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.

2013 Irish Book Awards

The Herbalist has just won Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards!

I'm thrilled, and still a bit gobsmacked, and of course grateful. I keep thinking back to four years ago, and me sitting at my chaotic kitchen table scribbled away like a maniac, with no idea whether the book would ever see the light of day. And now it has readers, readers who liked it enough to award it Newcomer of The Year. A big thank you to everyone :)

Receiving the award from Madeleine Keane

Irish Writing Today

 

 

La Belle Et La Bete

 

The Irish Independent have published  their second issue of 'Hennessy Irish Writing Today'.

Edited by Ciaran Carty and Dermot Bolger, the magazine features 14 contributors, including seven short story writers and five poets, and I'm thrilled, honored and mildly hysterical to be one of them, though you wouldn't know it to look at me! (below)  It also has fascinating interviews with the publishers of The SHOp, and of Pillar Press.

I've two poems in the magazine- The Beast, a piece inspired by Jean Cocteau's 1946 film La Belle et la Bete, (but my 'Beauty' much prefers her old Beast to the new handsome prince) and 'I Was Swallowed By A Harry Clarke Window.'  (which is a true story...honest) 

 

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!