Masterclass

International Short Story Conference

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I’m attending the 17th International Conference of the Short Story in English. I’ve been invited to this bi-annual conference in Lisbon, Singapore and Vienna. This year I’ll be alongside luminous guests such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler and ZZ Packer.

Tuesday 17 June, 2025, 14:00-17:00

Paul McVeigh – The Art of the Powerful Short Story Narrative

Bring your notebooks with your fragments, your unfinished stories, and ideas that just wouldn’t launch, this workshop will talk you through a method of making them work. Using examples from his work Paul will show you how he has used his method to create powerful narratives then you can try it on your broken stories. You’ll get feedback and input into your ideas. Because he is also a playwright and has written thirteen short stories for BBC Radio 4, Paul will also show you how to write that story for radio. Be prepared to work and learn a lot. 

Thursday, June 19, Session V: 11:00 AM-12:30 PM

V.A (MOD SUITE 4): Moderator: Kimberly Gentles. 

Writers: 

Paul McVeigh 

Éilís Ni Dhuibhne 

Judith Nika Pfeifer 

Showcasing Publications and How to Make it Work.

Saturday, June 21, 2025 – 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Writers discuss the pros and cons, ways and means of putting your publications before the public. They will showcase specific works, including their own as examples. Robin Hemley will serve as Chair, with Madeleine D’Arcy as Co-Chair. The participants are Robin Hemley, Katie Singer, Evelyn Conlon, Madeleine D’Arcy, Emma Hislop, Rebekah Clarkson, Paul McVeigh, and Robert Olen Butler.  

Milton Keynes Lit Fest Workshop

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Look Again:
The surprises of inner and outer landscapes
A masterclass with Paul McVeigh and Cathy Galvin

Wednesday 2 July 2025; Zoom
7.00pm – 8.30pm; £15/£12

​​​Whatever their form, all stories take place somewhere. Join Belfast-born fiction writer Paul McVeigh and Coventry-born poet Cathy Galvin as they invite you to disrupt your usual writing practice and find a space to look again, and more deeply, at the all-too-familiar landscape of home. 

Whatever your chosen literary form – but with a particular focus on the short story –  this relaxed 90 minute session is aimed at helping you discover the still points and the surprising in the everyday.  Exploring their own work and that of other writers who have inspired them, they will help you consider what lies beneath and within the landscapes we think we know. 

Colleagues in the short story organisation, the Word Factory, Paul and Cathy both write across many forms and enjoy working with other writers: you can expect insight, banter, some suggested reading in advance (not essential) and some writing prompts and recommended reading to follow up in your own time.​

BOOK HERE.

Workshop at Belfast Book Festival

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Reading Your Work Aloud

Date Wednesday 11 June 2025

Time 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Price£35 | £30

Reading Your Work Aloud With Paul McVeigh

For prose writers of all levels, this workshop with award-winning author Paul McVeigh will help you to read your work aloud with confidence. 

From breathing to bodily awareness, from pacing your work to using the microphone, you’ll receive support and feedback in a friendly environment. 

The workshop is split into two parts: you’ll learn techniques for reading aloud – then practice performing on-stage. 

Please bring a writing excerpt (ideally your own work) no more than three-minutes long. With Paul’s guidance, you’ll learn how to handle nerves, deliver a great story and connect with your audience.

Paul McVeigh’s short stories have been publlished in numerous anthologies, journals and newspapers, and read on BBC Radio 3, 4 and 5, RTÉ Radio and Sky Arts. His ten-part short story series, The Circus, aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2023. He co-founded the London Short Story Festival and was Associate Director of The Word Factory. Paul has edited three short story anthologies and guest edited Southword Journal. Paul has judged numerous international literary prizes and was acting Head of Literature for Arts Council NI. Paul’s debut novel, The Good Son, won The McCrea Literary Award and the Polari First Book Prize and his writing has been translated into eight languages.

West Cork Festival: Novel Course

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Delighted to be returning to West Cork Literature Festival this year. I’ll be running the course below.

This workshop will run from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 July, from 9.30am to 2.30pm each day with two breaks built into the day.

Join award-winning novelist Paul McVeigh for a three-day novel writing workshop. Over the three days we will explore the elements needed to write a novel that hooks a reader; looking at how to create characters that capture us, the use of dialogue, how to master emotion on the page, the importance of plotting and how to make your setting more than a passive backdrop to your story.

You will also find out what every debut novelist needs to know about the industry and what do you do when you’re novel is finished. This is for writers at all levels; with talks, writing exercises and lots of Q&A time.

