Short Story of the Year longlist

I am very happy that one of my stories has made the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year longlist. More here. Crossing fingers for shortlist luck, now.

If my story does make the shortlist, there will be public voting anon, so I'll be counting on you, my ONE reader, to vote ;) And there'd be a lovely night out at the Irish Book Awards to boot. Glamour!!

Come on, Jupiter, arrange that joyride!!

JOYRIDE - VIRTUAL TOUR STOP #4

The incomparably shiny Claire Hennessy interviews me here on stop four of my virtual tour. We talk about my use of my birth name, stories vs novels and more.

'There was a shit-storm on Twitter when I reverted to my birth name, from a bunch of Irish writers whom I shall not identify. Betrayal of identity, blah-fucking-blah. These people don’t even know me; they’d be better off writing books rather than bitching about what I do, imo…'

JOYRIDE VIRTUAL TOUR - stop #3

My virtual tour continues with a fab review from Cathy Brown at 746 Books here.

'Joyride to Jupiter is a collection that shows a writer with complete mastery of her craft. The best of the stories hint rather than shout but all are poignant and complex, riding on the dichotomy between hope and despair. She is clear-eyed when exploring the dark realities of human behaviour, but the humour and wit displayed within her affecting prose allow this collection to soar.' Cathy Brown

BIZ POST & SUN INDO REVIEWS - JOYRIDE TO JUPITER

Two reviews today for the book - another joint one with June Caldwell, from Anne Cunningham in the Sunday Independent. Glowing. A more muted one from Kevin Power in the Sunday Business Post. Interesting the way the laud/loathe thing happens with reviewers over the same story :)

Click and zoom to read.

FLASH, INTERVIEWS, NEW SHORT FICTION COLLECTION

I love the renewal of January. It's my birth month so, unlike other people, I like the month; it makes me cheerful. And I've plenty to be cheerful about in my life, including the bookish side of it. So three bits of literary news:

My fifth short story collection, Joyride to Jupiter, will be published by New Island Books in June. Woot! Their sweet Tweet from yesterday:

Also, I have two brand new flash and an interview at US lit mag Connotation Press, thanks to new fiction editor Jonathan Cardew. Go here.

And, finally, I was interviewed by Laura Turner at Pageturnersnook here.

Enjoy your January, my dears x

BEYOND THE CENTRE - BELFAST LAUNCH

Beyond the Centre is an anthology of essays written by Irish writers to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writers' Centre. The book is edited by Declan Meade, publisher and editor with The Stinging Fly press and lit mag. You can order it now from New Island books at €16.95.

I have an essay in it called 'Luck and Storms' and will read from it at the Belfast launch of the anthology in the Crescent Arts Centre on the 16th November at 7pm, alongside my lovely former college lecturer Alan Titley, as well as Martina Devlin and Jack Harte. Carlo Gébler will launch the book. More here.

Here's the description of the book from New Island's website:

What is it to be a writer? What are the struggles, the joys,

the moments of hardship and ones of brilliance?

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writers Centre, Beyond the Centre: Writers in their own Words is a landmark anthology of essays by some of Ireland’s foremost contemporary writers, specially commissioned and edited by Declan Meade, publisher of The Stinging Fly.

By turns provocative, poignant, and practical, these candid accounts touch on various themes such as the craft of writing, the Irish literary scene through the decades, the struggle to make a living, and other snapshots of the writing experience. And controversy is never far from the surface – social class, diversity, gender, exclusion, nationalism, eremitism and ego all make spiky, colourful appearances.

Diverse and engaging, many pieces are also deeply personal, with honest and humorous anecdotes, offering an uncommon and revealing look into the lives and perspectives of contemporary Irish writers.
Here are their successes as well as their setbacks; the trials and the triumphs; the demands and rewards that writing affords. Beyond the Centre reveals the dedication and courage that define the writing life.

With essays by:
Kevin Barry, Pat Boran, Evelyn Conlon, Sarah Clancy, Dominique Cleary, Martina Devlin, Rob Doyle, Anne Enright, Mia Gallagher, Jack Harte, Anne Haverty, Lia Mills, Catherine Phil MacCarthy, Thomas McCarthy, Lisa McInerney, Belinda McKeon, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Joseph O’Connor, Mary O’Donnell, Mary O’Malley, Sean O’Reilly, Ian Sansom, Peter Sirr, Gerard Smyth, Alan Titley

Declan Meade is the founding editor and publisher of The Stinging Fly magazine and commissioned this collection of essays as part of the Irish Writers Centre’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

The Irish Writers Centre has long been a hub of literary activity, supporting established and aspiring writers throughout Ireland from its base in 19 Parnell Square, Dublin.
www.irishwriterscentre.ie

*YOU* GIVEAWAY

Summer has come to Ireland. Actual sun shining from an actual blue sky!! To celebrate I am giving away one copy of my first novel YOU, which is set in the summer of 1980 in Dublin. Here are what some reviewers had to say when the book came out in 2010:

 ‘...You deserves to find a place in our pantheon of much-admired, beautifully crafted variations on a theme.’ The Irish Times

