live appearances

Vive La France! 3 dates in May

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On Monday 15th May I fly to Paris and then to Nantes and Quimper over the next few days. I’ll be discussing The Good Son and meeting French readers. The trip is in celebration of Un bon garcon (the French translation) being shortlisted for the Prix du Roman Cezam. Here’s where I’ll be… I hope some of you can make it

Tuesday the 16th : NANTES : meeting in the library “La Manufacture” at 18.30

Wednesday the 17th : QUIMPER : meeting in the library “des Ursulines” at 18.30

Thursday the 18th : PARIS : meeting with the employees of the bank Crédit Agricole at 17.30

un-bon

“Paul McVeigh has written a first novel of beautiful generosity, poignant in the delicate manner in which he evokes the brutality of an era. A striking fresco, mixing historical upheavals and hardships of a family shattered.” Le Monde

27 May, Talking Translation: International Literature Festival Dublin

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Talking Translation – Writing and Rewriting: Writers and Translators in Conversation

Brunch with guests including Paul McVeigh, Rasha Khayat, and their translators Hans-Christian Oeser and Sinead Crowe. The event will feature a discussion between the participants about their work, separately and together, providing some insight into the mysterious workings of the writer–translator relationship and their common search to give voice to contemporary fiction. Brunch will be served in a relaxed and informal setting, offering the opportunity to listen and speak to these remarkable writers and ‘rewriters’.

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.

Date Saturday, 27 May

Time 10:30AM
Venue Drury Buildings
Price €5

Last Free Tickets Released Feb 17 for George Saunders, Jenn Ashworth, Kirsty Logan & me

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Last Free Tickets Released Tomorrow Feb 17 for George Saunders, Jenn Ashworth, Kirsty Logan & me talking to Matthew Sweet at BBC 3 Free Thinking Festival. Here’s the information from the website…

BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking Festival: How Short Is A Short Story? Sat 18 Mar. 10.15-11.15am

With US author George Saunders, Jenn Ashworth, Paul McVeigh and Kirsty Logan

Acclaimed American short story writer George Saunders talks to Radio 3 presenter Matthew Sweet about travelling in time to explore Abraham Lincoln’s life during the American Civil War when the President’s beloved young son died. These historical events have inspired Saunder’s first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, whilst his short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, McSweeney’s and GQ.

He compares notes on the art of fiction long and short with Paul McVeigh, Jenn Ashworth and Kirsty Logan, who’ve been commissioned by New Writing North and the WordFactory to write Flash Fiction on the Festival theme of The Speed of Life.

Kirsty Logan is the author of books including The Gracekeepers and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales and a range of short stories.

Jenn Ashworth’s books include Fell, The Friday Gospels, A Kind of Intimacy and Cold Light and a selection of short stories.

Paul McVeigh has won prizes including the Polari prize for his debut novel The Good Son. Born in Belfast he is co-founder of the London Short Story Festival, writes a blog and has represented the UK at events in Mexico and Turkey.

You can hear the specially commissioned stories for the Festival on the free Radio 3 headphones available to borrow in Sage foyer.

Matthew Sweet is author of Inventing the Victorians, Shepperton Babylon and The West End Front. He is a columnist for Art Quarterly and Newsweek and presents Free Thinking and Sound of Cinema on BBC Radio 3 and The Philosopher’s Arms on BBC Radio 4. He was series consultant on the Showtime drama Penny Dreadful and played a moth from the planet Vortis in An Adventure in Space and Time on BBC2.

In association with New Writing North and the WordFactory.

For your information…

  • A second batch of tickets will be released at 12noon on Friday 17 February.
  • A restricted number of tickets will be available on the day on a first come first served basis.
  • Please take your seats 10 minutes prior to the event start time otherwise you may lose your place.

25/26 Nov, Shrewsbury Literature Festival

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I’m looking forward to the first Shrewsbury Literature Festival. On the Friday 25th November I’ll be interviewing Jonathan Coe about his new novel Number 11 in the festival’s first ever event. Here’s the info…

“Jonathan Coe is SFL’s first Patron and we are delighted that he will be with us over the Festival weekend. He is the author of numerous novels, including “What a Carve Up!”, “The Rotters’ Club” and the Shropshire-based “The Rain before It Falls“.

Jonathan was born in Birmingham and spent many happy childhood holidays in Shropshire. He tells us that he is looking forward to returning to Shrewsbury for the festival in November.

Jonathan’s latest novel is “Number 11” and he will be discussing this book and many other things with the writer, Paul McVeigh, in our very first event!”

On Saturday 26th November I’ll be running a writing workshop and then reading from and talking about The Good Son at 5pm.

I hope to see some of you there.