Max: 15 participants

Location:

Saint Finbarr’s Boys National School
Seskin, Bantry, Co. Cork
P75 NY51

Admission: €230

Tickets

The Good Son 3rd Editon
You can buy here

Winner of The Polari First Novel Prize

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

‘Raw, funny and endlessly entertaining’. Jonathan Coe

Teaching at John Hewitt Summer School

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Write Short Stories that Stand Out at The John Hewitt Society, Monday 24th, Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th July.

One of my few teaching gigs this year. Snap it up quick.

“In this course you will find out what competition judges and anthology & journal editors
look for in a short story. You will get tips on where to start the action and how to grab the reader’s attention, as well as opportunities for submission, how to 昀椀nd them and where you should be sending your stories.”

Book here.

Click to access JHSS_2023_WEB_01.pdf

Teaching in Singapore

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16TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE SHORT STORY IN ENGLISH

That Killer First Page 

In this workshop, Paul will share what editors, first readers and judges look for in a short story. He will discuss how to get your story published, onto that shortlist and how to avoid the rejection pile. Paul will take you behind the scenes of anthologies, competitions and journals, explaining the psychology of the decision-making process and the importance of ‘That Killer First Page’. He will highlight the essential ingredients to create that crucial story opening. In a form and genre where every word counts, you will get tips on staying focused on your story and where to start the action; you will also get clues on when to stop. For the workshop, you write an opening and get feedback on that. We will look at submission opportunities; how to find them and where you should be sending your stories.

The Good Son 3rd Editon
You can buy here

Winner of The Polari First Novel Prize

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

‘Raw, funny and endlessly entertaining’. Jonathan Coe

Thanks to Culture Ireland for there support.

That Killer First Page at Birmingham Lit Fest

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That Killer First Page – with Paul McVeigh

8th October, 10am-12noon, The Exchange.

“Short stories are where a lot of writers start, and short story competitions are enormously valuable to an emerging writer.

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 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.

Paul McVeigh is co-founder of London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory. He’s been a reader and judge for national and international literary competitions and prizes. He had also edited four anthologies and reviews for the Irish Times and the TLS.”

Book here.

You can still listen to my short story ‘Dady Christmas’ on BBC Radio 4 here.

The Good Son 3rd Editon
You can buy here

Winner of The Polari First Novel Prize

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

‘Raw, funny and endlessly entertaining’. Jonathan Coe

Teaching at Listowel

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3 Day Workshop: Short Story with Paul McVeigh


Date and time

Thu, 2 June – Sat, 4 June 2022

09:00 – 12:30 IST

You can check out the website here and ticket link below.

‘Paul will share what first readers, editors and judges look for in a short story and discuss how to get your story published.

Paul will discuss how to get your story onto that shortlist and how to avoid the rejection pile. Paul will take you behind the scenes of anthologies, competitions and journals, explaining the psychology of the decision-making process and the importance of ‘That Killer First Page’. He will highlight the essential ingredients to create that crucial story opening. In a form and genre where every word counts, you will get tips on staying focused on your story and where to start the action; you will also get clues on when to stop. You will write an opening and get feedback on that. You will look at submission opportunities; how to find them and where you should be sending your stories.

Paul McVeigh’s short stories have been read on BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5 and performed on Sky Arts TV. They have also appeared in many publications including Faber’s ‘Being Various: New Irish Short Stories’, ‘The Art of the Glimpse’, The Irish Times, The London Magazine and The Stinging Fly. ‘Hollow’ was shortlisted for Irish Short Story of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2017 and he was longlisted in 2021.’

His debut novel ‘The Good Son’ won The Polari First Novel Prize and his work has been translated into seven languages. He reviews for The Irish Times and the TLS. 

Paul has edited the Southword Journal, the ‘Belfast Stories’ anthology from Doire Press (2019) and is the editor of ‘Queer Love’ and ‘The 32′, which includes new work from Roddy Doyle, Kevin Barry and Danielle McLaughlin.

He is associate director of Word Factory ‘the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story The Guardian and is co-founder and Director of the London Short Story Festival. Paul has judged many international literary competitions including The Dylan Thomas Prize, The Edge Hill Short Story Prize, The Sean O’Faolin Short Story Prize and currently the V. S. Pritchard Prize for the Royal Society of Literature. He is presently head of Literature for the Arts Council of NI.

This workshop has sold out in Adelaide, Armagh, Bath, Belfast, Brighton, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kuala Lumpur, Lancaster, Listowel, London, Melbourne, Salisbury, Singapore, Ubud and West Cork.’

Register on Eventbrite

You can listen to one of my stories on BBC Sounds for all of 2022 – ‘Daddy Christmas’