‘...timeless, placeless and universal... a must read.’ The Irish Independent

‘...a vivid and immediate sensory experience,...Ní Chonchúir's ear – as you might expect of a poet – is alive to the language of her characters...it is about the ordinary, and the secret life that runs beneath it.’ The Sunday Business Post

‘The novel flows beautifully and is understated in tone...This gem is sure to win her further acclaim. Nuala Ní Chonchúir is a writer to watch.’ The Irish Examiner

‘You supplies a pitch-perfect voice to the estranged youngster within each of us, the result being a quietly disarming experience for the reader...It is another success from a writer who seems composed of something that literary awards like to be around... It's all done organically, the hand of the author combining with the reader's own sense of childhood nostalgia to create literary alchemy.’ Sunday Independent

'Ní Chonchúir is excellent on the shifting allegiances between children...this would not have been taken for a début.’ Sunday Tribune

If you would like to win the book, simply leave a comment AND say you would like to be in the draw. I will pick the winner from the hat on the 7th June, next Tuesday. International comp - I will post to anywhere. Good luck!

IRISH TIMES BOOK CLUB - QUESTIONS

Happy new year, my blogland friends! I hope 2015 brings you creativity and prosperity.

2014 was a good one for me with Miss Emily being accepted for publication, and the film and audio deals being struck. July and August this year are the pub months (N. America and the UK, respectively) and I look forward to all the work and PR that will go with getting it into readers' hands. It's exciting and a little daunting.

In the meantime, Sarah Gilmartin at the Irish Times has compiled a list of book club questions for The Closet of Savage Mementos, which is the IT's book club book this month. Sarah writes: 'Ní Chonchúir doesn’t flinch when tackling the dark truths of human behaviour, the savage mementos at the heart of family relationships and growing up. Earlier work has drawn comparisons to Edna O’Brien. With her ability to get inside a story, and a writing style that is both lyrical and exact, it is easy to see why.'

Sarah poses five questions. This one I love: '“Quality women’s fiction” is a term that gets bandied around a lot. What does it mean to you as a reader? Is it insulting (where is the ‘quality men’s fiction’ shelf in the bookshop?) or is it a necessary distinguish from commercial women’s fiction? What other authors does Nuala’s writing remind you of?'

I'd like to hear the discussions around that...The article and the other questions are here.

*CLOSET* IS IRISH TIMES BOOK CLUB CHOICE FOR DECEMBER

I'm thrilled that The Closet of Savage Mementos is the Irish Times Book Club choice for this month. Martin Doyle calls it 'a moving, beautifully written portrait of love, grief and motherhood'. Swoon. There will be interviews, articles, reviews, videos, podcasts and webchats over the next month about the novel. More here.

FAB REVIEW/ESSAY ABOUT *CLOSET* IN THE DUB REVIEW OF BOOKS

Susan McCallum-Smith gives an extremely thoughtful once over to The Closet of Savage Mementos, and some of my other books, in The Dublin Review of Books. Her theme is motherhood in all its guises, a subject (obsessively) close to my heart. As a Scottish writer and mother, living in Ireland, who has personal experience of adoption, Susan is peculiarly well placed to review the book. She does a great (and humbling) job. Full review/essay here.

LAUNCH PICS FROM THE GUTTER

The launch went wonderfully well on Tuesday night - I am only now back at my desk. Huge thanks to Bob and the team at The Gutter Book Shop, all at New Island Books, Gráinne Killeeen of Killeen PR, Sinéad Gleeson for the blush-inducing intro and to Karen O'Neill for the photos. It was a great night, jammed with family, friends, writer-friends and a dog, who yelped right on cue when I said we would be adjourning to the Parlour Bar in The Stag's Head after the launch. Whisky and wine were drank, Kendal Mint Cake and shortbread were eaten, chats were had. A lovely evening. Here are some pics.

Flowers & a card from hubby - aw!

Me with my posing smile and the book

Scotch - I had fun collecting the shot glasses in charity shops here and in Scotland, and on ebay & my beloved Etsy

Kendal Mint Cake features in the novel, as does the paperweight this bar is propped against

Shortbread, mint cake and Scotch - mmmm!

Signing! (There was a lot of that.)

Mariel Deegan of New Island Books, freelance super-editor Deirdre O'Neill, Finbar McLoughlin

Bob Johnston of The Gutter Book Shop (fresh off the plane from Paris!)

Sinéad Gleeson and me, listening to Eoin Purcell

The incomparable Sinéad Gleeson

Me with a pure O'Connor expression on my face

Some of the crowd, writers Mary O'Donnell & Lia Mills visible, also journalists Cathy Dillon & Sue Leonard

My son, Finn, and me

Writer Mia Gallagher (if you haven't read her novel *Hellfire*, please do - fab)

Writer Kathleen Murray

Me, my Da - Hugh O'Connor - & my brother-in-law, Alan Kerrigan

Gráinne Killeen of Killeen PR

Bob Johnston, superhost

Joan Murphy, photographer Karen O'Neill et moi in The Stag's Head

The beautiful writer Dimitra X

Writers Monica McInerney and Maighréad Medbh in the signing queue

View from my hotel room - the lovely Liffey