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 The Good Son:Currently Shortlisted for The Polari Prize
Appearances: Kildare Readers Festival with Lisa McInerney, Oct 15
Wivenhoe Bookshop with AL Kennedy, Oct 29
Outburst Festival Belfast, Nov 14
German Tour: Olpe, Nov 15/Munich, Nov 16/Regendburg, Nov 17/Hamburg, Nov 18
Shrewsbury Literature Festival: Nov 25/26

 

 

 

Glorious Debuts with Lisa McInerney

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I can’t wait to read with Lisa McInerney again at Kildare Readers Festival, Riverbank Arts Centre, October 14 at 8pm. We met last year at Cork World Book Festival and got on like a house on fire. She is so funny and an all-round lovely person.

me and Quack

Lisa McInerney and me

 

We met again when Lisa read at a fundraiser I organised in Jan 2016 for KAVA Arts in Kinvara.

Group

Nuala O’Connor, Sarah Clancy, Lisa McInerney and me

Since then Lisa has had enormous success winning the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Bailey’s Prize.

We love each other’s work and Lisa wrote an amazing essay on The Good Son for The Irish Times when it was the Book Club Choice for July this year. We’re also good buddies and the craic we have should lead to an excellent event at Kildare Readers Festival.

Hope to see some of you there.

 

 

 

Novel vs Short Story: me, Simon van Booy & Fiona McFarlane

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Honoured to be sharing the stage with Fiona McFarlane and Simon van Booy in my favourite venue in the world! Hope some of you can some. Here’s the skinny…

Tonight three authors will debate the pleasures and pitfalls of the two forms as readers and writers of both. Award-winning Simon van Booy joins us from the USA and Fiona McFarlane visits us from Australia, making her first UK appearance. Paul McVeigh, author and co-founder of London Short Story Festival completes the panel with literary agent Carrie Kania chairing. Lively readings, engaging conversations and signings with a glass of wine.

Simon Van Booy is the author of three collections of short stories and three novels, with his most recent novel ‘Father’s Day’, just published in the UK by One World. In 2010, he won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award for his collection Love Begins in Winter. His fiction has been translated into seventeen languages.

Fiona McFarlane’s novel, The Night Guest, will be published in 19 countries and 15 languages, and won a NSW Premier’s Prize and Fiona was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist for 2014. Fiona’s short stories have been published in the New Yorker her debut collection ‘The High Places’ is out now.

Paul McVeigh’s debut novel ‘The Good Son’ was chosen as Brighton’s City Reads 2016 and has been shortlisted for numerous awards. His short stories have been published in journals and anthologies and read on BBC Radio 4 and 5. Paul is also the co-founder of the London Short Story Festival and associate director of Word Factory the UK’s premier short story salon.

£5 tickets are available in store, by telephone 020 7851 2400 or by email:piccadilly@waterstones.com

City Reads Brighton Festival Event On Sale Now.

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So exciting to see be in The Brighton Festival brochure. 

Brighton Fetsival Broushure

The culmination of this year’s Brighton City Reads events celebrating my novel The Good Son will take place during The Brighton Festival as it in turn celebrates its 50th anniversary. Here’s the copy – to book click here.

“City Reads is Brighton & Hove’s annual ‘big read’ for adults. This year, people across the city have been reading, sharing and discussing Paul McVeigh’s astonishing debut,The Good Son. Set during the Troubles in 1980s Belfast, it’s an astute, assured and achingly funny novel about the complex nature of innocence and guilt. Paul McVeigh has written plays, comedy and short stories – he is also co-founder of London Short Story Festival. Join him in as he discusses his inspiration for the novel in this final event marking the culmination of City Reads 2016.”

I’ll be reading from The Good Son and will be interviewed by novelist and columnist Laura Lockington.

The Good Son Chosen for Brighton’s City Reads

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A few years ago I moved to Brighton. To get to know the city and throw myself back into writing I volunteered for a project called City Reads. The city-wide celebration of My Policeman by Bethan Roberts was so much fun. I gave out fliers, asked shops to put up posters, collected tickets on city walks and even acted in a play!

Spotted_Dog

All those events were related to the book and I was struck by the inventiveness of City Reads and what an amazing job they did bringing the book to life.

Who would have thought that 4 years later it would be my book that would be chosen? You couldn’t write it. I’m overwhelmed. You can see the programme of events here. I can’t wait to get stuck in. There’s whiskey tasting, movie screenings, a quiz – and readings from me. That it will part of The Brighton Festival’s 50th anniversary is amazing.

Have a great day! I know I will.

City Reads

Fundraising Event in Kinvara

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A wonderful event last night to raise funds for the old courthouse in Kinvara. Thanks to the generosity of writers Sarah Clancy, Lisa Quackinerney and N Ní Chonchúir who gave their time and talent to the help the local community here. You are amazing. And so I say good-bye to Kinvara and head home to Brighton. Thank you to Kinvara for having me and Liadain O’Donovan whose generosity I accepted in coming to Kinvara to get space to write. I’m so lucky to have a life where the currency is kindness and generosity. I think it’s going to be a good year.

Group

Nuala O’Connor, Sarah Clancy, Lisa McInerney and me.