Snow Shoes by Eileen Casey

Cover Image for Snow Shoes by Emma Barone

My great friend, writer and poet, Eileen Casey, will launch her first short story collection Snow Shoes at the Irish Writers Centre, Parnell Square, Dublin  on Tuesday 12th June 2012 at 7 p.m.

You can read my interview with Eileen, winner of the Hennessy Literary Award HERE.

Also on the night, there will be reading by James Martyn Joyce and Colette Nic Aodhace WHAT’S NOT SAID Colette Nic Aodha IN CASTLEWOOD : AN GHAOTH ADUAIDH.

Listen to one of my favourite stories by Eileen Black Ball Gown HERE

International Poetry Competition with top prize of €5000+

Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize 2012 in association with The Moth magazine is now open for submissions.

With a first prize of €5,000 plus two nights B&B for two at Ballymaloe House in Co. Cork, it's set to be one of the most valuable prizes for a single poem in the UK and Ireland - and it's open to everyone!!!

Second Prize €1,000, Third Prize €500 - Closing Date 31st December 2012

 

Rules HERE

Entry Form HERE


Full Competition Details HERE

TOP TWENTY IN NOVELICIOUS UNDISCOVERED 2012

Some of you may remember I featured a brilliant competition in February this year when  

Novelicious teamed up with Avon (HarperCollins) and Books and the City (Simon & Schuster UK) to find the next Marian Keyes, Jane Green or Sophie Kinsella.....

Well all the entries are in and the judges have selected the Top Twenty - so the power is now in your hands with Voting open from June 6th to June 20th, with the winner being announced on the 26th June!

I was delighted to discover, (although not one bit surprised) that Brigid O'Connor, fellow writer and blogger made the Top Twenty List with her fantastic story The Irish Poet, which you can read  HERE

See Full List of  Top Twenty HERE   

FINALLY!!!!

Novelicious will be choosing two lucky voters to win a selection of 10 books each, courtesy of AVON (HarperCollins) and Books and the City (Simon & Schuster UK)!

So make sure you VOTE !!!!!!
 LINK HERE

Spread The Word - Dublin Writers Festival

Dublin Writers Festival June 4th -10th

The Dublin Writers Festival, founded in 1998, is Ireland’s premier literary event and gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral.

Described by the press as ‘boasting a stunning array of top international literary talent’ and ‘the country’s most successful and easily the best annual literary event’, Dublin Writers Festival line-up is sure to impress.

With readings, discussions, debates,workshops, performance and screenings, the festival creates a hotbed of ideas. Whether it’s the mix poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, lyricists, playwrights and screenwriters, Dublin Writers Festival brings new faces and house-hold names together in ways that suprise and inspire.

Children’s fiction is well represented and we are spoilt for choice with the calibre of Irish language writers.

Check out list of events HERE

Miracle

Baby Caitriona who arrived into our world a couple of weeks ago - I'm now forever the proud grandmother:)

'Children reinvent your world for you.'

Susan Sarandon

Thought for the Weekend - Stephen King & I

It seems like an eternity since I've done a 'Thought for the Weekend' post!!!  Why have I been so remiss you might ask?  Well because it seems like an eternity since I've had the time!  Shame on moi! I say:)

I had one of those 'I'm so busy being busy days' today (which happen far too often), I got into a mood, abandoned all tasks requiring attention and went for a long walk instead.

Pure madness probably - but I felt like it, and it felt good.

Anyhow (fav crutch word), I took the above pic while out walking, firstly because I like it, and secondly because I like when things look right because they look wrong, like water covering the base of trees, things in water which should be on land.  Yeah, yeah, sounds like more madness but sure why not?

I'm also on a bit of a Stephen King drive at the moment, which is one of the reasons why I'm using a quote from the master himself as this weekend's  'Thought for the Weekend'. 

Hope you like it, and have a brilliant weekend.

Stephen King

'The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.'

Irish Success at Crimefest 2012

Since CRIMEFEST began in June 2008, it has quickly become one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar. The annual convention draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in an informal atmosphere.

Read all about Crimefest 2012 and Declan Burke's Irish Success HERE

Blooming Marvelous - Call for Readers!!!

Bloomsday

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown writer-in-residence, Chris Binchy, is organising a filmed relay reading of Ulysses this Bloomsday, June 16th. While the novel remained in copyright, public performances of Ulysses were significantly restricted,so this is the first year that it can be approached with a sense of freedom. Ulysses is deeply rooted in the character and voices of Dublin, and this is a fitting and personal way for people to engage with Joyce’s work level in the place where the book begins.

Filming will be guerrilla-style, moving location on the day from Sandycove to Dalkey to Dún Laoghaire. Members of the public will be filmed reading short allocated sections from the novel, and these will be immediately uploaded to a website, building into a unique document of the day. If you’d like to take part in this event,please contact Chris at DLRWriter@gmail.com.

Four of the Best!!!!

If any of you are in or around Dublin next Thursday evening the 31st May -

DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!!!! 

I'm really looking forward to the launch of  Four New Collections of Poetry by

 Colm Keegan

John Murphy

Peadar O'Donoghue

 and

Sarah Clancy 

If you are not familiar with their work, I PROMISE YOU, you will be in for an evening of talented, edgy, different, and emotionally gripping words of poetry. 

Don't believe me? 

(Check out the individual links above)

Venue Details:

Unitarian Church ,112 St Stephen's Green West

Thursday 31st May at 6.30pm. 

(All four poets will read - introductions by Jessie Lendennie)

(I haven't as yet read any of Sarah's poetry, but as one woman amongst these three men, she must be pretty fantastic, because Colm Keegan, John Murphy and Peader O'Donoghue are individually and collectively amazing poets.)

She's Back!!!!!

Yes - It's Official ........ I am still alive!

But I've missed you all tons, and tons over the last six weeks.  No Twitter, No Facebook, No Blog, No Crime Scene, No Social Life, (honestly - zero social life), No Nothing, except, Family, Work and Editing!!

Will it all be worth it?  Not sure as yet - I can't see the wood for the trees, or the trees for the forest right now, either way, my editing brain requires rest and a return to normality. 

(What is normality?  I can't remember that either!)

But as I am now back, I come with good news:

Firstly,

I have loads of really brilliant posts to put up for competitions and other exciting events over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for them:)

Secondly,

The Crime Scene Book Club will be back next week, I've received some great reader reviews over the last while, so you can catch up with them on the Crime Scene site over at www.writing.ie

Thirdly,

 I heard last week, I was awarded an Arts Bursary for Literature from South Dublin Arts.  There will be an Award Ceremony next week, so I'll bring back plenty of pics.

And Fourthly,
Hope you all like the new header, pic taken at Bohernabreena Reservoir during a temporary escape a couple of weeks ago.

And Finally,

Check out Stephen King's Quote for this Month over in the side panel, and if you haven't read his book 'On Writing' - well you're missing out on some great stuff:)

I'll do my best over the next few days to catch up with you all.  It's great to be back!!!!