run_patchett
2009 Nominated

Run

artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

Tip and Teddy are becoming men under the very eyes of their adoptive father, Bernard Doyle. A student at Harvard, Tip is happiest in a lab, whilst Teddy thinks he has found his calling in the Church, and both are increasingly strained by their father’s protective plans for them. But when they are involved in an accident on an icy road, the Doyles are forced to confront certain truths about their lives, how the death of Doyle’s wife Bernadette has affected the family, and an anonymous figure who is always watching.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Ann
Patchett

Ann Patchett is the author of six novels and three books of nonfiction. She has won many prizes, including Britain’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Prize, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the co-owner of Parnassus Books.

Ann Patchett is the author of six novels and three books of nonfiction. She has won many prizes, including Britain’s Orange Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Prize, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the co-owner of Parnassus Books.

ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Nick
Caistor

Nick Caistor is a translator, journalist, and author of non-fiction books. He has translated some forty books from Spanish and Portuguese, including those by Paulo Coelho, Eduardo Mendoza, Juan Marsé, and Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, and has twice been awarded the Valle-Inclán prize for Spanish translation. He has presented and produced many programs on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service and is a regular contributor to The Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian.

Nick Caistor is a translator, journalist, and author of non-fiction books. He has translated some forty books from Spanish and Portuguese, including those by Paulo Coelho, Eduardo Mendoza, Juan Marsé, and Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, and has twice been awarded the Valle-Inclán prize for Spanish translation. He has presented and produced many programs on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service and is a regular contributor to The Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

Ann Patchett has written a very American novel that initially may seem small in scale but is one which engages the reader deftly and without didacticism, in an examination of important themes.

Run is the story of an ambitious father who wants the best for his children and who fiercely guards the boundaries between his family and the outside world. A traumatic event shows that the lines he has always understood-between family and stranger, race and class – are not as immutable as he has imagined.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
United States
Original Language
Spanish
Author
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing, HarperCollins (USA)
Translator
Nick Caistor

RELATED FEATURES

News May 21 2026

2026 Dublin Literary Award Winner Revealed

Discover this year's winner!
Video May 16 2026

Brigitte Giraud – Live Fast Q&A

Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
Video May 12 2026

Laurent Binet – Perspective(s) Q&A

Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
Video May 8 2026

Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A

Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.

STAY CONNECTED

Stay in touch and sign up to our newsletter to receive all the latest news and updates on the Dublin Literary Award.