I have a short story in this beauty, ‘Alfredo Arreguin’s World of Wonders’, from Cave Moon Press. It also includes a story by the master of the short story form Raymond Carver and a poem by Tess Gallagher (Carver’s wife) – honoured!
You can buy it and read more about the book here.
On the day of the ceremony on BBC Radio 4 Front Row I go behind the scenes of the BBC National Short Story Award with one of its founders and BBC Radio Books Editor Di Speirs. Find out all you need to know about the judging process in Irish Times Culture.
“Over the last few years I’ve worked with a number of literary awards and prizes, and it’s been an education. The behind-the-scenes processes have varied quite significantly. To illustrate with one example; for the £30,000 International Dylan Thomas Prize we read the longlist of twelve books then re-read our chosen shortlist of six, for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize we didn’t read the longlist only the five collections on the shortlist, for the Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Prize I was the only judge and reader, tackling around 750 short stories.
This year I was asked to be an ambassador for the BBC National Short Story Award. I first worked with the award a few years back for an event at the London Short Story Festival, which I co-founded and programmed. Now in its 13th year, the award has become a landmark on the short story landscape in the UK and internationally. I have long been a fan of their excellent website, for podcasts and recordings of previous winners and specially commissioned short stories from the best writers in the form. On that note, a little known astonishing fact, BBC Radio 4 is the world’s biggest single commissioner of short stories, attracting audiences of over a million listeners to short fiction.
Due to its unique and powerful position, at times, questions are asked about access to the BBC’s short story feast. As I watched the twitter reaction to the news of the fifth all-female shortlist and the issues raised re its selection process, I realised there were some questions even I had about the way the award worked.
I used my role as ambassador to gain an interview with Di Speirs, founding judge of the award and BBC’s editor of books, who has gone into detail about every step of the judging process, and shares her love for the short story form.”
10pm, Firkin Crane Theatre (€5)
Chris Power lives and works in London. His ‘Brief Survey of the Short Story’ has appeared in the Guardian since 2007. His fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Dublin Review and The White Review. Mothers is his first book.
The Good Son, Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, won The Polari Prize and The McCrea Literary Award. It was shortlisted for The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, the Prix du Roman Cezam in France and a finalist for The People’s Book Prize. The Good Sonwas chosen as Brighton’s City Reads 2016 and was given out as part of World Book Night 2017. Paul has written comedy, essays, flash fiction, a novel, plays and short stories, and his work has been performed on stage and radio, and published in seven languages.
Sept 14, 4pm, Grand Parade Library, Cork
Free event
I’m judging The Seán O’Faoláin Prize for the second year in a row. I’ll be giving out the prize at the Cork International Short Story Festival. Here’s the event blurb…
The Seán O’Faoláin Prize is awarded to the best single story entered in competition from anywhere in the world. The first prize is €2000. The winner also receives a week’s residency at the Anam Cara artist retreat in West Cork and publication of their winning story in Southword. The winner, if they choose to travel to Cork for this event, also receives accomodation with meals for the duration of the festival, a masterclass scholarship and entry into all events. This occasion is an opportunity to hear the winning story and the judge’s citation from Paul McVeigh.
The Good Son, Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, won The Polari Prize and The McCrea Literary Award. It was shortlisted for The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, the Prix du Roman Cezam in France and a finalist for The People’s Book Prize. The Good Son was chosen as Brighton’s City Reads 2016 and was given out as part of World Book Night 2017. Paul has written comedy, essays, flash fiction, a novel, plays and short stories, and his work has been performed on stage and radio, and published in seven languages.
In this all-day short story workshop you’ll find out how to write that crucial opening and understand why it’s essential to the success of your story. After many examples, discussions and exercises, you’ll write an opening and get tips on staying focused on your story and how to make your sentences work for you on multiple levels.
You will also find out what competition judges and journal editors look for in a short story and how to avoid the rejection pile when you send your work out. You’ll also look at submission opportunities; how to find them and where you should be sending your stories.
The course is led by Paul McVeigh, co-founder of London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory. He is the judge of national and international short story competitions including, this year, the International Dylan Thomas Prize, the Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Prize and the Edge Hill Prize. He is the current fiction editor of Southword Literary Journal.
This class is open to writers of all levels and experience.
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.
I’m currently reading for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Last year, as judge of THE SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY PRIZE, I read over 800 short stories. Here’s the winning story read by the author Louise Nealon. Listen to it and see if you can figure out why I chose it.
And if you fancy submitting this year you have until July 31 (I’m judging again).
You can also join my Online Advanced Short Story Clinic here.
The Munster Literature Centre has put this video online of an event which I chaired at Cork Short Story Festival last year. I hope you enjoy it.
Online: Advanced Short Story Clinic
As I put together Southword Literary Journal and begin judging the shortlist for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize, my first ever online course goes live, run by the wonderful Writers Centre Victoria in Melbourne. Having completed 5 sold out events for them over the last couple of years we’ve decided to collaborate and create this online feedback-based course. Have a look.
Dates: 01 August 2018 – 11:59 to 07 November 2018 – 11:59
With: Paul McVeigh
Receive direct feedback from your tutor and fellow course participants with this email correspondence course for advanced short story writers.
Develop your stories over four months. Whether you’re an experienced writer working towards the completion of a manuscript or looking to maintain momentum and sharpen your writing skills, this clinic provides specific feedback for the refinement of your own voice and style.
Participants must have had a short story published OR have already participated in a Writers Victoria Advanced Short Story Clinic to enrol in this course.
Stories of up to 1,500 words due Wednesdays 1 August, 5 September, 10 October and 7 November
Paul McVeigh’s short fiction has been published in journals and anthologies and been commissioned by BBC Radio 4. He has read his work for BBC Radio and at many international festivals. His award-winning debut novel ‘The Good Son’ was published by Salt Publishing in 2015. Paul is Director of the London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory, the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story. He is also a judge for international short story competitions and prizes and his work has been translated into seven languages.
Event Fee(s)
| Registration fee | |
| Member | $ 290.00 |
| Concession Member | $ 270.00 |
| Non-Member | $ 320.00 |
| Donation | $ 1.00 |
The longlist for 2018 Edge Hill Short Story Prize has been revealed. This is the second of the three international prizes I’m judging this year; having judged The Dylan Thomas Prize (culminating two weeks ago) and, upcoming & currently open for entries, The Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition.
I’m so looking forward to reading the best short story collections out in the last year and discussing them wit the other judges.
Here is the longlist for the £10,000 prize…
Kelly Creighton – Bank Holiday Hurricane (Doire Press)
Agnieszka Dale – Fox Season (Jantar Publishing)
Lucy Durneen – Wild Gestures (MidnightSun Publishing)
Tessa Hadley – Bad Dreams (Jonathan Cape)
Sarah Hall – Madame Zero (Faber & Faber)
M John Harrison – You Should Come With Me Now (Comma Press)
David Hayden — Darker with the Lights On (Little Island Press)
James Kelman – That was a Shiver (Canongate)
Alison MacLeod – All the Beloved Ghosts (Bloomsbury)
Sean O’Reilly – Levitation (Stinging Fly Press)
Adam O’Riordan – The Burning Ground (Bloomsbury)
Tom Rachman – Basket Of Deplorables (Riverrun)
Leone Ross – Come Let us Sing Anyway (Peepal Tree Press)
Nicholas Royle – Ornithology (Confingo)
Eley Williams – Attrib (Influx Press)
You can head over the website where they are profiling all the longlisted authors in the Meet the Writers section.
Paul McVeigh 