The Good Son

A vital chronicle of Belfast’s transformation

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A vital chronicle of Belfast’s transformation: Paul McVeigh’s stories

“McVeigh captures the ongoing journey of a place and its people learning to live with peace, facing the legacies of the past, and cautiously embracing a new, shared future.”

This is a wonderful review of the event on my work with Cathy Galvin & Tony Flynn at Belfast Book Festival by Natasha Lynch for Shared Future News. The event (and review) covered ‘The Good Son’, ‘Big Man’ and ‘I Hear You’.

You can read the full review here.

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Writing Belfast: Stories Of A Changing City 

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Belfast Book Festival

Date Tuesday 10 June 2025

Time 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Price: Pay What You Decide – Recommended Price £12.50

Written with Paul McVeigh’s characteristic flair and Belfast wit, I Hear You (Salt, 2025) is a vibrant collection of short stories from the award-winning author of The Good Son. 

Specially written for BBC Radio 4, the stories include a ten-part sequence set around Cliftonville Circus, where five roads meet in North Belfast and the old clashes with the new on diversity, social class, acceptance and change. 

Paul will discuss his home city, Belfast, and how it has changed through his work; from Troubles era Ardoyne of The Good Son, post-lockdown north of the city in I Hear You and where its modern diversity can clash with the lingering past in his play Big Man. During the evening Actor Tony Flynn will also give readings from Paul’s work.  

Join Paul in conversation with writer Cathy Galvin, founder of the short story organisation The Word Factory and The Sunday Times Short Story Award. 

Tickets here.

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

Reading at The Outing Festival

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I’ll be visiting The Outing Festival at the Inn at Dromoland, Co. Clare, Ireland.

I’ll be reading from The Good Son and talking to Kitty Murphy on Saturday 15th February.

“An LGBT+ Weekend like no other!” The Outing Festival is a fusion of music, comedy, ceilí bands, queer arts, and the best of Ireland’s and International performers, drag artists and DJs plus so much more for over 10 Years”

The Good Son in Italian

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Very exciting news!

Eight years after the publication of The Good Son by Salt Publishing my debut novel will be translated into Italian. The book will be published in Italy by Barta Edizioni.

My Grandmother was Italian and although I sadly never met her I have always felt a close affinity with the country. I lived there on three occasions and travelled up and down the country.

The Italian edition joins translations in French, German, Hungarian and Russian!

Now, here’s the really interesting part of the story.

Valentina Vigilucca, a PHD student, got in touch with me about translating some of The Good Son into Italian as her thesis. Valentina then approached the publisher on my behalf. Without her they wouldn;t have happened. Thank you Valentina!

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

Look North Festival

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Group Discussion: The Good Son by Paul McVeigh
Fri 23 Feb 2024 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM, Chichester Library Belfast

Book Here

Paul McVeigh is an author and writer of plays, short stories, comedy performed on stage, radio and television.  His debut novel, The Good Son, won The Polari First Novel Prize, The McCrea Literary Award and was shortlisted for many others including the Prix de Roman Cezam. 

‘The Belfast author’s spirited debut delivers a real sense of a broken family living in a broken society… well drawn and affecting… poignant… convincing… alarmingly real.’ The Irish Times

‘A first novel of beautiful generosity, poignant in the delicate manner in which he evokes the brutality of an era. A striking fresco, mixing historical upheavals and hardships of a family shattered.’ Le Monde

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

Photo Essay in Burn Magazine

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Wee Muckers – Youth of Belfast | Toby Binder

»If I had been born at the top of my street, behind the corrugated-iron border, I would have been British. Incredible to think. My whole idea of myself, the attachments made to a culture, heritage, religion, nationalism and politics are all an accident of birth. I was one street away from being born my ‘enemy’« writes Paul McVeigh, Belfast born novelist and author of ‘The Good Son’.

Have a look at the full photo essay at Burn Magazine.

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

A Writing Trip to Belgium

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Two Events – Leuven and Kortrijk.

The first is ‘An evening with Irish writers Sinéad Gleeson, Mike McCormack and Paul McVeigh’

Irish college Leuven, May 5th, 8pm.

The evening is a co-organised by the Leuven Centre for Irish Studies, the EFACIS Irish Itinerary programme and ‘Druk in Leuven’ (30CC). The event is free for KU Leuven students and personnel, but please register through this link.

Tickets can also be found on the Druk in Leuven website! 

The second event is for students at Korkrijk campus for students only.

Hope to see some you there.