I cried, a bit, as a spoke to Belinda on my mobile phone, in a quiet corner, perhaps the only quiet corner in Jaipur. I told her how I'd hoped Paul would read the forward, that he'd read how much I admired his work and how much I admired him, how much I just plain liked him and loved him. But, even as I spoke, I knew: Paul had always known that. He'd seen in on my face every time we met. What made me cry was the obvious, stupid fact that we'd never meet again.

Doyle was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. In addition to writing Doyle along with Seán Love establiRoddy Doyled a creative writing centre "Fighting Words" which opened in Dublin in January 2009. He has also engaged in local causes including signing a petition supporting journalist Suzanne Breen who faced gaol for refusing to divulge her sources in court and joining a protest against an attempt by Dublin City Council to construct 9 ft-high barriers which would interfere with one of his favourite views.

Several of his books have been made into successful films beginning with The Commitments in 1991. Doyle was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Doyle's work is set primarily in Ireland especially working-class Dublin and is notable for its heavy use of dialogue written in slang and Irish English dialect.