at the origins of the book in English. For what reason?

Manchán finished three accounts in Irish, and translated into English, now. At the start, when he was but twenty years of age, Manchán travelled deep into Africa with a band of English ruffians during the reign of Mrs. Thatcher. He put this into a book in Irish in 1998 as "Manchán on the Loose [hard to express in English-- combines footloose with having lost one's bearings?]: from Dublin to Nairobi in an old army lorry."

The second time, he himself told of his adventures around the Himalayas and the north-west of India. This is "Baba-ji agus TnaG: Travels around India," in Irish in 2006. In English, I reviewed "Manchán's Travels" (2007) on Amazon and here on my blog. I like this book a lot. I myself want to learn about the links between idealization of India and Tibet and Ireland and the Celts during the twentieth century, and up to now.

The third time, he himself did travel around South America. He went around the Andes. Then, he left for North America. He captured well the anarchic spirit of the Cascade Mountains in the district of British Columbia. You can find this book in English as "Angels and Rabies." (2006) You are able to get my review about it in the same places that I told above.

What's the origin of them? Are they the same in the two languages? I'm unable to look at them in Irish, since "Manchán ar Seachrán" and "Babi-ji agus T na G" are very rare in the United States, of course. I should ask him about this.

I opened the new book today. I was doing this before I taught. I spoke with an African student there about Manchán. He answered me about Nigeria. He's from the Yoruba tribe. He lives in the capital city, Abidjan. We discussed the famous novel by Chinua Achebe, "Things Fall Apart." I used to teach that at our university!

Will Nigeria be in this, Manchán's new book? I don't know yet. I reckon that there'll be truth about it there. I will see for myself about this soon.

Ceannaigh leabhair agus léigh faoi Manchán anseo/ Buy books and read about Manchán here: Manchan.com.