Record Beating Reading

The Irish Writers' Centre is celebrating 25 years since its founding with a world record-beating public reading!

Over 100 writers will participate in a marathon public reading which will commence at 10.00 am on Friday June 15th and finish at 2.00 pm on Saturday, June 16th which is Bloomsday.

If they succeed they will make a Guinness World Record.

It will be launched by Senator David Norris and the readers will include Seamus Heaney.

The readings will continue for 28 hours continuously, and will be open to the public. It will also be live-streamed so they will be reading for the world in every sense.

They can accommodate about five more readings in the middle of the night, so if any writer would like to participate and is happy to read at 3.00 or 4.00 am (when the American Continent will be tuned in) let them know straight away –

So send the title of your book that you would like to read from, and most importantly the ISBN. Only authors reading from their own books are recognised by Guinness World Records...

Asking For Directions

Michael Farry's poetry collection Asking For Directions, will be launched tonight at the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim, Co. Meath. (Time: 8pm. Admission: free. All welcome).

Poet, historian, editor (& blogger)- Michael is a founder member of the (so prolific they'd put you to shame) Boyne Berries Writing Group and an editor of their magazine Boyne Berries. He was also selected for Poetry Ireland Introductions Series in 2010.

For the publishers website and to read Michael's powerful poem When I Returned, click HERE To read What Time Is My Funeral, click HERE

A massive congratulations to Michael, have a hooley!

Silly Photos of Serious Writers

 Susan Sontag in a bear costume

 Nabakov on the hunt...

Truman Capote at Studio 54

Trumbo...cuts a dash in the bath-
(how did he write like that?All those props to arrange, the ashtray,
coffee, squidgy back thing, that easel...and then what? The water goes cold?

The lovely Colette

Just imagine if they'd had Facebook back in the day!
Drunken late night status updates from Hemingway,
dimly lit photos uploading onto Anais Nins wall
 as she pokes Henry Miller..?

(There are lots more photos at  Flavorwire)

Irish Literary Magazines

I'm re posting this list due to popular demand. (i.e. a few people have asked!)

Its wisest (and kindest) to purchase a copy of a magazine before you send your pieces. (They are labours of love after all) Double check the submission guidelines: check submission deadlines, line spacing, the number (and word count) of poems/stories the magazine will accept at any one time. The journals can vary wildly in style so reading recent copies in advance can save you a lot of trouble. A poem that would be instantly rejected by one could be published by another.

Make sure your work is perfect down to the last comma, its not the editors job to see the amazing potential behind the typos:) An excellent way to check a piece is to email it to yourself before sending it for submission. Most journals don't pay but you will get a contributors copy of the magazine, and maybe even an invitation to a launch where you can meet other emerging writers and share your plight (highly recommended!)

These are Irish Magazines only, for a worldwide view try searching Duptrope. Duotrope is a free resource for writers of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. They have a data base of over 4,200 active publishers, give statistics on publishers' response times and acceptance-rejection ratios.

A click on the title of the magazines below will bring you to the sites and further information, and good luck!

Poetry Ireland Review

poems, articles, reviews

Abridged
Poetry/Art
themed issues

Southword
online magazine (pays)
Poems, fiction, reviews

thefirstcut
online magazine
poetry, short stories & flash

The Stinging Fly

Fiction, Poetry, Reviews, Images

The SHOp
Poetry

Boyne Berries

Poetry and Prose

Crannog
Back issues available as free pdf downloads.
Poetry and prose.

The Moth
Poetry, short fiction and Art.

Revival

Poetry, short fiction and extracts.

The Poetry Bus
Poetry and Illustration
(includes a CD)

Roadside Fiction online magazine
realist fiction

Mslexia Novel Competition

Mslexia is a magazine for women who write. The competition is open to children's novels in any genre by previously unpublished women novelists, but it must be for children whoare able to read for themselves or for young adults. Crossover fiction(i.e. that aimed at children and adults) is eligible. Nonfiction, andfiction intended for adults is not eligible. To qualify as a novel,your book must total at least 30,000 words." ...and by the way the first prize is £5,000
Judging Panel:
Malorie Blackman, award-winning children's author.
Julia Churchill, literary agent specialising in children's books for Greenhouse Literary Agency
Julia Eccleshare, children's books editor at the Guardian newspaper.
Closing date: 10 September 2012

SOME REASONS TO ENTER

• Being shortlisted will put your novel at the top of any agent’s or editor’s in tray
• We guarantee an anonymous reading, so your book will be judged on thesame basis as those by ‘a friend of a friend of the editor’
• We will work with the future publisher of the winning entry to chronicle the book’s progress in the magazine and on our website 12 shortlisted authors will be invited to a networking event and introduced to a specially invited group of literary agents
• £5,000 – need we say more?

Click Here for more info, and good luck!

The Irish Poet

Brigid O Connor at Sort Of Writing has made the shortlist for the Novelicious Undiscovered competition! Her exciting and witty novel The Irish Poet is showcased on their site today, and you can read it HERE. 

A massive congratulations to Brigid on such a brilliant novel!

ROPES

My copy of ROPES arrived in the post today, there's still nothing like getting something the old fashioned way. I can't wait to read it tonight, well done on the ROPES team, its a beautiful production. I've a story in there somewhere called Saving Grace. Isn't the cover design gorgeous? It's by Claire O Brien, you can check out more of her images here. ROPES is a literary journal produced annually by the members of the MA in Literature and Publishing class at NUI Galway, you can find out more Here.