Billy O’Callaghan & Alan McMonagle In Conversation
Another video has been released from Cork International Short Story Festival 2017. Here I chair an event on the short stories of these award-winning authors.
panel discussion
Franco-Irish Literary Festival March 2018
FRANCO-IRISH LITERARY FESTIVAL Theme: Sexe, Sex, Gnea, 23, 24, 25 March 2018
I hope to see some you at this wonderful festival in Dublin which includes authors like Anne Enright, Rob Doyle and Lisa McInerney.
Event One: Panel discussion: An chéad bhlaiseadh / Like a virgin / Toute première fois
Time: Sat 24th March 12.15 to 1.15pm
Venue: Dublin Castle, Castle Hall
Moderator: Dominique Le Meur
WITH:
- Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill
- Myriam Gallot
- Paul McVeigh
Event Two: Panel discussion: An 21ú céad: gnéas fíor nó fíorúil /The 21th Sex /Le 21e Sexe
Time: 12.15 to 1.15pm, Sunday 25 March
Venue: Alliance Française, 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Moderator: Michael Cronin
WITH:
- Lisa McInerney
- Françoise Rey
- Paul McVeigh
- Sylvain Bosselet
Working With Your Heroes
It’s been an amazing year so far. I’ve appeared on panels with two of my heroes – George Saunders on BBC Radio 3 and Anne Enright at Livre sur le quais – and now I’ll be in three events with Claire Keegan at Singapore Writers Festival. I can’t wait.
Lyrical Éire: An Irish Night Of Words And Music
DATE / TIME: 3 Nov, Fri 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
VENUE: The Arts House, Chamber
With Cat Brogan, Deborah Emmanuel, Abby Oliveira, Deirdre Sullivan, & Julian Gough and Claire Keegan.
The pipes are calling… Irish writers, performance poets and musicians will gather for a bewitching evening of sonorous voices and beautiful turns of phrase. Six Irish artists will be joined by two Singaporean writers as they celebrate the magic of Ireland. The evening will be graced by Irish Ambassador Geoffrey Keating.
Between Brexit and the Deep Blue Sea: Being Irish in a Divided Europe
Panel Discussion – with Cat Brogan and Claire Keegan.
DATE / TIME: 4 Nov, Sat 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
VENUE: National Gallery Singapore, Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium
The future will see Ireland geographically separated from the rest of the European Union by a post-Brexit Britain. Meanwhile, the refugee crisis and various causes of socio-political unrest continue to put pressure on an increasingly divided Europe. Where do the Irish see themselves in this volatile landscape? Two fiction writers and one performance poet discuss the impact of such upheavals on their writing, and how issues of migration, asylum and integration seep into their works.
Grace In Gravity: The Craft of Characterisation and Setting
DATE / TIME 5 Nov, Sun 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
VENUE: The Arts House, Blue Room
A young character survives a difficult childhood and attains actualisation. That is the story at the heart of acclaimed novels and novellas by authors Claire Keegan, Deirdre Sullivan and Paul McVeigh. The three Irish writers will talk about the formal elements of their works, from characterisation to the evocation of mood and setting.
I interviewed Claire Keegan at Belfast Book Festival, Cork Short Story Festival and London Short Story Festival . This will be the first time I’ll be joining her as an author.
Appearing at Ubud Festival in Bali
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…
Reading at Ireland’s Biggest Community Festival
I’ll be reading and talking with Marnie Kennedy at The Duncairn Centre for Culture & Arts in Belfast on August 11. It’s part of Féile an Phobail Ireland’s biggest community festival. I’ll be joined by writer Victoria McNulty and one other writer tbc.
The event is called Scribes at the Duncairn and you can check out the full festival programme here.
I hope to see some of you there.
My New Story on BBC Radio 3 – Hurry!
The Speed of Life – Short Stories: Jenn Ashworth, Paul McVeigh & Kirsty Logan
Stories on the theme of this year’s Free Thinking Festival, commissioned by New Writing North and Word Factory.
Last weekend I travelled to Gateshead to record a short story for BBC Radio 3 along with Jenn Ashworth and Kirsty Logan. You can listen to or download these 3 short stories (total 25mins) for the next 25 days only on BBC IPlayer here.
Later tonight you can listen to the BBC 3 event we recorded with George Saunders ‘How Short is a Short Story?’ too.
I hope you enjoy.
Presenter Matthew Sweet, Jenn Ashworth, George Saunders, Kirsty Logan & Me
Paul McVeigh 