“We are delighted to announce Paul McVeigh’s debut short story collection, I Hear You, will be published in March 2025.
This collection of Belfast stories, each written for BBC Radio 4, includes the ten-part sequence: ‘The Circus’, set around Cliftonville Circus, where five roads meet in the north of the city.
The Circus is five minutes from the nationalist Troubles flashpoint of Ardoyne, where Paul grew up. It’s close to Holy Cross Girls’ School, where protests targeting primary school children drew international attention. The Circus is situated in the poorest part of the Belfast – it is also the most divided. Each road leads to a different area – a different class – a different religion. The Circus explores where old Belfast clashes with the new around acceptance, change, class and diversity. But this is 2024 and a fresh energy exists.
Other stories include ‘Tickles’, a story about a man visiting his mother in a dementia ward where he finds he is the one who had forgotten important things; ‘Cuckoo’, about a man’s collapse and surgery – where he feels something more sinister has happened to him; and ‘Daddy Christmas’, where a gay man writes a letter to the son he never had.
Paul McVeigh said: “I’ve been working with BBC Radio 4 for the last ten years and it’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve learned so much about telling stories written to be heard. It’s also great to be back working with Salt again.”
Christopher Hamilton-Emery said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Paul again, this time on a stunning collection of radio-performed stories. With its humour, pathos and personal tragedies, Paul manages to find the emotional heart of each immersive drama, and puts us in the centre of modern Belfast with all of its contemporary complexity and painful legacies.”
Featuring Paul McVeigh, Bernie McGill & Jan Carson
Paul McVeigh’s short stories have been in numerous anthologies including ‘Being Various’, ‘The Art of the Glimpse’ and ‘Common People’. They have also been printed in ‘The London Magazine’, ‘The Stinging Fly’ and ‘The Irish Times’, on radio at BBC Radio 3, 4, 5; RTE 1, and on Sky TV. His ten-part short story series, ‘The Circus’, appeared on BBC Radio 4 in 2023. Paul co-founded the London Short Story Festival and is associate director of Word Factory, ‘the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story’ The Guardian. Paul’s debut novel, ‘The Good Son’, won The McCrea Literary Award and The Polari First Novel Prize. His writing has been translated into seven languages.
Bernie McGill is the 2023 winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize for her collection This Train is For (No Alibis Press). She is the author of two novels: The Watch House (nominated for the Ireland European Union Prize for Literature in 2019) and The Butterfly Cabinet (2010) and of one further short story collection, Sleepwalkers (2013). Her work has appeared in a number of anthologies and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. Bernie works as a Mentor for the Irish Writers’ Centre and is an Associate Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund.
Jan Carson’s critically acclaimed writings explore themes related to identity, place and belonging, but also to angst and alienation, in such works as The Fire Starters (winner EU Prize for Literature, 2019) and The Raptures. She is also very funny! About her latest collection of short stories, Quickly, While They Still Have Horses, the Irish Times said: ‘Long after the reader has closed the book, these tales linger in the mind: vivid, original and moving.’
Chaired by Marnie Kennedy, Shared Reading facilitator. This event is hosted by Stories@theDuncairn, a volunteer-led, community literary project, in partnership with the Greater New Lodge Community Festival and Féile an Phobail. Café at the Duncairn open for tea, coffee and refreshments. Wine Reception. All welcome!
SCRÍOBHAITHE AG IONAD DHÚN CAIRN
IONAD EALAÍON DHÚN CAIRN, ASCAILL DHÚN CAIRN
Oscaíltear na doirse ag 6:30i.n
Beidh Paul McVeigh, Bernie McGill & Jan Carson ag glacadh páirte ann
Bhí gearrscéalta Paul McVeigh ina lán duanairí, ina measc, ‘Being Various’, ‘The Art of the Glimpse’ agus ‘Common People’. Bhí siad clóite in ‘The London Magazine’, in ‘The Stinging Fly’ agus san ‘The Irish Times’, ar an raidió ar BBC 3, 4, 5; RTE 1, agus Sky TV chomh maith. Bhí a shraith gearrscéalta dheich gcuid ‘The Circus’ ar BBC Radio 4 in 2023. Chomhbhunaigh Paul Féile Gearrscéalta Londan agus is stiúrthóir comhlach Word Factory é, ‘the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story’ The Guardian. Bhain an chéad úrscéal ag Paul, ‘The Good Son’, Duais Litríochta McCrea agus Duais Polari don Chéad Úrscéal. Tá a chuid scríbhneoireachta aistrithe i seacht dteanga.
