A new radio show in Ireland, THE READING LIST with John Kelly, begins on RTE Radio 1 on Tuesday July 4th. Episode 1 is about A Spy in the House of Love by Anaïs Nin.
John Kelly interviews me and Bailey’s Prize-winner Eimear McBride about this classic book. Tune in if you fancy a listen.
Since winning The Polari First Book Prize The Good Son has featured in WHSmith promotions a number of times and now it will part of the WHSmith celebration of gay literature alongside classics from Edmund White, E.M. Forster, James Baldwin and William Burroughs. You can find the gay literature promotion in select WHSmith UK travel stores from 22nd June – 12th July. Here’s what they say over on their blog where you can also see the other books they’ve chosen…
“50 years ago in July 1967, the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised homosexual behaviour between men over the age of 21 in England and Wales. To commemorate this landmark Act, we’ve put together a list of important gay literature from the past 100 years, including classics, debuts, fiction, non-fiction and anything in-between.”
It’s a honour to sit alongside these classics.
An interview with me appeared in the German broadsheet Die Welt at the weekend.
It follows on some of the points raised in my essay for International Literature Showcase ‘Crossing Borders’ which was later picked up by The Belfast Telegraph.
The interview is in German, of course, so I have only google translate to help me read it. I hope I come across ok.
The German translation of The Good Son is ‘Guter Junge’ and if you happen to speak German you might enjoy these short extracts read by a wonderful German actor Denis Abrahams – Part 1 & Part 2.
“Told vividly and with grim humour… McVeigh’s lush and, against all probability colourful novel from a black and white world bears the utopia that even in dark times, the hope can not be defeated.” Die Welt
Over on The British Council literature blog the staff are talking about their book pics this month. Matt Beavers, Literature Programme Manager had this to say about The Good Son –
“I’ve been reading The Good Son, Paul McVeigh’s debut novel which won the Polari First Book Prize in 2016. It is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the 1980s Belfast. Mickey Donnelly is about to head to secondary school. He got into the local grammar but his parents can’t afford it so he is counting down the days until his first day at St Gabriel’s, which he’s dreading. The book is a fantastic and moving journey into the mind of a young boy who knows he is different and is trying to make sense of himself and the difficult world around him. Through Mickey’s first person narration, we gain a vivid insight into the atmosphere of Troubles and their impact on everyday family and community life. The book is nonetheless hopeful and extremely funny. I look forward to reading more from Paul in future.”
Nice way to start the week.
Fri 16 June 8pm: Reading at Polari Literary Salon at Sunflower Pub
You catch me reading at The Belfast Book Festival this year as The Polari Literary Salon comes to Belfast for the first time! Polari was founded by author Paul Burston who also founded the Polari First Novel Award which I won last year.
Juliet Jacques, me & Paul Burston at Polari Prize ceremony
Paul and author Vg Lee will be flying over and will be reading from their work. Here’s a little but about the Polari Salon…
London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon. Now in its tenth year, Polari has been showcasing the best in established and emerging LGBT literary talent since 2007. Polari is curated and hosted by author Paul Burston and features a mixture of visiting and local guests.
Polari began in November 2007 in the upstairs room of a bar in Soho. Events are now held monthly at the Southbank Centre and feature the best in established and emerging LGBT literary talent.
“Always fun, always thought-provoking – a guaranteed good night out” – Sarah Waters
“Polari is a unique mix of voices that provokes the strongest responses from its audience – love, laughter, tears, but most of all, thought” – Val McDermid
“London’s most theatrical salon” – The New York Times
Hope to see some of you there.
George Saunders (c) Paul McVeigh
I’m looking forward to my fist visit to The International Literature Festival Dublin.
I’m part of an event called Talking Translation – Writing and Rewriting: Writers and Translators in Conversation on May 27 at 10.30am – 12.30pm.
At this literary brunch in the fabulous Drury Buildings, broadcaster and presenter Sinéad Gleeson will interview me, Paul Fournel from France and Rasha Khayat from Germany about our work and experiences with translation and translators.
Also present to talk about their translating challenges will be Hans-Christian Oeser, who co-translated my novel The Good Son into German (Guter Junge ), and Sinead Crowe, who is working on the English translation of Rasha Khayat’s novel Weil Wir Längst Woanders Sind. The discussion will be followed by some short multilingual readings, after which the audience will have the chance to ask us questions and talk further with us over brunch.
From the website: Speakers: Rasha Khayat, German author and translator from Arabic and English. Paul Fournel, writer and member of the Oulipo movement. Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son, published in 2015, and winner of the Polari Prize and the McCrea Literary Award. Hans-Christian Oeser, editor, critic and translator of Paul McVeigh and numerous other writers from Ireland and other English-speaking countries. Sinéad Crowe, German to English translator of authors including Rasha Khayat.
Moderator: Sinéad Gleeson, journalist and broadcaster who presents ‘The Book Show’ on RTÉ Radio, reports on RTÉ’s ‘The Work’s’ and writes for The Irish Times.
Organised by the French Embassy in Ireland, the German Embassy Dublin, the Goethe-Institut Irland and Literature Ireland within the framework of the French- German cultural funds.
I’m judging THE SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY PRIZE 2017
The winner will get €2,000 and publication in the literary journal Southword. If that’s not enough they will also get a week-long residency at Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat AND If the winner comes to Cork to collect their prize, they will provide hotel accommodation, meals, drinks and VIP access to the literary stars at the Cork International Short Story Festival (September 13-16, 2017). WOW!
Cork Short Story Festival 2016 by legendary photographer John Minihan
Second Prize is £500 and publication in Southword. Four more shortlisted entries will be selected for publication in Southword and receive a publication fee of €120.
The Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition is an annual short story competition open to writers from around the world, submissions accepted from May to August annually. It is dedicated to one of Ireland’s most accomplished story writers and theorists, sponsored by the Munster Literature Centre. The Munster Literature Centre is a not-for-profit organisation; all moneys raised from the competition benefits writers and writing.
Anam Cara Writer’s and Artist’s Retreat www.anamcararetreat.com is again awarding a week-long residency to the first prize winner of the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition. Located just outside the colourful village of Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Anam Cara is a tranquil spot structured to provide support and sanctuary for people working in the creative arts. It offers private and common working rooms as well as five acres of walking paths, thirty-four nooks and crannies, a river cascades and a river island, gardens, and a labyrinth meadow. Editoral consultation is also available. The prize is valued at €700.
Click here for submission guidelines.
Looking forward to reading your entries.
Congratulations to novelist Susmita Bhattacharya who wrote this essay for a competition and wasn’t longlisted BUT it has been published by the internationally prestigious LA Review of Books. Just shows you – never give up on a piece you know is good, it just needs to find the right home! And sometimes the new home is better than the intended one 🙂
The essay talks about the link between the short story and novel in specific work including my novel The Good Son which came from a short story as well as Virgina Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway.
Paul McVeigh 