New Irish Writers Short Story event

"Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds" (Neil Gaiman) ... find out more at our short stories panel discussion with Hennessy Literary Award authors Niamh Boyce, Michael O'Higgins, Maire T. Robinson with Ferdia Mac Anna

There are some tickets left for this event -actually it would make a great night out for a writing group. The panel is made up short story writers published in the recent Hennessy Book of Irish fiction. The Hennessy Award helped launch the literary careers of writers such as Joseph O Connor, Colum McCann,  Neil Jordan, Pat McCabe, Frank Mc Guinness, Anne Enright, Deirdre Madden, and Sara Baume... so, not bad :) 

The Short Story - Friday at 8.15 at The Civic Theatre Tallaght.
to book click HERE

And in the meanwhile.... 

How to Enter for The Hennessy New Irish Writing Award - 

Stories submitted to Hennessy New Irish Writing should not exceed 2,200 words. There is no entry fee. Writers whose work is selected for publication will receive €130 for fiction and €65 for poetry. You can email your entry to hennessynewirishwriting@irishtimes.com or post it (with a stamped addressed envelope) to Ciaran Carty, Hennessy New Irish Writing, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2. All stories and poems published in Hennessy New Irish Writing will be eligible for the 2015 Hennessy Literary Awards.  The winner of each category will receive a Hennessy trophy and €1,500. A Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year, chosen from the winners of the three categories, will receive an additional prize of €2,500 and a trophy.

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.

Buzzing!

My novel The Herbalist has been included in The Irish Independents predictions of the next big things for 2013!  '...here is our definitive list of the future Irish success stories in the worlds of fashion, music, literature, film and television, who are tipped to be the next big thing in their field.'


For the full article: Watch out! These guys are gonna be BIG in 2013 via @independent_ie

Extract....

'Before you start wondering, no, Boyce doesn't write bonkbusters. A poet and a librarian, Niamh was awarded the Hennessy XO New Writer Award in 2012 for a poem called Kitty, and her first novel will be released through Penguin this year.
However, she is no novice, having had stories and poems published in newspapers and magazines since 2009.
The Herbalist is set in 1930s Ireland and tells the story of an Indian man who sets up in a small town selling lotions and potions to aid the villagers.
Told through the eyes of four women whose lives are changed by this mystery guy, it sounds reminiscent of Joanne Harris' 1999 novel Chocolat but Boyce's breezy, descriptive, Irish style is all her own.
Already creating buzz in the industry, this is certain to be a must-read for those who want a break from vampire fiction and S&M.' (Vicki Notaro)

The Herbalist will be published on June 6th 2013

Leaves Literary Festival

 

Run by Laois County Council Arts Office this years festival includes readings, classes in creative writing, book launches, children’s events and music.

I haven't been able to blog much lately as I'm editing, editing, editing... you should see the state of my kitchen!  I'll be back in action soon, in the meantime I'm facilitating a day long workshop in Portlaoise as part of this autumn literary festival. The idea behind the workshop is to use one of your poems to inspire further poems, or even a series of poems. Complete beginners are completely welcome. 

Friday 9th November

Official launch: Áras an Chontae at 7.30pm.

Launching poetry collections by Ann Egan, Kathy D’Arcy, Jamie O’Connell and Pat Boran.

Chaired by James Ryan chairing the readings.  Music from Conal Rae.

Poems Beget Poems Workshop:

10am to 4pm @ Dunamaise Arts Centre: 40 Euro

By Hennessy award winner Niamh Boyce. This workshop would suit writers who have begun to write poetry and would like to explore it further, participants must bring one of their own poems to work with, its doesnt have to be complete or perfect, just one that has more to give.

 

Saturday 10th November

Seasons Of The Heart workshop:

10am to 4pm @ Dunamaise Arts Centre: 40 Euro

John MacKenna will hold a workshop exploring the ways in which we can draw on nature and our own life experiences to create fiction and memoir. 

Readings and Music

8pm @ Arthouse & Library, Stradbally: 12/10 Euro.

An exciting mix of readings and music featuring Christine Dwyer Hickey, Niamh Boyce and Nuala Ní Chonchúir, chaired by Seamus Hosey, with music by  harpist Claire O Donnell.

Bookings for all events can be made at the Dunamaise Arts Centre Tel:  057 8663355. www.dunamaise.ie

The 41st Hennessy Literary Awards

A cocktail crying out to be sipped

 Fellow Shortlistee Máire T Robinson with John Murphy

Still crying out...

 

 MC John Kelly

 The amazed, stunned and hazy bit...

John Boyne joins the hall of Fame

I'm thrilled to have won the New Irish Writer Of The Year Award and the Emerging Poetry Award for my poem Kitty. There were lots of lovely guests including former winners Siobhan Mannion and Madeleine D'Arcy and fellow nominees Maire Robinson and Aisling Keogh. It was great to meet Deirdre Purcell and blogger Kate Dempsey and of course the star of the show, John Boyne who was inducted into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall Of Fame, joining writers such as Dermot Bolger, Joseph O Connor, Patrick Mc Cabe, Colum McCann, Frank Mc Guinness, Anne Enright, Hugo Hamiltion, Neil Jordan and Sebastian Barry.

Ciaran Carty, New Irish Writing Editor, judged the entrants with authors Giles Foden and Deirdre Purcell. It's only the seventh time a poet has won the award, which makes it an added honour. First Fiction was won by Barbara Tarrent for her extremely powerful story Baby and Emerging Fiction was won by Viv Mc Dade for the original and witty Leaving For Chile.

