Understanding the Industry: PROPHETS, MAKERS AND RISK TAKERS

February 24, 2022 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

‘Prophets, Makers and Risk Takers: A Showcase of Writing from Northern Ireland’ is a 2-day festival that brings leading writers in Northern Ireland together, in person and online, to share their ideas and skills with emerging writers, and to promote the best of Northern Irish writing across the world.

I’ll be taking part in the Panel Discussion: Understanding the Industry at 12noon March 9th.

Check out the full programme here.

Winner of The Polari First Novel Prize

‘A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.’ Donal Ryan

‘Raw, funny and endlessly entertaining’. Jonathan Coe

23 March, Royal Society of Literature & Arts Council NI Writers Day

February 23, 2021March 9, 2021 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

Join the Royal Society of Literature and Arts Council Northern Ireland for a day of activity, shining a spotlight on the outstanding writers and writing of Northern Ireland, hosted by award-winning writer Paul McVeigh. A seminar, workshop, and panel discussion aim to inspire you to revisit and recommend your most loved Northern Irish writers.

1 – 2pm, Poetry Workshop with Daljit Nagra
At lunchtime, award-winning poet and Chair of the RSL, Daljit Nagra (pictured), delivers a free hour-long workshop designed to reinvigorate your poetic voice. Open to all, whether you’ve recently started writing or are regularly performing work, Daljit’s writing exercises and infectious energy will encourage you to experiment with form and imagination. BOOK NOW

3pm, In Conversation with Paul McVeigh and Molly Rosenberg
Director of the RSL Molly Rosenberg and Paul McVeigh (pictured) discuss the RSL Open programme and answer your questions about what RSL Fellowship means, why a community of writers is important, and how to recommend a writer to the programme.
BOOK NOW

6.30pm, Panel Discussion with Paul McVeigh, Wendy Erskine, Glenn Patterson, Shannon Yee and Daljit Nagra
We celebrate some of the finest Northern Irish writers working across form and genre today. Short-story writer Wendy Erskine (pictured), novelist Glenn Patterson, playwright Shannon Yee and poet and Chair of the RSL Daljit Nagra, will discuss their work, routes into writing and the Northern Irish literary scene. BOOK NOW

Prizes for Belfast Youth

November 14, 2020 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I created a lockdown writing competition with Ardoyne Youth Enterprise. There were three categories based on age with the theme Children of Lockdown. The prizes were awarded this week and I went to the offices to sign books and certificates. You can read the winning entires here.

This was a follow on from the videos I made of The Good Son for AYE during the first lockdown.

With thanks to Arts Council of Northern Ireland for supporting me during the making of those.

Attending Jaipur Book Mark

November 26, 2018 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

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I’ll be heading over to India to speak at Jaipur Book Mark before attending ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival in January. Looking forward to working with Namita Ghokhale again.

Thanks to Arts Council Northern Ireland for their support with this trip.

Arts Council Funding

November 2, 2018 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I’m grateful to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for their continued support of my writing by awarding me a grant under their individual Artists Programme.

I’ve been lucky to have been helped by ACNI for a number of years now, including travel grants to Asia and Australia.

I’ll use the money to devote time to work on my second novel.

Attending ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival

August 23, 2018 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I’m delighted to have been invited to speak at the 12th edition of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival to be held from 24th to 28th January 2019.

Hosted at the heritage Diggi Palace, located in the heart of the Pink City of Jaipur, the Festival is among the world’s leading literary events attracting authors, publishers and book lovers from across the world. In 2018, it hosted over 350 speakers in 200 panels and represented over 25 languages, receiving over 4,00,000 footfalls in a span of 5 days.

The ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival provides a potentially life-changing opportunity for audiences from Rajasthan, across India and the world to learn from and exchange ideas with contemporary literary stalwarts.

I’m particularly delighted to be working with Festival Director Namita Gokhale again, after we co-judged the International Dylan Thomas Prize this year.

This trip is made possible by the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Appearing at Irish Embassy Kuala Lumpur

November 28, 2017 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

The Irish Ambassador to Malaysia is holding a special night at the Irish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in my honour on November 30th. I’m so honoured.

I will read from my novel, The Good Son, followed by a Q&A. There will be music in between and a party after.

Thanks to Cat Brogan for all her help in organising this.

Thanks to Culture Ireland and Arts Council of NI for their generous support.

