Teaching in Spain 2020

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Teaching at the Literary Adventure writing retreat in Spain 2020

I’ll be teaching for the wonderful TLC. Here’s the info from their site…

TLC is thrilled to announce the tutor for its Guardian-recommended Literary Adventure writing retreat 2020 is the award-winning novelist Paul McVeigh. Paul will be joining us September 5th-12th 2020 at the beautiful Casa Ana in the Alpujarra region of Spain. Groups are limited to a maximum of 12 writers, to allow writers the creative space and freedom to help develop their projects in a focussed and supportive environment. The retreat is open to writers of fiction and memoir with works in progress.

The Study at Casa Ana

TLC Literary Adventures offers an environment where inspiration and improvisation meet. You will have access to world-class teaching, get a chance to work, read, listen, learn and relax in a stunning setting which will open the mind and senses. The retreat will include morning workshops, free writing time, readings, and optional afternoon sessions including a poetry workshop, a talk about the publishing industry, and a trip to a nearby village offering artisanal products. The week will end with a series of short, focussed one-on-one sessions, and a chance to share work written during the week with your fellow writers. Daily breakfasts, lunches, three 3-course chef cooked dinners at Casa Ana, and accommodation are included in the ticket price. A full programme including details on accommodation, location and booking can be found here, or you can email us directly: aki@literaryconsultancy.co.uk.”

TLC Literary Adventure 2020 Programme
TLC Literary Adventure 2020 Rooms and Fees

Hope to see you there.

Appearing JLF Doha, Qatar

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JLF Doha, Qatar: Dec 12-14

 

I’m excited to be heading to Qatar soon for JLF Doha. Here are my events at the Qatar National Library.

Fri 13th, 6:20 PM TO 7:05 PM, SPECIAL EVENT AREA 

Writing Conflict: Paul McVeigh, Ahmad Dallal, and Prayaag Akbar in conversation

In a world fraught with conflict, eminent writers speak of how they make sense of the disturbances and dystopias around us. Prayaag Akbar’s award-winning novel Leila, adapted into a popular Netflix series, addresses the ongoing conflicts in society. Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, The Good Son, tells the story of the Irish Troubles in turbulent Belfast. Writer and academic Ahmed Dallal has examined the conflicts of the Middle East.

2:55 PM TO 3:40 PM AUDITORIUM

What is Not Said:​​​​​​​ Celebrating the Short Story: Alex Shaw, Kaltam Jabor M. Al-kuwari and Paul McVeigh in conversation

The brevity of short fiction, illuminating transformative moments in life, eliminating all that is unnecessary, takes it to the heart of the reader. A session which investigates and celebrates the form and function of the short story. Conversations and contextual readings featuring Alex Shaw, author of the popular Aidan Snow SAS series, Kaltam Jabor M. Al-kuwari, the first Qatari women to author a collection of short stories, and Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son and director and co-founder of London Short Story Festival, Paul McVeigh.

 

I hope to see some of you in Doha!

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The 32 Hits The Belfast Telegraph

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The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices

in the Belfast Telegraph

Did you know that Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK that has no writer development agency? It meant working class writers from NI couldn’t apply to be part of Kit de Waal’s ‘Common People’ anthology. ‘The 32’ anthology is here to redress this.  Please pledge.
Read all about it in The BElfast Telegraph today.
‘The 32’: please pledge.
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‘The 32’ hits Hot Press

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Paul McVeigh launches The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices

on crowdfunding publisher

Delighted that The 32 was covered by Hot Press. Here’s a taste…

Kevin Barry, Roddy Doyle and Lisa McInerney are among the contributors to the upcoming collection of essays.

Following the success of Kit de Waal’s Common People: An Anthology of Working Class Writers, Belfast author Paul McVeigh has announced the launch of The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices on Unbound – the world’s first crowdfunding publisher.

Bringing together 16 published writers and 16 new voices to share their experiences of being working class in Ireland, The 32 will feature essays from Kevin Barry, Lisa McInerney, Roddy Doyle, Senator Lynne Ruane, Dermot Bolger, among many others.

Award-winning author Paul McVeigh, who featured in Kit de Waal’s Common People is set to edit the anthology.

“Too often, working class writers find that the hurdles they have to leap are higher and harder to cross than for writers from more affluent backgrounds,” states the project’s synopsis. “The 32 will see writers who have made that leap reach back to give a helping hand to those coming up behind.

“We read because we want to experience lives and emotions beyond our own, to learn, to see with others’ eyes – without new working class voices, without the vital reflection of real lives, or role models for working class readers and writers, literature will be poorer. We will all be poorer.”

 

Please consider pledging here.

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I’m editing ‘The 32’ hits The Bookseller

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Unbound launches Irish working class writers anthology

The 32 is launched on the Unbound site. The Bookseller covered the launch here.

Please pledge to read 16 new pieces of work from the best writers in the country and help 16 new writers from working class backgrounds at the same time!

In a recent documentary on BBC Radio 4, novelist Kit de Waal asked ‘where are the working class writers?’ The answer is ‘right here’ in The 32.

Inspired by a shared concern that working class voices are increasingly absent from the pages of books and newspapers, Kit de Waal came together with publishers Unbound to create the hugely successful Common People anthology.

The Observer recently described Kit de Waal’s My Name Is Leon and my novel The Good Son as the ‘exceptional working-class novels from the last few years’ so it seems apt that Kit passes the baton to me to edit The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices.

Like Common People, The 32 will be a collection of essays and memoir, bringing together sixteen well-known writers from working class backgrounds with an equal number of new and emerging writers from all over the island of Ireland.

These new writers will be selected by an open call and we are working with the Cork World Book Festival, Irish Writers Centre, Munster Literature Centre, and Words Ireland to provide additional support.

Too often, working class writers find that the hurdles they have to leap are higher and harder to cross than for writers from more affluent backgrounds. The 32 will see writers who have made that leap reach back to give a helping hand to those coming up behind.

We read because we want to experience lives and emotions beyond our own, to learn, to see with others’ eyes – without new working class voices, without the vital reflection of real lives, or role models for working class readers and writers, literature will be poorer. We will all be poorer. Pledge for The 32 and join these writers to help to make a difference.

Contributors So Far Include:

Claire Allan

Kevin Barry

Dermot Bolger

June Caldwell

Martin Doyle

Roddy Doyle

Rosaleen McDonagh

Lisa McInerney

Dave Lordan

Danielle McLaughlin

Eoin McNamee

Melatu Uche Okorie

Senator Lynne Ruane

Rick O’Shea

Dr Michael Pierse

Please pledge if you can!

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Me and Kit in Morges

Radio 4 Story Recorded Today!

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My second short story commission from BBC Radio 4 was recorded today at the BBCNI studios. It was read by the excellent Belfast actor Tony Flynn and produced by Michael Shannon. The transmission date is down for November 22 at 3.45pm.

‘Cuckoo’ is a departure for me so I’m a little nervous. I hope you like it.

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