live literature

I’m chairing Iain Archer, Lucy Caldwell, and ‘Derry Girls’ writer Lisa McGee

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An Evening with Iain Archer, Lucy Caldwell, and Lisa McGee, chaired by Paul McVeigh.

The three Seamus Heaney Centre Fellows for 2019, Iain Archer, Lucy Caldwell, and Lisa McGee will reflect on their diverse creative practices, in conversation with writer Paul McVeigh.

This is the closing event for the Writing Through Conflict symposium, hosted by the School of AEL and the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s, in partnership with National Museums NI.

Iain Archer is a Grammy nominated musician from Bangor, who has written and produced for artists such as Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg, Liam Gallagher and James Bay. He has received two Ivor Novello Awards and a third nomination. As well as his critically acclaimed solo career, Iain is a member of the band Tired Pony.

Lucy Caldwell is an award-winning Belfast-born author of three novels, several stage plays and radio dramas, and a collection of short stories. She is the editor of Being Various: New Irish Short Stories (Faber, 2019).

Lisa McGee is a stage and screen writer from Derry, she studied Drama at Queen’s University Belfast. Her plays include The Heights, Nineteen Ninety Two, and Girls and Dolls, and Jump, which has been adapted into a film. Lisa is the acclaimed writer and creator behind the hit Channel 4 sitcom’s London Irish and Derry Girls.

Date And Time: Tue, 5 March 2019, 18:00 – 19:00

Location: Ulster Museum, Belfast BT7 1NG

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Maria Edgeworth Festival

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The Maria Edgeworth Festival and society produce events celebrating the legacy of Maria Edgeworth – this is very exciting to me as I read Castle Rackrent at university. They also promote and celebrate the rich cultural and literary heritage of County Longford. This year is the 400th anniversary of the arrival of her family to Edgeworthstown. I’m delighted to be judging their short story competition (and giving out the prize at the fest), teaching a class and reading from my work.

Here’s my events…

11th May 2019

11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Short Story Workshop with Paul McVeigh (click to book)
Venue: The Old Schoolhouse, Edgeworthstown

8.00 p.m. Anniversary Celebration (click to book)
Venue: The Manor Church, Edgeworthstown
Poetry and Short Story Readings, featuring Nuala O’Connor and Paul McVeigh
Story & Song with Aidan O’Hara
Music and song with Eleanor Quaine and Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.
Presentation of prizes to competition winners.
Refreshments served

Check out the rest of the events here…

“I devoured it in a day, but I’ve thought about it for many, many more. ”
Bailey’s Prize-winner Lisa McInerney
“A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.”
Donal Ryan

London Book Fair

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I’ll be appearing at the London Book Fair Wednesday, March 13th at the invitation of The British Council. I’m excited by the topic of the conversation and to talk to some Indonesian writers after my trip there to The George Town Literature Festival in 2018. Here are the details.

Taboo
Laksmi Pamuntjak, Norman Erikson Pasaribu and Paul McVeigh; chaired by Phillip Kim
16.00-17.00, Cross Cultural Hub, Olympia

Indonesian writing today is becoming more bold, more inventive, and more determined to say the unsayable. How, through literary experiments, style and themes, are Indonesia’s writers tackling taboos and redefining norms? Laksmi Pamuntjak, author of The Question of Red – which counters the official government history of 1965; Norman Erikson Pasaribu, whose poems shine light on queer Indonesian life in the midst of erasure and oppression today; alongside Paul McVeigh whose writing touches on the complex layers of political oppression, violence and sexuality; discuss their personal reasons for writing on their chosen subjects, and the need to explore, and unsettle, the dominant narratives.

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Performing at the Barbican

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Barbican OpenFest: Art 50

Presented with Sky Arts

I’ll reading/performing a short story, commissioned especially for this incredible project, at the Barbican, London on Feb 23rd.

It will be part of the Postcards From the Future event – ’50 years from now what will the UK look like? Four respected wordsmiths Paul McVeigh, Dreda Say Mitchell, Tony Mason and A. L. Kennedy write and perform a monologue sending us a postcard from 2069.’

Here’s some more about the project…

“Free and open to all, the day will showcase works from Sky Arts’ Art 50 which invited artists of all kinds, from all walks of life, from all artistic genres, to create a piece of work which says something important about national identity in 2019. Come celebrate the diversity and creativity of a nation through dance, music, photography and film. Highlights of the performances, shows and activities throughout the day will be the chance to see brand new work from contemporary dance group Boy Blue and Ivor Novello award winner, Nitin Sawhney with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain – all for free.”

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Speaking at Stockholm Writers Festival 2019

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Stockholm Writers Festival 2019

Find your path to published

Join us May 3–5, 2019, for the Stockholm Writers Festival (#SWF19), an English-language gathering of writers, authors, and industry professionals. Our aim: Give writers the opportunity to hone their craft, learn the business, and join a community of established and emerging authors. Regardless of where you are in your process—just starting out or finishing your twentieth manuscript— #SWF19 helps you find your path to published.

I’ll be speaking and teaching at Stockholm Writers Festival next year. You can check out the schedule here.

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Interviewing Anne Enright

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Anne Enright in Conversation

I’m excited to interview Man Booker Prize Winner Anne Enright for the second time, this time on home turf. The first time was in Waterstones Piccadilly for Word Factory earlier this year. We also sat on some panels together whilst at a literature festival in Morges, Switzerland.

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Next February 9th, I’ll be interviewing her at the Seamus Heaney Homeplace, here’s the blurb…

‘Booker Prize-winning novelist Anne Enright is one of the most celebrated writers working in Ireland today. Her work is part of a great tradition of Irish writing that explores themes of family life, relationships, love, repression and memory.

Enright won the 2007 Booker Prize for her novel The Gathering, a story about the pull of family and the lure of home. Her first novel was The Wig My Father Wore and subsequent works have included What Are You Like?, The Forgotten Waltz and her most recent The Green Road. Her awards also include the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Encore Award and the Irish Novel of the Year.

From 2015 to 2018 she was the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction and we are delighted to welcome her to The Helicon where she will talk about her work and career with Paul McVeigh.’

Come along, it should be a wonderful night.

The Art of Border Living Short Story Event

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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. 

  • Wednesday 14 November, 7.00pm
  • Poetry Ireland, 11 Parnell Square East, Dublin 1
  • Tickets: Free – please RSVP to media@poetryireland.ie if you’d like to attend.

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