Is buaiteoir Duais Gearrscéalta Edge Hill 2023 í Bernie McGill dá bailiúchán This Train is For (No Alibis Press). Is údar dhá úrscéal í: ‘The Watch House’ (a bhí ainmnithe do Dhuais Litríochta na hÉireann an Aontais Eorpaigh in 2019) agus ‘The Butterfly Cabinet’ (2010) agus bailiúchán gearrscéalta eile, ‘Sleepwalkers’ (2013). Bhí a saothaoir ina lán duanairí, agus bhí siad craolta ar BBC Radio 3 agus ar Radio 4. Oibríonn Bernie mar Mheantóir d’Ionad Scríbhneoirí na hÉireann agus is Comhalta Comhlach leis an Chiste Litríochta Ríoga í.
Pléann scríbhneoireachtaí Jan Carson, a fuair moladh ó na léirmheastóirí, téamaí a bhaineann le féiniúlacht, le háiteanna, le muintearas, ach le himní agus le coimhthíos chomh maith, i saothair dá cuid amhail The Fire Starters (buaiteoir Dhuais Litríochta an AE, 2019) agus The Raptures. Bíonn sí iontach greannmhar fosta! Mhaígh an Irish Timesfaoina bailiúchán gearrscéalta is déanaí, Quickly, While They Still Have Horses: ‘Long after the reader has closed the book, these tales linger in the mind: vivid, original and moving.’
Beidh Marnie Kennedy, Éascaitheoir Léitheoireachta Roinnte, ina cathaoirleach air. Beidh an t-imeacht seo arna óstáil ag Stories@theDuncairn, tionscadal litríochta pobail atá á threorú ag saorálaithe, i gcomhar le Féile Pobail Mhórcheantar an Lóiste Úir agus Féile an Phobail. Beidh an Café in Ionad Dhún Cairn oscailte agus beidh tae, caife agus sólaistí ar fáil. Fáiltiú Fíona. Beidh fáilte roimh chách!
RTÉ Sunday Miscellany Live At Belfast Book Festival
Date Sunday 09 June 2024
Time 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Price: Pay What You Decide – Recommended Price £12.50
Join us for a special Belfast edition of the iconic RTÉ Radio 1 programme, Sunday Miscellany.
Recorded live in The Cube at The Crescent, join us for a magical mix of spoken word and live music.
Sunday Miscellany has been a weekend institution of Irish Radio since 1968 and we are delighted to welcome the programme back to Belfast Book Festival.
This special edition will include new writing and readings of work from Lucy Caldwell, Jan Carson, John Toal, Paul McVeigh, Marie Howe, Maria McManus,Glenn Patterson and Emily Byers Ferrian, and music from Scott Flanigan and Trú vocal ensemble.
RTÉ Sunday Miscellany is produced by Sarah Binchy.
My 10 part short story series, ‘The Circus’, which aired on BBC Radio 4 this year and again on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle, has made the BBC’s top 10 recommendations. Lots of great stuff here to listen to… listen.
A BBC Christmas Collection: 30 Festive Dramas and Stories
My short story ‘Daddy Christmas’ commissioned by Micheal Shannon at BBC Radio Ulster and which aired UK wide on Radio 4 on Christmas Dady 2022, has been included in this incredible collection.
A sparkling seasonal anthology of BBC dramas and readings
Christmas is the perfect time to curl up with a good story, and this cracking collection brings you 30 wonderfully diverse tales inspired by this most special of seasons. From Santa Claus, gift-giving and family gatherings, to an unexpected encounter in a snowstorm and an alternative take on the Nativity, they’re sure to get you in the festive mood.
Here are modern readings of classics such as Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Tree’, Anton Chekhov’s ‘At Christmas Time’, Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Fir Tree’, O Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’, Elizabeth Gaskell’s ‘Christmas Storms and Sunshine’ and Leo Tolstoy’s ‘Papa Panov’s Special Christmas’. Alongside them is some superb short fiction by contemporary authors, including Stella Duffy (‘South’), Paul McVeigh (‘Daddy Christmas’), Laura Barnett (‘Survivors’), and nine delightful stories by Alexander McCall Smith. Among the stellar narrators are Don Gilet, Nina Sosanya, Hannah Gordon, Stephanie Cole and Meera Syal.
