Friends in Dublin and thereabouts please come along to the launch of ‘I Hear You’ at Hodges Figgis March 11th. I’ll be introduced by author Eilis Ni Dhuibhne. Actors Tony Flynn and Tricia Fleming will read short extracts for two of the stories. I hope to see you there.
Please do spread the word. Thank you.
Donal Ryan has rapidly become one of Irelands most celebrated authors. Join Donal as he talks about his new book, Heart, Be at Peace, and his career, with author Paul McVeigh.
Donal Ryan, from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, is the author of six number one-bestselling novels and a short story collection. He has won several awards for his fiction, including the European Union Prize for Literature, the Guardian First Book Award and four Irish Book Awards, and has been shortlisted for several more, including the Costa Book Award and the Dublin International Literary Award. He was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2013 for his debut novel, The Spinning Heart, and again in 2018, for his fourth novel, From A Low and Quiet Sea. In 2016 his debut novel, The Spinning Heart, was voted Irish Book of the Decade. In 2021 he became the first Irish writer to be awarded the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature. His work has been adapted for stage and screen and translated into over twenty languages. A law graduate and former civil servant, Donal has lectured in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick since 2014 and lives in Castletroy with his wife Anne Marie and their two children. His seventh novel, Heart, Be At Peace, will be published worldwide in August 2024.
Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, The Good Son, won The Polari First Novel Prize, The McCrea Literary Award and was shortlisted for many others including the Prix de Roman Cezam. His short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, journals and newspapers, as well as, on BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5, and Sky Arts. He edited the Queer Love anthology and The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices. His writing has been translated into seven languages.
His collection of short stories written for BBC Radio, I Hear You, will be published by Salt Publishing in March 2025.
| Date | Wednesday October 16th |
| Venue | Rathfarnham Castle |
| Admission | €10 / €8 |
| Time | 7pm |
The Price of Privilege: Damon Galgut
I’ll be meeting Damon Galgut to discuss his writing and his Booker Prize-winning novel The Promise at the International Literary Festival Dublin on May 24. Check it out here.
“As a literary form, the novel has a unique capacity to capture the realities of life. The things we shouldn’t forget. A good novelist understands this. A great novelist takes this knowledge and uses the form to do something unexpected. Damon Galgut was praised by the Booker Prize judges for exactly this feat in 2021 when The Promise was awarded the prestigious prize. Set on a farm on the outskirts of Pretoria, and focusing on a seemingly ordinary family in crisis, Galgut’s novel asks relentless questions of the past and the present, and of the ways in which we deny ourselves and each other when confronted with truth.
Damon Galgut is a South African author, based in Capetown. The author of nine novels, he was twice nominated for the Booker Prize before winning it in 2021 for The Promise.
‘A masterpiece…A moving, brilliantly told family epic’ – Elizabeth Day
**Please note that you also have the option to watch this event live from the comfort of your own home. Make sure you select “Book Online Event” if you wish to do so.**”
Join Dublin Book Festival for an evening of delving into Queer Love: An Anthlogy of Irish Fiction (Munster Literature). The anthology was conceived as an attempt to redress the lack of acknowledgement of LGBTQIA+ community and representation in Irish literary anthologies. At this online event, editor of the collection Paul McVeigh is joined by two of its contributors, Emma Donoghue and Neil Hegarty to discuss their contributions to the anthology, the importance of producing this anthology, and developing LGBTQIA+ presence and representation in the Irish literary community.
Also available as a Podcast
The Art of Border Living Short Story
A unique listen-in-the-dark experience launching short story podcasts inspired by the border in Ireland, which feature new writing by Kamila Shamsie, Claire Louise Bennett, Nuala O’ Connor, Paul McVeigh and Garrett Carr, commissioned by Verbal and 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.
The evening will also feature a new creative audio documentary about the impact of WW1 on what would soon become the borderlands of Ireland, produced by the award-winning broadcaster Peter Curran.
