'''Michael Harding''' (born 1953) is an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] short-story writer, novelist, and playwright, born in [[County Cavan]]. He lives in [[Westmeath]].

Harding went to [[St. Patrick's College, Maynooth]], initially graduating as a lay graduate. He taught for two years, then worked as a social worker in a prison. He returned to Maynooth as a seminarian and was ordained in 1980, after which he went to work in a parish in Fermanagh.

He left the priesthood in 1985,<ref>[http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/h/Harding_MP/life.htm Michael P. Harding] - Biography.</ref> then spent seventeen years practising Buddhism. He is married to the sculptor Cathy Carmen (whom he first met in 1984) and they have a daughter Sophia.

He has published three novels: ''Priest'' (1986), ''The Trouble With Sarah Gullion'' (1988) and ''Bird in the Snow'' (2008).<ref name=iw>[http://www.irishwriters-online.com/michaelharding.html Michael Harding], Irish Writers Online.</ref> He became a member of [[Aosdana]], the National Academy for Creative Artists, in 2000. He was Writer in Association with [[Abbey Theatre|The National Theatre]] in 1993, was short listed for the ''[[Irish Times]]'' [[Aer Lingus]] Literature Award in 1989, and was Writer in Residence at [[Trinity College Dublin]] in 1999.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

Harding has received the following awards:

*The Steward Parker Award for Theatre (1990)

*The [[Bank of Ireland]] [[RTE]] award for excellence in the arts (1990)

*The Hennessy Literary Award for short stories (1980)<ref name=iw/>

*Best Actor, Dublin Theatre Fringe Festival (2004) for his performance in Gare St Lazare's production of ''Swallow''.

*Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role – British Theatre Management Awards (2006)

*''The Tinker's Curse'', nominated for Best New Play at the ''Irish Times'' Irish Theatre Awards (2007)

*''Staring at Lakes'', Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 2013 [[Irish Book Awards]]

== Plays ==

*''Strawboys'', Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1987

*''Una Pooka'', Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1989

*''Misogynist'', Abbey Theatre, 1990

*''Burying Brian Boru'', Theatre Omnibus, 1990

*''Where the Heart is'', Project Arts Centre, 1993

*''Hubert Murray's Widow'', Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1993

*''The Kiss'', Project Arts Centre, 1994

*''Ceacht Houdini'', Amharclann de hIde, 1994

*''Backsides to the Wind'', Red Kettle, 1995

*''Sour Grapes'', Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1997

*''Amazing Grace'', Peacock Abbey Theatre, 1998

*''Bog Dances'', Steve Wickham and Shake the Spear Theatre @ Dunamaise Arts Centre, 2000

*''Sleeping a Lovesong'', Project Arts Centre, 2002

*''Talking Through His Hat'', Dublin Fringe Festival @ The Focus, 2002

*''Swallow'', Gare St Lazare Players @ Dublin Fringe Festival, 2003

*''Birdie Birdie'', for Blue Raincoat Theatre, 2004

*''Tearmann for Siamsa Tire'', The National Folk Theatre of Ireland, 2006

*''The Tinker's Curse'', Livin' Dred Theatre Company, 2007.

*''Is There Balm in Gilead?'' Pavilion Theatre Dublin, 2007

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->

| NAME = Harding, Michael

| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =

| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Irish writer

| DATE OF BIRTH = 1953

| PLACE OF BIRTH =

| DATE OF DEATH =

| PLACE OF DEATH =

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Michael}}

[[Category:1953 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Irish dramatists and playwrights]]

[[Category:Irish novelists]]

[[Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth]]

[[Category:Laicized Roman Catholic priests]]

[[Category:Aosdána members]]