Irish Writers Centre July 19

Hope to see some of you tomorrow at 7.30pm.

Tickets via Eventbrite: €5 / €3 | Tickets on the door: €7

(glass of wine included)

The Irish Times Book Club in association with the Irish Writers Centre present:

The Good Son – Paul McVeigh in conversation with Martin Doyle and the Irish Times Book Club

A writer to be championed… utterly engaging… vivid, fresh and brought fully to life… written with a sharp eye and a big heart, The Good Son will establish Paul McVeigh as an important new Irish voice — Lucy Caldwell

About the book

Mickey Donnelly is smart, which isn’t a good thing in his part of town. Despite having a dog called Killer and being in love with the girl next door, everyone calls him ‘gay’. It doesn’t help that his best friend is his little sister, Wee Maggie, and that everyone knows he loves his Ma more than anything in the world. He doesn’t think much of his older brother Paddy and really doesn’t like his Da. He dreams of going to America, taking Wee Maggie and Ma with him, to get them away from Belfast and Da. Mickey realises it’s all down to him. He has to protect Ma from herself. And sometimes, you have to be a bad boy to be a good son.

About the author

Paul McVeigh’s work has been performed on stage and radio, published in print and been translated into 7 languages. He began his career as a playwright in his home town, Belfast, before moving to London where he wrote comedy shows, which were performed at the Edinburgh Festival and in London’s West End. The Good Son (Salt), his first novel, was Brighton’s City Reads for 2016, shortlisted for The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and is currently a finalist for The People’s Book Prize and longlisted for The Polari Prize. It was shortlisted for The Guardian’s ‘Not The Booker’ Prize in 2015 and chosen by The Literary Platform to be part of The UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature. He won The McCrea Literary Award in 2015.

– This event will be recorded in front of a live audience for the Irish Times Book Club podcast so please arrive promptly.
– Whether you’ve read the book or not, come along on the 19th and join in the conversation. The book will also be available for purchase at the event.

Book your ticket for Irish Times Book Club now >>>

Read My First Short Story

Go easy on me – this was my first attempt at prose…

Today The Irish Times published two pieces to start their Book Club month celebrating The Good Son.

You can read the original 17 (not 15) year old story short story ‘What I Did On My Summer Holidays‘ which was the inspiration for the novel.

The second piece, Go Easy On Me, is a companion to the story, explaining the move from plays to prose and the evolution of the story into a novel. It also talks about using humour in dark situations and everyday swearing!

I hope you like them.

 

 

The Good Son The Irish Times Book Club Choice

Some exciting news. The Good Son has been chosen by The Irish Times as their Book Club choice for next month, July. During the month there will essays & reviews by authors & my UK and foreign publishers, and interviews with me. It will culminate with a live event in Dublin at The Irish Writers’ Centre where I’ll be interviewed by Martin Doyle, assistant literary editor of The Irish Times on July 19 at The Irish Writers’ Centre.

What have you got to look forward to?

The original, 17 yr old, short story The Good Son is based on.

Maybe even a lost chapter never before published…

Contributions from…

Lisa McInerney – winner of the Bailey’s & Desmond Elliot Prize

Laura van den Berg – who Salon.com calls ‘the best young writer in America’

Alison Moore – Booker-shortlisted author of The Lighthouse

Lucy Caldwell – winner of the Dylan Thomas & Rooney Prize among many others

Paul Burston – author of 7 novels & founder of The Polari Salon & Prize

Sarah Hutchings of City Reads Brighton

Danielle McLaughlin – short story wonder and New Yorker contributor

My agent Carrie Kania and publisher Jen Emery-Hamilton & more…

It’s going to be a wonderful month.

