The University of Liverpool’s Chancellor, Colm Tóibín, has announced that he will step down at the end of this year from the position he has held since February 2017.
Colm is widely celebrated as an Irish writer of great distinction. He is the author of eight novels including Brooklyn, which won the Costa Novel of the Year in 2009 and was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film in 2015. Several of his works have been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. Earlier this year he was named Laureate for Irish Fiction by the Arts Council of Ireland.
Colm will continue to be an important presence at the University until he leaves and will be presiding at a number of our Graduation ceremonies taking place in July. A regular contributor to the Liverpool Literary Festival, Colm will also be taking part in an `In Conversation’ event in July with the Vice-Chancellor and Professor Dinah Birch as part of the Liverpool Literary Festival presents programme.
He said: “I am honoured to have served as Chancellor of the University of Liverpool for the past five years. I have enjoyed my time visiting the University and the city and, although I am standing down from this role, I look forward to my continued association with the University.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Beer, said: “I would like to pay tribute to Colm for his work as Chancellor over the past five years. On behalf of the University I would like to thank him for the contributions, insight and expertise he has provided to our institution and community and for his continued support for the Liverpool Literary Festival.”