Interspersed with these are a range of spellbinding plays, including Rachel Joyce’s poignant Christmas by the Lake; festive action comedy Lena Marsh, Live and Schticking! by Jeremy Front; a very unusual and very dangerous Santa in The Morpeth Carol by Timothy X Atack; and Robert Hudson and Marie Phillips’ epistolary animal tale, Some Hay in a Manger, introduced by Stephen Fry. All feature star casts including Niamh Cusack, Robert Lindsay, Sam Troughton, Clare Corbett, Tamsin Greig and Joel Fry.
Heartwarming and heartfelt, comic and bittersweet, moving and magical, these fantastic, evocative stories are a real Christmas treat.”
I wasn’t able to make it to the wonderful Australian Short Story Festival this year but I am delighted to be their mentor for this fantastic opportunity for a short story writer – a three month mentorship and $5000(Aus). Deadline: Friday 25th August 2023 *for Australian authors
“This incredible opportunity is open to emerging Australian or permanent resident short story writers who do not have a full-length, published collection. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a three-month long remote mentorship with award-winning Irish short story writer and playwright, Paul McVeigh. During this time, you will work with Paul to develop three short stories across three months of mentoring from October to December 2023.
This opportunity is made possible by the Australian Short Story Festival and an Australian Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) grant.
About Paul McVeigh:
Paul’s debut novel, The Good Son, won The Polari First Novel Prize and The McCrea Literary Award, and was shortlisted for many others including The Prix du Roman Cezam. Paul began his writing career as a playwright and comedy writer. His short stories have been in numerous anthologies, journals and newspapers, as well as on BBC Radio 3,4 & 5, and Sky Arts. He co-founded London Short Story Festival and is associate director of Word Factory, London, ‘the UK national organisation for excellence in the short story’ The Guardian. He co-edited Belfast Stories and edited the Queer Love anthology and The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working Class Voices. He has judged numerous literary prizes and his writing has been translated into seven languages.
To apply:
Send us your best short story under 5,000 words. Stories can be published or unpublished and of any genre or theme. Stories will be read and selected by Paul McVeigh.
Send your submissions to theaustralianshortstoryfest@gmail.com
Include in your email your full name, preferred email address and phone number as well as a short bio and a short paragraph (50-100 words) explaining why you would benefit from this mentorship.
Applications are due by midnight on Friday 25th August 2023. The winner will be contacted by the end of September 2023. Any questions to be directed to Gillian Hagenus through info@australianshortstoryfestival.com”
The fifth and final episode of my series of short stories, ‘The Circus’, is on BBC Sounds. Originally, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, in January, it has been repeated on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle.
This episode contains the stories – The Medium and Dockyard Dolores
“A spiritual medium isn’t sure if a talent show is the proper venue to showcase his divine gifts and a drag queen gives an interview promoting an upcoming talent show.”
A former working men’s club in North Belfast called ‘The Circus’ has been refurbished and relaunched with an inaugural talent show – and a massive cash prize for the winner! – inspiring the locals to brush up on some old skills. The new owner, a successful London property developer, has promised to bring a bit of the West End to North Belfast. But can the area really change? Can the people?
Cliftonville Circus is where five roads meet in North Belfast. It is situated in the most deprived part of the city; it is also the most divided. Each road leads to a different area – a different class – a different religion. ‘The Circus’ explores where old Belfast clashes with the new around acceptance, change, class and diversity.
Read by Leanne Devlin and Chris Robinson Produced by Michael Shannon Executive Editor Andy Martin
My ten-part short story series The Circus commissioned by, and aired on, BBC Radio 4, earlier this year, is being repeated on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle every Saturday. In five episodes, each one will combine two of the stories. I hope you enjoy.
A former working men’s club in North Belfast called ‘The Circus’ has been refurbished and relaunched with an inaugural talent show – and a massive cash prize for the winner! – inspiring the locals to brush up on some old skills. The new owner, a successful London property developer, has promised to bring a bit of the West End to North Belfast. But can the area really change? Can the people?
Cliftonville Circus is where five roads meet in North Belfast. It is situated in the most deprived part of the city; it is also the most divided. Each road leads to a different area – a different class – a different religion. ‘The Circus’ explores where old Belfast clashes with the new around acceptance, change, class and diversity.
Read by Ruby Campbell and Abigail McGibbon Produced by Michael Shannon Executive Editor Andy Martin
Paul McVeigh 