What News, Centurions?

Colm Scully's poetry collection "What News, Centurions?” will be launched on Monday May 4th at 7 pm in The Workman's Club, Wellington Quay, Dublin. It should be a fantastic night, guest readers will include - Erin Fornoff, Angela Carr, Fióna Bolger and Anne Tannam, Sue Cosgrave, Rab Urquhart. And, there will be music from Aidan Murphy.

Colm Scully is from Cork, he won the Cúirt New Writing Poetry Prize 2014, and was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductory Series 2014, and commended in the Gregory O’Donoghue Prize 2014.


"Humour and imagination are Colm Scully’s defining qualities. Not simply confessional, his poems often reflect modern life in snapshots that incorporate dramatis personae from wider mythical or historical contexts. This is a welcome new Irish voice – one that is observant, balanced, humane.”
– Afric McGlinchey

“A serious narrative artist as well as an authentic wearer of poetic masks, Colm Scully marshals his characters towards subtle feats of telling and singing, mining an original creative ore as he does so, and offering his readers a dream of Irish experience which, again and again, works deep enough to arrive at a vision of truth.”– Martin Dyar

On Purpose

Have you lost touch with the reason you began your novel? An interesting post from Jan Morrison could help - its about Purpose, and as ever with Jan, its wise and insightful. She says - 'I do think when we are attempting something with such a broad scope - like writing a novel or book length memoir or non-fiction - we need to constantly go back to our purpose.' 

Her words remind me that sometimes the work to be done is off the page, not on it. Jan's post is HERE.

Launch of Novel Fair 2016

The Irish Writers Centre are launching the 2016 Novel Fair tomorrow Thursday 16th of at 7.00pm in their centre in Dublin. It is a free event, but you need a ticket, which you can book by following this LINK

The launch will allow aspiring novelists to gain the inside track about how the Fair works. At the Fair twelve emerging writers will have the opportunity to bypass the slush pile and pitch directly to a selection of publishers and agents. The submissions period will open tomorrow, and remain open for six months. The Fair itself will be held in February 2016.

Here's what they have to say -
Former Novel Fair winner Niamh Boyce (The Herbalist) will share insights on this unique opportunity to connect with publishers and agents, and Dan Bolger, Commissioning Editor of New Island Books will reveal how the Fair benefits publishers through discovering new authors. A must for anyone who has ever dreamed of getting a novel published.

The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award 2015.

Do you have a batch of poems? The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection of poems in English is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. The award is now in its 45th year. Previous winners include Eileán Ni Chuilleanáin, Paul Durcan, Thomas McCarthy, Peter Sirr, Sinead Morrissey, Conor O’Callaghan, Celia de Freine and Joseph Woods. Deadline Friday 24th July 2015. The winner of this year’s award will receive €1,000.

Rules and entry form from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen
Tel. 00353(0)429378560, Fax 00353(0)429378855
E-mail: infoatpkc@eircom.net www.patrickkavanaghcountry.com

The Hennesssy Anthology 2005 - 2015

'These are the early – and, very often, the first – stories written by an exciting new wave of writers: an extraordinary, vibrant and dynamic explosion of talent that is changing the face of Irish fiction.'

A story of mine appeared in the New Irish Writing Page of the Tribune newspaper in 2009 and was shortlisted for the Hennessy Awards. Being nominated encouraged me to keep writing, (and I really needed the encouragement at that point.) It was my second story to be published, (my first was in Crannog) and it was called Steps Of Stairs. In 2011, I was nominated again, and won overall New Irish Writer of the Year. It has had a huge postive impact on my writing life.

The Hennesssy Anthology 2005 - 2015 was launched last week, it features a selection of twenty-five stories shortlisted for the Hennessy Awards over the past decade. The third in a series, the Hennessy anthologies are edited once a decade by Dermot Bolger and Ciaran Carty. I'm delighted to have my story included in it. The other contributers are Sara Baume, Alan Jude Moore, Jennifer Farrell, Thomas Martin, John Murphy, Michael O’Higgins, Nicola Jennings, Colm Keegan, Selina Guinness, Kevin Power, John O’Donnell, Oona Frawley, Eileen Casey, Kevin Doyle, Andrew Fox, Pat O’Connor, Maire T. Robinson, Monica Corish, Carmel McMahon, Brendan McLoughlin, Sean Kenny, Chris Connolly, Elizabeth Brennan, Sean Coffey.

‘(These) are often the first stories, or the newly struck note, of a voice that will go to new horizons. Just being shortlisted for the award gives a needle-shot of confidence and a sense of breadth early in a writer’s career.’
Colum McCann

The Hennessy Anthology 2005 - 2015 can be ordered HERE. An ARENA interview from April 2nd with myself and Dermot Bolger can be listened to HERE.