Drawn from Life: An Autobiography

Overview

One of Ireland's best-loved cartoonists, Friers lampoons political pomposity and confronts "mind of bigot, gun of killer, and loss of reason". He also celebrates the foibles of Ulster folk with wry, gentle humor. His work has appeared in Irish newspapers for forty years. In this autobiography he weaves detailed memories of his childhood in East Belfast (with its ragmen, knife-grinders, and coal-men) together with his memories of Ulster's vibrant artistic world, offering a rich memoir of the people, events, and encounters that shaped his life. But behind the sparkle, there was a period of tragedy and mental breakdown. Friers overcame this trial with courage and humor, the same humane qualities readers find on each page.