What a day talking to these intelligent students discussing some of my short stories at Talen KU Leuven Kulak KU Leuven Kulak that the hour and a half class turned into two and a half hours – with two students following us to the front door with even more questions.
I’m in Belgium by invitation of EFACIS – European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies and sponsored by Culture Ireland.
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.
I’ll be attending the George Town Literary Festival in Penang, Malaysia, 24/25/26. You can read about it The Malaysian Insight.
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.
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.
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…
“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”
Sun, December 3, 2017
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Malaysia
Ground Floor, Jalan Ampang, Malaysia
West Block Wisma Selangor Dredging 142C, Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan 50450
Malaysia
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.”
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.”
This trip is with the help of…
The Good Son 