Actor Eleanor Methven will read a selection of acclaimed Irish poetry on these themes throughout the evening, before a Q&A with some of the artists and writers including Garrett Carr, Nuala O’Connor and Paul McVeigh.
Literature Ireland’s First Lines portraits, by John Minihan, celebrate the latest wave of Irish authors
Excited to be heading to Dublin on Wednesday for the launch of FIRST LINES: JOHN MINIHAN’S PORTRAITS. Here’s what The Irish Times had to say…
“While Irish literature punches well above its weight, beyond the Anglophone world, its reach has been greatly enhanced by the work of Literature Ireland, a not-for-profit organisation funded by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council and led by Sinéad Mac Aodha. Since its foundation in 1995 Literature Ireland has funded the translation of more than 2,000 works of Irish literature into 56 world languages. Like most arts organisations, Literature Ireland’s funding suffered badly during the downturn. The value of the grants it awards has halved over the past eight years, and it has to turn down seven out of eight translation grant applications.
To celebrate the work of the latest wave of authors who are being published in translation across the globe with its support, Literature Ireland will next week launch First Lines, a promotional series of postcard-sized portraits by acclaimed photographer John Minihan, best known for his portraits of Samuel Beckett. Beckett was one of those rare writers capable of translating his own work. A BBC radio producer notoriously rejected his translation into English of En Attendant Godot as too full of Irishisms. Asked once if he was English, Beckett famously replied, “Au contraire”.”
The other writers featured in the series are Colin Barrett, Sara Baume, Gavin Corbett, Rob Doyle, Audrey Magee, Mike McCormack, Lisa McInerney, Danielle McLaughlin, Alan McMonagle, Conor O’Callaghan and Sally Rooney.
I’ll be heading to Dublin on Friday September 26 for the launch of First Lines: Irish Author Portraits by John Minihan.
John Minihan is the legendary photographer known for his wonderful portraits of Beckett in Paris. John has been taking portraits of Irish authors which have been made into postcards with the first lines from their work on the other side. I’m honoured to part of it and to celebrate the work of Literature Ireland.
I saw John last weekend where he is the resident photographer at Cork Short Story Festival and am looking forward to seeing him again at this event.
Literature Ireland have been hugely supportive of me, helping to fund translations of my The Good Son into French, German, Hungarian and Russian. A crucial organisation for the translation and promotion of Irish writers abroad.
The other writers featured in the series are Colin Barrett, Sara Baume, Gavin Corbett, Rob Doyle, Audrey Magee, Mike McCormack, Lisa McInerney, Danielle McLaughlin, Alan McMonagle, Conor O’Callaghan and Sally Rooney.
One of the portraits by John Minihan
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Sat 13 October 2018 10:30am – 4:30pm
You’ll find out what competition judges and journal editors look for in a short story and how to avoid the rejection pile. You’ll write a short piece and get feedback on that crucial story opening. In a form where every word counts, get tips on staying focused on your story and where to start the action. 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
Paul McVeigh’s short fiction has been published in anthologies and journals inc. The Stinging Fly and Faber’s ‘Modern Irish Writing’. Stories have been commissioned by BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5 and Sky Arts TV. He was shortlisted for Irish Short Story of the Year 2017 at the Irish Book Awards. His short story blog shares writing opportunities and advice and gets 40,000 hits a month and has had over 2 million views. He’s interviewed short story masters like Kevin Barry, Elizabeth McCracken and George Saunders for The Irish Times. Paul co-founded the London Short Story Festival and is Associate Director at Word Factory, the UK’s national centre for excellence in the short story. He is a reader and judge for national and international short story competitions including, in 2018, the Sean O’Faolain Prize, the Edge Hill Prize and the International Dylan Thomas Prize. He is also the current fiction editor at Southword Journal where he recently commissioned Kit de Waal and twice Booker shortlisted Deborah Levy.
This event sold out in Adelaide, Bali, Bath, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Kuala Lumpur, Lancaster, London, Melbourne & Singapore.
