Lost Lives
A record of those who died as a result of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Lost Lives, a 1999 book by journalists Brian Feeney, Seamus Kelters, David McKittrick, David McVea, and Chris Thornton, recounts the stories of those who died in the Northern Ireland Troubles. A film adaptation of the same name premiered at the 2019 London Film Festival and was broadcast on BBC One in February 2020.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Brian Feeney
- Seamus Kelters
- David McKittrick
- David McVea
- Chris Thornton
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Non-fiction
- Published
- 1999
- Subject
- The Troubles
Facts from the source article.
Book
The authors spent seven years researching the book before its 1999 release. The first edition covers 3,636 people who died as a result of the Troubles between 1966 and 1999, listing each individual's name, date of death, location, profession, religion, age, and marital status, along with a brief summary of the circumstances of the death. Published by Mainstream Publishing of Edinburgh, it was reprinted in 2008 but was out of print by December 2020.
Co-author Chris Thornton stated that he and the surviving authors did not wish for a reprint, citing the availability of much more material since publication and a lack of publisher interest in an updated edition. They opposed any governmental involvement in reprinting, as it would leave the book open to political influence. The death of co-author Seamus Kelters also affected them emotionally. In January 2021, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland received an archive of 265 folders of newspaper cuttings related to the book.
The word 'murder' is not used in the book, though it appears in quotes and legal charges. Co-author David McKittrick said the book was intended to be as unemotional and flat as possible.
Film
A film adaptation premiered at the 2019 London Film Festival and aired on BBC One in February 2020. It runs 90 minutes and features voiceovers from actors Kenneth Branagh, Roma Downey, Adrian Dunbar, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Sean McGinley, Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt, Stephen Rea, and Bronagh Waugh. The film juxtaposes graphic contemporary footage of the Troubles with imagery of Northern Ireland's natural landscape, including rivers, waterfalls, and a swan.
It details the lives of 18 people from the book, chosen to broadly represent the ratio of deaths among Irish republicans, Loyalist paramilitaries, and forces of the British state. The film's emotive style contrasts with the deliberately dispassionate tone of the book, a choice the authors approved. Co-author David McKittrick described the film as full of emotion and raw grief, and noted that at some screenings there were actual gasps from the audience.
The film was directed by Michael Hewitt and Dermot Lavery. Hewitt said the actors were not just lending their voices but giving their voice in support of what the film represents: a reminder of terrible loss in the hope of not repeating past mistakes. Lavery said the book was a challenge to allow such loss and grief in the place where they lived. Neither the book nor the film mentions peace talks or negotiations.
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