Literary Competitions

Image from Serendipity

For Short Stories -

The Sean O Faolain Prize is open for submission till the 31st July. The judge is Joyce Russell.You can find out more here - The Sean O Faolain Prize

For Poems -

The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection is open till the 26th July. You can send 20 poems (but they have to be less than 40 lines each) ... the judge is Brian Lynch and you can find out more Here.

Fish Short Story Prize 2012

Fish Short Story Prize 2012/13 (€3,000) 

Philip O'Ceallaigh  will select the best ten stories for publication in the 2013 Fish Anthology. He is the author of Notes From a Turkish Whorehouse, and The Pleasant Light of Day.  Closing Date: 30 November 2012.

Word limit is 5,000. There is no restriction on theme or style, and the prize is open to writers from all countries who are writing in English.

 

Entry fee is  (a hefty!) €20 for online entry. Once you register and enter online, you can login and check your entry(ies) at any time.

Results will be announced on 17 March on the Fish website, and sent out in the newsletter.

For more info - clickity click - Fish Publishing  

As you can see (big badge on the right!) Words A Day has been shortlisted for Blog Awards Ireland! I've been blogging for nearly three years now, so far thats 36,954 views, 320 posts and 193 followers. 

Blogging has changed quiet a bit over that time, I gush blog less than I did in the beginning and comment less as well, with Facebook taking over in that respect, and writing time being too valuable (sorry!) to post as obsessively frequently. 

But seriously, one of the best aspects of blogging is linking up with writers from all over the world and keeping up to date with their writing journeys without even leaving the house, so many thanks to everyone who follows this blog, to those that I've met through this blog, and to those who nominated it:)

good news...

The ROPES Team are launching the 20th Issue at the Cúirt International Festival of Literature on 26 April 5 pm in Busker Brownes, Galway. It will be launched by Marina Carr. I'm thrilled that my story, Saving Grace will be published in this issue. If I can wangle my way to Galway I will, I love Marina Carrs writing, the rich midlands Gothic, dark language, and earthy female characters.
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The Hennessy Literary Awards are on Tuesday 24th, and my poem made the Emerging Poetry shortlist! (Cocktail dresses for the women, and suits for the men, I wish it was the other way around, wish I was a man. Please tell me I'm not the only one who had to google 'cocktail dress'! How is a cocktail dress different to any other kind of dress?) Anyway, I'll bring my camera, and a sack and report back :)

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And finally, (I know - me, me, me...) saving the best bit till last - as a result of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair I've just signed with The Book Bureau Literary Agency, and am thrilled to be represented by the wonderful Ger Nichols. So thanks to the Irish Writers Centre, and thanks to Ger for taking me on:)

Irish Literary Magazines

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)

The Galway Review

online - reviews, fiction,

 non-fiction, poetry and essays.

wonderfully executed...

'The Secret Life of Madame Defarge' is a stunning story
by writer (and new blogger) Orlaith Foyle, so for a real treat,
put on the kettle and click here.

Francis MacManus Short Story Competition Shortlist 2011

The Shortlist for the Francis Mac Manus Awards has been announced here and I'm thrilled skinny that my story "The Every Day Woman" made the list!

The results will be announced on on a special edition of Arts Tonight with Vincent Woods on RTE Radio 1 on Monday 16th May at 10pm. All the shortlisted stories will be broadcast on RTE Radio 1 beginning with the winning story on Monday 6th June at 11.10pm (The Book on One Slot) so I'm looking forward to hearing it on the airways. Happy Thursday and congratulations to all the shortlisted writers.

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2011 Shortlist:

(1) “Seven Steps Home” by Andrew Fox, Skerries, Co. Dublin.
(2) “First and First” by John Butler, Mount Merrion, Dublin.
(3) “Routines” by Maura O’Brien, Parnell Street, Dublin 1.
(4) “Shadow Girl” by Breda Joy, Killarney, Co. Kerry.
(5) “The Every Day Woman” by Niamh Boyce, Ballylinan, Athy, Co. Kildare.
(6) “Saibh” by Aideen Henry, Claddagh, Galway.
(7) “In My Granny’s” by Bernadette Melia, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
(8) “Don’t Start Listening To This Story” by Patrick G. O’Connor, Castleconell, Co. Limerick.
(9) “The Lightning Field” by Jon Gregory, Molesworth Place, Dublin 2.
(10) “Scar” by Des Mc Inerney, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
(11) “The Devil’s Breath” by Sheila Barrett, Dalkey, Co. Dublin.
(12) “The Little Girl In Pink” by Davnet Heery, Indrebhán, Co. na Gallaimhe.
(13) “The Secret of Mary” by Jacinta Carey, Manor Estate, Dublin12.
(14) “Granite” by Alice Redmond, Killiney, Co. Dublin.
(15) “Breath” by Anne Harris, King’s Road, Belfast.
(16) “It’s Been A While” by Richard Stevens, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
(17) “If Birds Could Talk” by Francis Browner, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
(18) “Remembering Belinda 1959” by Vincent Scott, Vernon Street, Dublin 8.
(19) “The Emperor of Ice Cream” by Natalie Ryan, Monkstown Valley, Co. Dublin.
(20) “Still Life with Apples” by Rachael Hegarty, Raheny, Dublin 5.
(21) “The Third Quarter” by Carl O’Brien, Mount Brown, Dublin 8.
(22) “Orca” by Austin Duffy, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
(23) “The Street With Looking Glass Eyes” by Geraldine Mills, Roscahill, Galway.
(24) “Platform 17 – Grand Central Station” by Patrick Griffin, Archer’s Crescent, Kilkenny.
(25) “Wonderland” by Ilona Blunden, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.

The Yellow Room

The Yellow Room
The Yellow Room publishes short stories of up to 5,000 words by women writers twice a year. The Yellow Room also gives helpful and constructive feedback on those stories the editor, Jo Derrick ( pictured above) considers unsuitable for the magazine.

My story, The Breaking Point Ball, is in the latest edition. Jo Derricks submission guidelines are well worth reading for her discussion on the short story. I particulary like this quote from Carver:

“There has to be some tension, a sense that something is imminent, that certain things are in relentless motion, or else, most often, there won’t be a story. What creates tension in a piece of fiction is partly the way the concrete words are linked to make up the visible action of the story. But it’s also the things that are left out, that are implied, the landscape just under the smooth (but sometimes broken and unsettled) surface of things.”

Looking forward to getting my copy in the post...

(Jo also blogs here )

The Flea Circus is in Town!

The Flea Circus is at the Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise. "Come and visit the worlds smallest big top and see the greatest show on earth; feats of astonishing bravery and breathtaking beauty - acrobatics, trapeze, high wire and more - all performed by highly trained, teeny tiny fleas."
Booking Tickets E5.
I think this is gas. Hope I get to go today. It's the kind of thing that sparks the short story part of my mind!
"The Flea Circus Tragedy,"
"Menage a Trois at The Tivoli Flea Circus",
"The High Wire Murders,"
"Lola spills the beans on the seedy underbelly of circus life"
That sort of thing...I know, I've no sense!