“I emerged from the sleepy hamlet of my writing infancy last Saturday and was sky-rocketed, hurricaned, tsunamied, autobahned and g-forced out of my head by Paul McVeigh’s “That Killer First Page” Masterclass at Waterstones, Piccadilly. He’s on top of his game, gives instinctive, constructive criticism and in a few short hours, had conveyed the essence of how to make a story compelling and unputdownable from the first few lines. Get on one of his courses if you can.”
Reviews for his short stories:
“Beautiful and very moving.” Booker shortlisted Alison Moore
“How moving and stunning that story is. It’s so raw and incredibly human.” Costa shortlisted Jess Richards
“(one of) Ireland’s most exciting and talented writers. Incredibly moving; poignant but utterly real, funny and beautifully observant.” BBC Radio 4
“Paul McVeigh’s story stands out. Funny, moving, poignant. Brilliant.” Metro Newspaper
Paul’s debut novel The Good Son’ won 2 awards and was shortlisted for a further 5.
‘A work of genius…’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Robert Olen Butler
“Both dancing and disquieting, complex and vivid, I devoured it in a day, but I’ve thought about it for many, many more.” Bailey Prize-winner Lisa McInerney The Glorious Heresies’
‘A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.’ Donal Ryan
What’s happening? Words Ireland @ ILFDublin: A National Day for Writers is a one-day get together for professional and emerging writers working in all forms. It takes place at IMMA, Dublin on Friday 25 May.
What is it, exactly? We’re building the ideal environment for writers to gather together, reflect on your creative and professional practice, catch up with industry leaders and be inspired.
So what will happen on the day? There’ll be writer’s manifestos and lectures, and presentations from writers on their recent projects and collaborations. You’ll hear how your peers manage their time and workload, and develop opportunities for themselves at home and abroad. Opportunities to discuss and debate development and funding of literature in Ireland. Events that will help evolve your thinking on how words can be produced and performed on stage, and another that offers serious industry insight from publishers, agents, book sales analysts, etc.
What are the benefits? As well as informative, writer-centric events, we’re gathering 40 literature organisations and lots of industry personnel together to meet writers in the Great Hall at IMMA. Grab a free tea/coffee and sit down with the people and organisations who regularly offer writers work.
How does it work? There are nine events to choose from on the day. Each is short and sweet, 50 minutes long. You’ll get to choose the events that are right for you, then everyone sits in on the final keynote event. Then free beers!
What’s the line up? The line-up of speakers confirmed so far:
Anne Enright | Kit de Waal | John Boyne | Marina Carr | Alan Titley | Selina Tusitala Marsh | Dani Gill | Julia Bird | Stephen James Smith | Mia Gallagher | Gavin Corbett | Ashleigh Young | Paul McVeigh | Sarah Webb | Paul Perry | Oisín McGann | Sheena Wilkinson | Christodoulos Makris | Suzanne Walsh | Nathan O’Donnell | Susan McKay | Damian O’Donnell | Freya McClements | Julieann Campbell | Julia Churchill | André Streedt | Neil Belton | Sarah Bannan | Marcella Bannon | Jo Mangan | Michael O’Reilly | Ruth Hegarty | Sinéad Mac Aodha | Declan Meade
Is it pricey? Early bird tickets are €45 and general admission is €55. That includes free lunch of sandwiches and drinks reception. Group tickets for 3 cost €120 in total, so if you can encourage two more writer friends to join you, it’ll only cost €40 each. Click here to book.
I have a published book that I want to pitch to Film Directors! Great stuff; we have just the thing for you. We’ll be pairing ten ticket holders with ten film directors, so you can pitch your story to each one. More details coming soon.
Words Ireland is a collective of seven literature organisations working collaboratively to create an environment in which writers can develop sustainable writing lives: Children’s Books Ireland, Irish Writers Centre, Literature Ireland, Munster Literature Centre, Poetry Ireland, Publishing Ireland, The Stinging Fly.
Paul McVeigh 