I'm a Beckett fan, says rocker Bono
U2 frontman Bono has revealed he is a fan of Samuel Beckett, as he kicked off a series of events marking the centenary of the Irish playwright's birth.
At the international launch of the Beckett Centenary Festival in Dublin Castle, Bono said he had read many of the renowned writer's plays.
"I've read most of his works, I'm a fan. I don't know what he's on about half the time but I have enjoyed not knowing," he laughed.
"He blew my mind, that is all I can say. He shrank language, minimalist, all that stuff. It is great that he's Irish."
Bono, who was wearing his trademark shades, revealed that he gave the playwright a copy of U2's album The Unforgettable Fire in 1985.
But he joked that the writer might never have found time to listen to it.
"I gave it to him, I'm not sure he ever listened to it, but that is my connection. I am very proud he had a copy of The Unforgettable Fire," he said.
The singer said the works of the playwright were not as important to people as they should be.
"He was always kept apart as something aloof, something you didn't understand, something you had to take too, too, too seriously," he said. "And in fact Beckett was having a laugh a lot of the time."
Events held as part of the festival will include the staging of Beckett's plays, poetry and prose readings, film screenings, television and radio productions, a touring exhibit in public libraries and visual arts exhibitions.
Many thanks Ladies, highlight of my day! 
