Despite being one of the smallest parts of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland has always been amongst its wealthiest on average, even during the days of the Troubles. To this day, it apparently has the highest ratio of Mercedes Benz cars to people anywhere in the western world - including Germany.
Lord Belmont in Northern Ireland has posted a list of the Top 10 Richest People in Northern Ireland. Usually, I'm not too interested in the "Rich Lists," but in this case, from the point of view of my novel Popular (published by Penguin, February 2011), the list would apparently place the fictitious Anthony Harper, father of lead character, Meredith, as the fourth richest man in Ulster.
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Came across this from Belmont's 'blog. What's the Northern Ireland dimension of your novel, out of interest?
ReplyDeleteW.
Thank you for visiting. "Popular" is set in a fictitious grammar school in Malone, south Belfast, following an academic year in the life of a group of Malone students.
ReplyDeleteAh, a sort of Ross O'Carroll-Kelly in Belfast? Are you an Ulsterman?
ReplyDeleteW.
Was it your intention for Meredith to be THAT wealthy?? Also, my grandfather fixes clocks for Lord Ballyedmond.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am an Ulsterman - born and bred, as it were. To my shame, I had to look up Ross O'Carroll-Kelly - it sounds fun. Although I think "Popular" might be a bit more affectionate in its satire towards BT9 than Ross O'Carroll-Kelly is to Dublin 4... It sounds hilarious though.
ReplyDeleteYes, Sam, it was always that she was phenomenally wealthy. In chapter 10, she's described in her Ulster Tatler interview as being the only child of business-man Anthony Harper and his £200 million+ fortune. If you've read the part where she's inspecting her wardrobe, jewellery and the types of clothes she wears it's clear that she's supposed to be other-league wealthy.
The other three very wealthy characters - Imogen Dawson, Cameron Matthews and Anastasia Montmorency - are more "regularly" very wealthy. However, the character of Francesco Modonesi is approaching Meredith's family's level of wealth.
I haven't read it, but my son, who was at St. Columba's in Dublin, has; I understand the R. O'C-K books focus on the Catholic schools though. Quite funny by all accounts.
ReplyDeleteW.