George Town Literary Festival Nov 24-26

November 13, 2017November 13, 2017 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I’ll be attending the George Town Literary Festival in Penang, Malaysia, 24/25/26. You can read about it The Malaysian Insight.

GTLFest

My first event is;

Conversations: The Monsters Within: Man versus Man

Speakers: Kosal Khiev, Paul McVeigh, Nisha Ayub

Moderator: Danton Remoto

Writing and talking about violence is painful but necessary. How do we deal with real violence and how do we deal with fictive violence? How do writers and activists resist and confront violence in themselves, their lives and their work? Here, we listen to three remarkable individuals who have overcome violence in their lives and have used the transformative forms of writing, poetry and activism to shape their stories and to help inspire others to tell their own.

Date: Saturday, 25 Nov at 11.15am–12.15

Venue: Earth, Wisma UAB

My second event is a little unusual as it’s poetry – I’ve chosen the work of 3 Northern Irish poets to read Stephanie Conn, Padraig Regan & Stephen Sexton.

Poetry Marathon

Poets: A. Samad Said, Al-Mustaqeem M. Radhi, Takako Arai, Jérôme Bouchaud, Maung Day, Jelena Dinic, Ulrike Draesner, Kosal Khiev, Gerður Kristný, Lynne Lawner, Kirsty Logan, M. Aan Mansyur, Paul McVeigh, Laksmi Pamuntjak, Rahmat Haron, James Shea, Darryl Whetter and Gündüz Vassaf

A non-stop performance by festival poets, translators and their work. A celebration of poets, poetry and the world.

Date: Saturday, 25 Nov 12.30pm–2.00pm

Venue: Earth, Wisma UAB

My third and final event is;

When Immortals Walked Among Us

Speakers: Gerður Kristný, Paul McVeigh, Arshia Sattar, Zen Cho

Moderator: Jason Erik Lundberg

There are many commonalities in the world’s mythologies and cosmologies. Greek legends, Norse and Celtic sagas, and Hindu epics all had gods and goddesses who were anthropomorphic and therefore resistant to Joseph Campbell’s argument – ‘that the secret cause of all suffering is mortality itself, which is the prime condition of life.’ Did the immortals deny humans the right to live uninterrupted, guilt-free lives? What is the notion of ‘god’ and its mythos in literature? We examine some of our most enduring myths, the power they still wield in our everyday lives and narratives, and how these stories have evolved from then until now.

Date: Sunday, November 26 at 11:15 AM – 12:15

Venue: Bangunan UAB

I hope to see some of you there.

Thanks to Culture Ireland for their support.

Arts Council NI ACE Funding

November 2, 2017 / Paul McVeigh Writer / 3 Comments

I’m delighted to have received ACE funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. This will allow me time to write next year. I’ll be working on my first collection of short stories.

Teaching in Kuala Lumpur Dec 2/3

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 / Paul McVeigh Writer / Leave a comment

I will teaching at the British Council in Kuala Lumpur on December 2nd and 3rd. If you are town it would be wonderful if you could come or if you know any writers in KL please let them know. (I’ll also be doing some events… more on that later.)

Thanks to Sharon Baker for organising it, and Grey Yeoh and British Council Malaysia for their generous support. Thanks also to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Culture Ireland for helping my travel around the region.

PaulMcVeigh short story

The class on December 2 ‘Short Sharp Shock’ is for 15-19 year olds. On December I teach my ‘That Killer First Page’ workshop that has already sold out in Bali and Mebourne so grab your tickets quick. Here’s more on that class…

That Killer First Page

“Northern Irish author Paul McVeigh leads this fiction workshop aimed at writers who are writing short fiction and looking to improve their craft.

You’ll find out what competition judges and journal editors look for in a short story and how to avoid the rejection pile. In a form where every word counts, get tips on where to start your story and how to keep the reader glued to the page. You’ll also look at submission opportunities; how to find them and where you should be sending your stories.
Focus:
How to get the attention of competition judges and editors
Writing fiction with emotional impact
Writing that killer first page
How to edit your story
Where to send your work
Reviews for Paul’s writing:
“A work of genius.” Pulitzer Prize-winning short story writer Robert Olen Butler.
“A wildly impotent new talent.” Laura van den Berg.
“One of Ireland’s most exciting and talented writers.” BBC Radio 4”