Editing Seamus Heaney (section)

===2000s===
[[File:Seamus Heaney Centre.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry]], which was officially opened at [[Queen's University Belfast]] in 2004]]
[[File:Seamus Heaney Photograph Edit.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Seamus Heaney in 2009]]
In 2000 Heaney was awarded an honorary doctorate and delivered the commencement address at the [[University of Pennsylvania]].<ref>[http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/nobel-laureate-seamus-heaney-deliver-commencement-address-university-pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania. Honorary Degree awarded]. Retrieved 19 September 2010.</ref> In 2002, Heaney was awarded an honorary doctorate from [[Rhodes University]] and delivered a public lecture on "The Guttural Muse".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rhodes Department of English Annual Report 2002-2003 |url=http://www.ru.ac.za/publications/Annual_Report_%20inside02-03.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414062702/http://www.ru.ac.za/publications/Annual_Report_%20inside02-03.pdf |archive-date=14 April 2008 |access-date=18 October 2007}} from the [[Rhodes University]] website.</ref>

In 2003 the [[Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry]] was opened at [[Queen's University Belfast]]. It houses the Heaney Media Archive, a record of Heaney's entire oeuvre, along with a full catalogue of his radio and television presentations.<ref>[http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SeamusHeaneyCentreforPoetry/ The Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry], [[Queen's University Belfast]] website</ref> That same year, Heaney decided to lodge a substantial portion of his literary archive at [[Emory University]] as a memorial to the work of [[William Chace|William M. Chace]], the university's recently retired president.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 September 2003 |title=Emory Acquires Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney Letters |url=http://www.emory.edu/news/Releases/seamus1064430623.html |website=press release |publisher=[[Emory University]] |quote="When I was here this summer for commencement, I came to the decision that the conclusion of President Chace's tenure was the moment of truth, and that I should now lodge a substantial portion of my literary archive in the Woodruff Library, including the correspondence from many of the poets already represented in its special collections," said Heaney in making the announcement. "So I am pleased to say these letters are now here and that even though President Chace is departing, as long as my papers stay here, they will be a memorial to the work he has done to extend the university's resources and strengthen its purpose."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 September 2003 |title=Poet Heaney donates papers to Emory |url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2003/09/25/met_391035.shtml |access-date=25 September 2003 |work=[[The Augusta Chronicle]]}}</ref> The Emory papers represented the largest repository of Heaney's work (1964–2003). He donated these to help build their [[Emory University#Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Library (MARBL)|large existing archive]] of material from Irish writers including Yeats, [[Paul Muldoon]], [[Ciaran Carson]], [[Michael Longley]] and other members of the [[Belfast Group]].<ref>[http://marbl.library.emory.edu/conduct-research/online-collections Emory University. Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Book Library (MARBL)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001032200/http://marbl.library.emory.edu/conduct-research/online-collections |date=1 October 2011 }}. Online collection of the [[Belfast Group]] archive.</ref>

In 2003, when asked if there was any figure in popular culture who aroused interest in poetry and lyrics, Heaney praised American rap artist [[Eminem]] from Detroit, saying, "He has created a sense of what is possible. He has sent a voltage around a generation. He has done this not just through his subversive attitude but also his verbal energy."<ref>Eminem, ''The Way I Am'', autobiography, cover sheet. Published 21 October 2008.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 June 2003 |title=Seamus Heaney praises Eminem |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3033614.stm |access-date=9 April 2010 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Heaney wrote the poem "[[Beacons at Bealtaine]]" to mark the [[Enlargement of the European Union|2004 EU Enlargement]]. He read the poem at a ceremony for the 25 leaders of the enlarged [[European Union]], arranged by the Irish [[Presidency of the Council of the European Union|EU presidency]].

In August 2006 Heaney had a stroke. Although he recovered and joked, "Blessed are the pacemakers" when fitted with a heart monitor,<ref name="belfast">[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/heaney-bid-farewell-at-funeral-29545558.html "Heaney bid farewell at funeral"], ''Belfast Telegraph'', 2 September 2013.</ref> he cancelled all public engagements for several months.<ref>''Today Programme'', [[BBC Radio 4]], 16 January 2007.</ref> He was in [[County Donegal]] at the time of the 75th birthday of Anne Friel, wife of playwright [[Brian Friel]].<ref name="lifeofrhyme" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=20 July 2009 |title=Poet 'cried for father' after stroke |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8158697.stm |access-date=20 July 2009 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> He read the works of [[Henning Mankell]], [[Donna Leon]] and [[Robert Harris (novelist)|Robert Harris]] while in hospital. Among his visitors was former President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name="lifeofrhyme" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kelly |first=Antoinette |date=19 July 2009 |title=Nobel winner Seamus Heaney recalls secret visit from Bill Clinton: President visit to Heaney's hospital bed after near-fatal stroke |url=http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Nobel-winner-Seamus-Heaney-recalls-secret-visit-from-Bill-Clinton-51137272.html |access-date=19 July 2009 |work=Irish Central}}</ref>

Heaney's ''[[District and Circle]]'' won the 2006 [[T. S. Eliot Prize]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 January 2007 |title=Heaney wins TS Eliot poetry prize |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6264699.stm |access-date=15 January 2007 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> In 2008, he became artist of honour in [[Østermarie]], Denmark, and Seamus Heaney Stræde (street) was named after him. In 2009, Heaney was presented with an Honorary-Life Membership award from the [[University College Dublin]] (UCD) Law Society, in recognition of his remarkable role as a literary figure.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Announcement of Awards |url=http://www.ucd.ie/studyatucd/studentexperience/studentlife/index.html |publisher=University College Dublin}}</ref>

[[Faber and Faber]] published [[Dennis O'Driscoll]]'s book ''[[Stepping Stones: Interviews with Seamus Heaney]]'' in 2008; this has been described as the nearest thing to an autobiography of Heaney.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Estate of Seamus Heaney-Stepping Stones |url=https://www.seamusheaney.com/stepping-stones |access-date=31 December 2021 |website=seamusheaney.com}}</ref> In 2009, Heaney was awarded the [[David Cohen Prize]] for Literature. He recorded a [[Seamus Heaney Collected Poems|spoken word album, over 12 hours long]], of himself reading his poetry collections to commemorate his 70th birthday, which occurred on 13 April 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 April 2009 |title=Collected Poems: Seamus Heaney |url=http://www.faber.co.uk/work/collected-poems/9780571247073/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504111822/http://www.faber.co.uk/work/collected-poems/9780571247073/ |archive-date=4 May 2010 |access-date=24 April 2010 |work=Faber and Faber}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 2009 |title=Heaney at 70 |url=http://www.rte.ie/heaneyat70/index.html |access-date=25 April 2010 |work=RTÉ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 2009 |title=Seamus Heaney 70th birthday commemorative Irish Times supplement |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/indepth/seamus-heaney/ |access-date=24 April 2010 |work=The Irish Times}}</ref>