I was asked for a little story about David Bowie by Wales Arts Review and I tell my fanboy story of the photo I have above my bed.
You can also have a look at this Irish Times piece where Irish writers were asked to respond to the news – some wonderful writers here like Edna O’Brien and Roddy Doyle.
I think it’s going to take a while to get used him being gone.
The Good Son has been longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award. It’s such lovely news. I had to find out about the award and if you don’t know about it you can read a little below. Click here to read the other longlisted books – its quite a line up.
From their website –
An article by Susannah Hickling about Le Prix De La Cadière was the starting point for the Waverton Good Read Award in 2003. Francois Dufour, the doctor of La Cadière D’Azur, (a Provencal village – population about 4000) had speculated that reading a good book might be as useful to some of his patients as the medication he would normally prescribe. So he set up an annual prize for the French debut novel of the year, which attracted most votes from the readers in the village.
The idea was a great success and Le Prix De La Cadière was born.
Wendy Smedley and Gwen Goodhew decided to try to replicate this idea in Waverton, a village of 2000 outside Chester. They set out to find fifty or more debut novels – first adult novels written by British citizens and published in the previous twelve months. The aim was not only to stimulate reading in the village but also to provide encouragement to British writers. It took some persistence to identify and then gather several copies of each book, although publishers became more and more helpful as they realised what was going on. Even more remarkably, more than 50 people from in and around the village were recruited to read and review the novels.
Read more here.
Thanks for reading. I might celebrate.
I join Julian Gough, Joseph O’Connor, Edna O’Brien, Roddy Doyle, Eimear McBride and more in personal tributes to David Bowie from Irish writers in The Irish Times.
Here’s an extract from my contribution. Head over to The Irish Times to read it all and the contributions from some amazing writers.
“I’ve always had guides when it came to music and I remember the when and where of every significant artist for me. As a young boy my older brother played me Al Green in our bedroom. In secondary school a friend led me to Kate Bush. I remember who introduced me to Nina Simone at a summer camp, Bessie Smith in the common room at college, Billie Holiday at university digs and David Bowie on the A406 in London.”
This is a photograph I saw for this first time recently.
What a loss.
I’ve been invited to Turkey in February to represent the UK in the field of short stories. Last year I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico thanks to the British Council. I read at events, went on TV and radio and met Mexican authors like Monica Lavin (we did an interview for The Irish Times).
Monica Lavin
I also wrote an article for The British Council’s Voices blog “Is it better to be a short story writer or a novelist?”.
I’m a big lover of the short story and set up a blog a few years ago sharing articles, interviews and submission opportunities. I joined the wonderful Word Factory which has become the UK’s leading short story salon and am now the Associate Director. I went on to be the co-founder of the London Short Story Festival with Spread the Word in 2014.
Me, Deborah Levy, SJ Naude, Marina Warner and Cathy Galvin at London Short Story Festival
I love meeting other writers and working with authors from different countries. I’ve always wanted to go the Istanbul too – I hope I get to visit there on my trip. A great piece of news to start the year. Hope yours is starting well too!
The Good Son makes another Best of 2015 list – this time from author and book blogger Lindsay Bamfield. Thanks Lindsay.
That makes 2015 quite a year from my debut novel which was…
Here’s what Lindsay said: “I’d read about Paul’s debut novel on his blog as well as number of terrific reviews. I was attending the No The Booker event at Big Green Bookshop, so intended to buy a copy. After hearing Paul read an extract I was well and truly hooked. An original and authentic voice that took me there, to Belfast in the 80s, spending a troubled summer with Mickey – wanting him so very much to achieve what he hoped for.”
If you fancy a copy then about the only place with any first print editions left is Waterstones online. Alternatively, you can buy the e-reader edition at Salt. The new print will be available mid-March.
Thanks everyone and hope your new year is going well.
Lisa McInerney on The Glorious Heresies:
“I wrote it in a bit of a mad rush, which I think contributes to the pacing and to that very peculiarly Irish gallows humour; it’s a breakneck and rowdy thing, I think. Kind of bouncy, but hinting at murk. Like a stone skipped over a lake!”
You can read the full interview here.
Thanks to Pam Reader for including The Good Son in her Top 12 Novels of 2015 list on her fantastic blog. A lovely way to start the year.
“If you choose to invest in The Good Son, you can do so in the knowledge that you are in the hands of an accomplished storyteller. Prepare to laugh and cry as Mickey Donnelly takes hold of your heart and never lets it go until the last page.”
I’m teaching a new class. Here’s the details. I hope to see some of you there.
Those Killer First Chapters – Getting the attention of agents and editors
Waterstones Piccadilly, Saturday, 6 February 2016 from 10:00 to 17:00.
Focus:
How to launch your novel
What a first chapter tells us
Writing fiction with emotional impact
How to show AND tell
Talking to your reader
Using Dialogue
Getting the attention of agents & editors
About Paul
Paul McVeigh’s debut novel ‘The Good Son’ was shortlisted for The Guardian’s ‘Not the Booker Prize’. It was a Gransnet Christmas read, Wales Arts Review Pick of the Year and one of ELLE Magazine’s Books of 2015 alongside Anne Enright and Ali Smith. This debut novel is on its second print, the audio book is about to be released and rights have been sold to France and Germany.
Paul’s short fiction has been published in journals and anthologies and been commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and read on Radio 5. He is co-founder of London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory, the UK’s leading short story literary salon. He is also been a reader and judge for national and international writing competitions. Currently, he’s judging The Penny Dreadful Novella Prize alongside Guardian First Book Award-winner Colin Barrett and Costa shortlisted Sara Baume,
Reviews:
“Heartbreaking, gripping” The Guardian – “Excellent” The Independent – “Funny, moving, poignant. Brilliant.” Metro
“Darkly hilarious. One of the most charming and edearing characters I’ve come across in a long while.” ELLE Magazine
“Funny, shot through with streaks of aching sadness.” Patrick Gale
“A work of genius from a splendid writer.” Pulizter Prize-winning short story writer Robert Olen Butler.
“Absolutely loved it. The voice of that story so arresting.” Jackie Kay
“Beautiful and very moving.” Booker shortlisted Alison Moore
“(one of) Ireland’s most exciting and talented writers. Incredibly moving; poignant but utterly real, funny and beautifully observant.” BBC Radio
Paul’s ‘That Killer First Page’ class on submitting short stories to journals and competitions has sold out in Bath, Belfast, Brighton, Cork, London and Melbourne.
Comments on Paul’s classes:
“Practical, insightful application of knowledge to writing.”
“Fantastic! Practical, targeted advice like this is wonderful!”
“This was my fav course yet! Informative, entertaining, and engaging. Hard to beat!”
Places are limited. Book here.
*For concessions please contact Paul paulmcveighwriter@live.co.uk
17 August 2014, London
I’m reading at a fundraising event in Kinvara, Co Galway, alongside some amazing writers. Hope to see some of your there. I’ll also be running a class that day in Kinvara – check under my classes section 🙂
Writers – start 2016 by planning your submissions to competitions and lit mags or browse some great links about writing in Word Factory’s essential monthly round up. This monthly round comes from my blog for writers – follow it if you would like to be updated during the month and get the information when posted.
Get writing! Get submitting! Get published!
Good luck!
Paul McVeigh 