• For more on the night click  HERE
• For the more about the shortlistees and their work there's a great post on Emerging Writer's Blog  HERE 
• To hear actress Tara Quirke read Kitty click HERE 
• To hear  my interview and reading of Kitty with Clem Ryan on KFM click HERE

NEW IRISH WRITING SUBMISSION DETAILS:

Stories should not exceed 2,200 words and up to six poems may be submitted. Entries (with a stamped addressed envelope) should be submitted to: New Irish Writing, Irish Independent, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, along with name, phone number and email address.

New Irish Writing

Great news! A poem of mine, Kitty, is published in The New Irish Writing Page of today's Irish Independent newspaper. I'm delighted to share the page with Maire Robinson - her story's a great read, with a killer first line, lots of killer lines actually! This is my second time to be published in NIW. Steps of Stairs was nominated in the Emerging Fiction Category in 2009. A pretty nice way to end the year :)

About New Irish Writing
Edited by Ciaran Carty, the New Irish Writing Page appears in Weekend Review of the Irish Independent on the last Saturday of each month and is open to writers who are Irish or who are resident in Ireland.

Entries may be submitted (with a SAE) to: New Irish Writing, The Irish Independent, 27/32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1. You can submit up to six poems, and stories should not exceed 2,200 words. Writers whose work appears in the page will be put forward for the Hennessy Award.

Hope you all have a great new years eve, see you in 2012!

The Hennessy XO Literary Award Winners!

Madeleine D'Arcy was named New Irish Writer of 2009 for her story, Is this like Scotland?


Michael O'Higgins in the Emerging Fiction category for his short story, The Migration. Olive Broderick in the Emerging Poetry category for her poems Market Forces and Misconception. Neil Jordan was inducted into the Hennessy X.O Literary Awards Hall of Fame.
The 2009 judges were Paula Meehan, Carlo Gebler and Ciaran Carty, editor of New Irish Writing. Paula and Carlo spoke about all the submitted poems and short stories before annoucing the winners. Paula mentioned that she liked writing that out foxed the reader, refering to the sufi tradition where a good poem should have seven distinct readings.

The judges comments on the winning pieces:

FIRST FICTION
NEW IRISH WRITER OF THE YEAR
Madeleine D'Arcy



Madeleine D’Arcy’s ‘Is This Like Scotland?’ is something of a rarity among the stories submitted to New Irish Writing, a character-driven story that is not afraid to be funny. Not ha-ha funny, but rueful and ironic as it observes the blind mistakes people make in relationships and the little nuances of speech by which they give themselves away - in this case a collision of cultures as an easy-going Irishman shows his Swedish in-laws around West Cork and, in their obvious lack of enthusiasm, begins to realise the enormity of the gulf between them and nightmare of misunderstandings and incompatibility that lies ahead


EMERGING POETRY
Olive Broderick

Olive Broderick is a quietly accomplished poet who – in ‘Misconception’ - can look up in to the sky in awe at the beauty of a moon visible in cold daylight of December, and wonder at the illusion created by the vapour trails of a plane about to merge with its orb only to miss by what “looked like little more than a millimetre.” In another poem – ‘Market Forces’ - the moon is again glimpsed but this time at night and with intimations of unease as between the lines a couple prepare for a major upheaval while trying to figure out “how best to tell the children”. Here again a merging of the particular with the universal, elegantly captured.



EMERGING FICTION
Michael o Higgins
'

Michael O’Higgins’ The Migration daringly puts the reader inside the mind of an ex-cleric coming out of prison after serving time for downloading child pornography on the internet. The story makes the rationale for his behaviour and his belief that he has been made a whipping boy seem disturbingly understandable, so that when he breaks his parole and slips away to Spain seeking anonymity you feel dread that as he steps back into the shadows he will be watching his steps forever - and failing forever. ‘The Migration’ makes brilliant use of the device of the unreliable narrator to undermine complacency about sexual deviancy and explore the nature of an abuser.

Hennessy XO Literary Awards 2010

On my way back down to earth after the Hennessy Awards! No bouncy castles but lots of brandy cocktails in round glasses with very short straws! Congratulations to the winners and esp to Madeleine D'Arcy the overall winner, who did a fantastic job when she was brought to the front of the stage and interviewed about her story while still recovering from the shock of winning. My highlight was meeting Paula Meehan - I was a bit starstruck (if thats the right word when meeting your favorite poet) to talk to properly. Will write a post later when I've finally landed.

Hennessy Shortlist

Hennessy Announces Shortlist for 2009 Hennessy XO Literary AwardsThe 2009 Hennessy XO Literary Awards shortlist has been announced. The competition will be judged by poet Paula Meehan and novelist Carlo Gébler.The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Trinity College on Tuesday, 20th April 2010. On the night one eminent Irish writer will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Previous Hall of Fame awards have gone to Hugo Hamilton, Joseph O’Connor, Anne Enright, Colum McCann and Pat McCabe.Now in its 39th year, the competition offers four awards, First Fiction, Emerging Fiction, Emerging Poetry and the overall Hennessy XO Literary Award itself. Category winners will receive €1,500 and a specially commissioned sculpture. The winner of the overall award will be chosen from the three category winners and will receive an additional €2,500. The full list of nominees is below:First FictionRob O’SheaMadeleine D’ArcySarah O’LoughlinJohn O’DonnellOona FrawleyAlice RedmondEmerging FictionJames LawlessAndrew FoxMichael O’HigginsNiamh BoyceAlison WellsKate DempseyEmerging PoetryMichael MasseyOlive BroderickAideen HenryCathal McCabeHelena MulkernsCliona O’ConnellFrom Irish Publishing News - I'm in the Emerging Fiction Category - The list was published today - so it must be true! Very Exciting. Can't wait for the night out, dont know what to expect! Good luck Everyone.