The Irish Examiner's Best Books of 2013

The Irish Examiner has published their list of the Best Books of 2013 today which includes The Infatuations by Hamish Hamilton, Madd Addam by Margaret Atwood, Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner, Town and Country edited by Kevin Barry,  Downturn Abbey by Ross O Carroll Kelly, The Guts by Roddy Doyle, The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan, Intimacy with Strangers by Ciaran Carty, and...(aren't I pleased) my own novel The Herbalist! 

Poetry Pamphlet Competition

Here's a reminder of a wee poetry competition (as if you haven't enough to do!)  Its for a chapbook and the prize is publication (author gets 40 copies). I don't enter many, or any lately, of the competitions I post about, but I like the sound of this one, and hopefully it will help me to reorder and weed my poetry collection. Its run by UK publishers Pighog Press & The Poetry School, and the deadline 31st January.

A maximum of 10 poems should be submitted. Poems should be typed on single sides of A4. Each submission should be no more than 300 lines in total. You can find out more - HERE

‘Pamphlets reflect the art and craft of compression. A pamphlet may be small, but it should be beautifully formed - each poem must deserve its place, because it has been lovingly crafted, with something important to say. I love pamphlets that have a sure sense of themselves, a necessity, an urgency. I like to be surprised, seduced, shaken out of my comfort zone.’ - Catherine Smith (judge)

ShortStops

As a short story writer and lover, I was delighted to hear from writer Tania Hershman and her new initiative ShortStops,  here's what she had to say....

'I was fed up with the myth of the poor, beleaguered short story when I know just how much short story activity, how much short story excitement and how much short story talent there is in the UK & Ireland. So I decided to give the short story a little razzle dazzle of its own by putting it all in one place!'

So, for a list of literary magazines that publish short stories, events where short stories are read, or to sign up for a newsletter click Here

Francis Mac Manus Radio Short Story Competition

 

 

Submissions for the 2014 RTÉ Francis Mac Manus Radio Short Story Competition are now being accepted. The competition is free to enter and closing date is Friday 31 January, 2014. Applications forms and guidelines can be found Here  Apply by post to-

The Francis Mac Manus Short Story Competition,
RTÉ Radio 1,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.

The three judges for 2014 are Christine Dwyer Hickey, Award winning novelist and short story writer, Julie Parsons, best selling author and former radio producer, Eoin Purcell, Editorial Director, New Island Books.