I’ve always wanted to go to Bali and I’m excited to be travelling there this October for the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.

My first event is a workshop: A Competitive Edge on October 26th.

“How do you get the attention of agents and editors? How is a story selected from hundreds of competition entries? Paul McVeigh has been on both sides – a writer who now judges international competitions. In this workshop, find out what judges and editors look for and how to avoid the rejection pile.”

You can also catch at these events.

My main event, Dazzling Debuts, in on my birthday – October 27th.

“You get one chance to make a first impression, and these authors did so with a splash! They take us on the journey from unpublished hopeful to bestseller lists, film deals and award ceremonies, and dare to take a look ahead at meeting the expectations that come with a dazzling debut.”

I’ll also sit on a panel on class The Last Taboo? on October 28th.

“Why is class such a taboo topic in the 21st century? It remains deeply embedded in most societies, yet many of us deny its existence with rhetoric around equal opportunity or meritocracy. Three writers who dare to speak its name take stock of how class plays out in their writing lives, both on and off the page.”

I’m able to attend this festival with the help of Singapore Writers Festival, Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland,