I was interviewed by Edward Finn Travels at Lyric Belfast for his Pure Belfast Podcast. I talk about ‘The Good Son’, ‘Big Man’ and more. This episode also includes an interview with Melanie Harrison.
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The Good Son
Appearing at Lit Books, Kuala Lumpur, June 17th
Join me on Saturday 17th June for an evening at Lit Books in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’ll be speaking to Fong Min Hun about my debut novel, The Good Son.
Details and tickets can be found 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
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.
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
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.
Ulster Book Club reads The Good Son
I’m delighted that next up the Ulster Book Club is heading to Co. Antrim with The Good Son by meself. Crime writer Gerard Brennan will leading the discussion to discover 1980s Ardoyne in ‘this great coming of age novel’ (their words not mine lol). Wed March 30th with thanks to Irish Secretariat Belfast.
Please do join in for free.
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
Short Story Workshop: Write Short Stories that Stand Out
3 x two-hour workshop sessions
Workshop Description
In this course you will find out what competition judges, anthology and journal editors look for in a short story. You will get tips on where to start the action and how to grab the reader. You will also look at submission opportunities, how to find them and where you should be sending your stories.
Workshop Dates
This workshop will be hosted in the Marketplace Theatre, Armagh on the following dates. Your £66 fee covers all three workshop sessions.
- Monday 26th July 2021, 1430hrs to 1630hrs
- Tuesday 27th July 2021, 1430hrs to 1630hrs
- Thursday 29th July 2021, 1430hrs to 1630hrs
The Good Son: Won The Polari Prize & The McCrea Literary Award
“The Good Son is a work of genius from a splendid writer.”
Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler
“A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.” Donal Ryan
Three LGBT Events For Pride Month
On Saturday I chaired a very special event for Belfast Book Festival with Colm Toibin and Mary Dorcey about the Queer Love anthology – it was such a warm conversation about the growing up LGBT in Ireland.
This Saturday coming, June 19th, I’m doing my first event in the USA for Carlow University (sadly online) with Mary Dorcey again. This time however I’m a guest writer and will be reading from my work.
The third event is with Jamie O’Connell who has also has a story in Queer Love. We’ll be talking about that and our novels.
Do come along – the two upcoming are free!
Reading and Q&A for Uni of Worcester
by University of Worcester Creative Writing Course
Join us to hear Paul McVeigh read from his novel ‘The Good Son’ and take part in a Q&A about his writing career and creative practice.
7.30 pm
16th February 2021
Free
Register to get sent an online link before the event.
This event is hosted by the Creative Writing course at the University of Worcester.
It is free to attend: designed to enable students, staff and members of the public to access authors reading their work and talking about their creative practice & writing careers.
Please register and you will then be sent the link before the event.
For more information please contact Ruth Stacey: r.stacey@worc.ac.uk
and follow us on Twitter to find out about future events: @uowriting
The Good Son: Won The Polari Prize & The McCrea Literary Award
“The Good Son is a work of genius from a splendid writer.”
Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler
“A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.” Donal Ryan
Praise for The Good Son:
“The Good Son gave us one of the most engaging protagonists of the year in Mickey Donnelly, who occupies a space between whimsy and horror in Troubles-era Belfast.” Bailey’s Prize-winner Lisa McInerney Top Reads of 2015 The Irish Independent
“When I think of exceptional working-class novels from the last few years, I inevitably think of Kit de Waal’s My Name Is Leon and Paul McVeigh’s The Good Son.” The Observer
“Paul McVeigh has written 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
“Blackly hilarious (with) one of the most endearing and charming characters I’ve come across in a long time.” ELLE Magazine Best of 2015
BBC Scotland: On TV Tonight
Tonight at 10pm the Big Scottish Book Club hosted by Damian Barr includes Jessica Fellowes, Graeme Armstrong and me reading from our books and discuss class and Courtney Stoddart closes with a rousing poem – on BBC Scotland at the link below.
I talk about ‘The 32’ & ‘Common People’ from Unbound and ‘The Good Son’ from Salt Publishing.
I hopeyou enjoy you can catch it – of not lve then on BBC Iplayer.
West Cork Workshops Half Price!
I’m Teaching the Week-Long Novel Writing Workshop
West Cork Literary Festival’s writing workshops are moving online and you can take at a workshop from the safety and comfort of your home. Thanks to the support of Cork County Council they can offer these workshops at 50% of their normal tuition fee. Course details and booking info.
“The Good Son is a work of genius from a splendid writer.”
Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler
“A triumph of storytelling. An absolute gem.”
Donal Ryan
Paul McVeigh 