New Book Cover

Currently finalist for The People’s Book Prize & longlisted for The Polari Prize
Chosen as
Brighton’s City Reads 2016
Shortlisted: The Guardian’s
‘Not The Booker’ Prize
Shortlisted:
The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
ELLE Magazine
Best Books of 2015
The Irish Independent Top Reads of 2015
One of
The Reading Agency Staff Picks Best of 2015
Wales Arts Review –
Fiction of the Year
Number 1 Beach Read
The Pool
A
Gransnet Best Christmas Read for 2015
Savidge Reads and Pam Reader Blogs Books of the Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those Killer First Chapters: July 2

Those Killer First Chapters: How to grip your reader right from the beginning. Get the attention of literary agents and editors. Literary agent Carrie Kania will give her insights and will read your submission letter when you’re ready.

Simon van Booy will pop in to answer your questions on getting attention on both sides of the Atlantic – for novels, short stories and non-fiction.

Free entry into the evening salon and a copy of The Good Son. Saturday July 2 Waterstones Piccadilly.

More info here.

New Book Cover

Currently finalist for The People’s Book Prize & longlisted for The Polari Prize
Chosen as
Brighton’s City Reads 2016
Shortlisted: The Guardian’s
‘Not The Booker’ Prize
Shortlisted:
The Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
ELLE Magazine
Best Books of 2015
The Irish Independent Top Reads of 2015
One of
The Reading Agency Staff Picks Best of 2015
Wales Arts Review –
Fiction of the Year
Number 1 Beach Read
The Pool
A
Gransnet Best Christmas Read for 2015
Savidge Reads and Pam Reader Blogs Books of the Year

Novel vs Short Story: me, Simon van Booy & Fiona McFarlane

Honoured to be sharing the stage with Fiona McFarlane and Simon van Booy in my favourite venue in the world! Hope some of you can some. Here’s the skinny…

Tonight three authors will debate the pleasures and pitfalls of the two forms as readers and writers of both. Award-winning Simon van Booy joins us from the USA and Fiona McFarlane visits us from Australia, making her first UK appearance. Paul McVeigh, author and co-founder of London Short Story Festival completes the panel with literary agent Carrie Kania chairing. Lively readings, engaging conversations and signings with a glass of wine.

Simon Van Booy is the author of three collections of short stories and three novels, with his most recent novel ‘Father’s Day’, just published in the UK by One World. In 2010, he won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award for his collection Love Begins in Winter. His fiction has been translated into seventeen languages.

Fiona McFarlane’s novel, The Night Guest, will be published in 19 countries and 15 languages, and won a NSW Premier’s Prize and Fiona was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist for 2014. Fiona’s short stories have been published in the New Yorker her debut collection ‘The High Places’ is out now.

Paul McVeigh’s debut novel ‘The Good Son’ was chosen as Brighton’s City Reads 2016 and has been shortlisted for numerous awards. His short stories have been published in journals and anthologies and read on BBC Radio 4 and 5. Paul is also the co-founder of the London Short Story Festival and associate director of Word Factory the UK’s premier short story salon.

£5 tickets are available in store, by telephone 020 7851 2400 or by email:piccadilly@waterstones.com

City Reads Interview at Brighton Festival May 29

BF Logo

Sunday May 29 at Brighton Festival sees the closing of this year’s City Reads. Over 200 tickets already sold which blows my mind! I’ll be interviewed about The Good Son by author and journalist Laura Lockington. That it’s part of the historic 50 year anniversary of the Brighton Festival makes it all the sweeter. I hope to see some of you there – grab the few remaining tickets here.

Book Marks

My class ‘Those Killer First Chapters: Getting the attention of agents and editors’ is back. Waterstones Piccadilly, London, July 2.

My class ‘Those Killer First Chapters: Getting the attention of agents and editors’ is back. Waterstones Piccadilly, London, July 2.

Thank you and congratulations Felicia Yap: “I attended Paul’s workshop two weeks before I went on submission. A truly enjoyable day and I learnt a lot. Sometimes, a single technical idea can make a real difference to our journeys as writers. I came away from Paul’s workshop with not one but several exciting possibilities. And yes, THE DAY AFTER YESTERDAY did get lots of attention merely two weeks later!” Selling for a 6 figure sum.

Click for more information and tickets.