Byddi Lee's Blog, page 8

Going the Social Distance

I woke up this morning at 7 am, sneezed twice, and convinced myself that I had COVID-19 again. Not that I’ve ever had COVID-19 (at least not that I know of), but every ache/pain/cough/splutter over the last couple of weeks has ratcheted my heart rate something shocking. It will be a miracle if I get through this without giving myself a heart attack.

Two nights ago, I took my temperature after a hot flush! I’m 51 – hot flushes are the norm these days…but worrying about carrying a virus to my mother that will potentially kill her is not the norm. I don’t consider myself to be a high risk. I work from home, and I’m already a bit ‘Sheldon’ on germ transfer, so I’d be surprised to catch the virus – but then again, aren’t we all thinking this? Isn’t this a classic “it will never happen to me” situation?

Anyway, there I was half awake at 7 am on a Sunday when the world was cancelled – even Mass. (I mean, if that’s not a signpost to the end of the world, what is?) So I rolled over and went back to sleep, only to lapse into a dream about My Husband panic-buying food that he doesn’t like. (He’s an infuriatingly picky eater.) He was preparing to cook turkeys (food neither of us enjoys) in commercial deep fat fryers that, in real life, we don’t own. In this dream, a beautiful white husky arrived at the back door with a tiny puppy in her mouth. As I was trying to find some turkey to feed to the dog, family members arrived at our door with red eyes and streaming noses. And we let them into our house… While the husky ran away! Was this some sort of fever-induced nightmare?

Actually no.
It’s a fairly normal dream for me. I recently got a Garmin fitness tracker,
which tells you how much sleep you get and what kind of sleep. Out of 8 hours
of sleep, the average person gets 1 ½ hours of deep sleep and 1 ½ hours of REM
sleep. Me? Well, typically, I get ½ hour of deep sleep and about 3 hours of
REM! One night I got 5 hours of REM. I don’t just dream feature-length movies;
I dream entire box sets, get up to go to the loo, and resume where I left off
when I get back to sleep.

I read that
high amounts of REM sleep was a sign of anxiety, but I wouldn’t say I’m anymore
anxious than the next person. Sometimes I’m even considered quite chilled about
things other people freak out about. I think it’s just me. I dream a lot, in
the same way I talk a lot… It’s just one of those things.

So I awoke at 9.30 am and clambered from the dream about my family being sick, into a morning of blue skies and sunlight. I realized my sneezing fit was over and that possibly I was not coming down with the dreaded virus.

Sunshine, blue skies, and flowers to lift the heart.

Nonetheless, I think for the next while, I’ll employ social distancing and hit ‘pause’ where possible to give space and isolation to those who can’t stay at home because their work commitments call upon them to be out and about.

Bless you
and thank you:

To the medical professionals – oh my goodness, where would we be without you at any time nevermind now in this crisis?To the people restocking shelves in supermarkets and keeping shops and pharmacies openTo the truck drivers delivering those suppliesTo the postal delivery people bringing parcels to our doors To the cleaning staff in public buildings – you are the first line in the defense against disease at any time, but especially now. Be proud of your work.To the caterers who are sending food out to the vulnerable To anyone who helps the rest of us social distance in any shape or form.

We can’t all be ICU nurses – but if you’re writing funny or uplifting poetry (my friends, you know who you are) or stories to distract us and bring us to a different reality, it helps. If you are tutoring kids via video link; picking up the telephone to check in with the immune-compromised or the elderly; singing from your balcony – I haven’t yet reached the stage where I’m going to belt out “The Boys From The County Armagh” from the front doorstep – but it might happen. If you’re thinking, how can you help and staying at home while you figure it out, you’re part of the team. Let’s go the distance – the social distance!

For my part,
I decided to get back to blogging in an attempt to say, “You are not alone, and
together (at a safe distance), we can get through this.”

After I post this blog, I’m going to invite Adriene into my living room via YouTube for a wee spot of yoga – try it. She’s great. Then if the weather holds, I’ll venture into the garden. And maybe tomorrow, I’ll blog again… perhaps about gardening… like I used to.

Byddi Lee

The Titanic Hotel

I spent some of the best years of my teaching career at Rathmore Grammar School in Belfast, still have strong ties with the school, and have lifelong friendships with my old teaching colleagues, so when the school decided to have a Gala ball for its Alumni and Friends, I was straight on a diet to fit into My Sister’s dress. I booked my magician cousin at the International Hairport Benburb for an updo – no-one can tame my hair like she does, and I was ready to go!

The Gall Ball was in the Titanic Centre, and I seized upon the opportunity to coerce My Husband into staying at the nearby Titanic Hotel.

Since we only live an hour’s drive from Belfast, and we both had lived in Belfast for a couple of decades around the turn of the millennium, (oh my goodness, how old does that make me sound?) it feels strange to book into a hotel in Belfast. We were living abroad when Belfast underwent its revival, so the once familiar stomping ground feels really different to us… I feel like a time traveller when I visit Belfast now, with all the new buildings and the vibrant atmosphere. I loved Belfast from the moment I moved there in 1987, despite its challenges in those dark days. Belfast was like a teenager, troubled but full of heart. Now, the city feels like a carefree thirty-something that has figured out its mood swings and understands that it is a unique and precious entity with much to offer.

Suffice it to say we both battle
with a weird sense of nostalgia and pride for this city when we visit.

Happily, I can report that we did stay at the Titanic Hotel, Belfast, and it far exceeded our expectations. We knew the hotel would be nice. Our friends had stayed and they had loved it, but what I hadn’t expected was the way it felt like we were staying in a museum of the shipyards in Belfast (in all the best ways.) Now, I have often scoffed at Belfast’s proclivity at boasting about building the biggest ship that ever sank, but what the hotel captured was more than just that. It encapsulated the essence of the shipbuilding era in the docks of Belfast. Perhaps not a profession that my ancestors could avail of due to the sectarian divisions of the time, but still an element in the foundation of all of our shared cultural heritage – because we do share both the good and the bad from the past.

The Titanic Hotel’s decor was outstanding, and as you wander through the building there are lots of photos on the walls and posters of old tickets and luggage tags, with carefully restored furniture on display. You turn a corner and there are lots of different rooms, old offices, lobbies, and nooks and crannies to explore. The bar is beautifully sited in a conservatory-style room with an amazing glass ceiling.

The matching room on the other side of reception was being used as an art gallery to display the work of a local artist, and I enjoyed a wander around that. The rooms have an unusual decor, but it all works together. The black and white bathrooms, the metal panelling in the elevators, the painted floors in the hallways – it all gives this sense of taking you back in time, yet the rooms are cosy, warm and clean with all the modern amenities, so you feel like you have the best of both worlds.

From the moment you arrive, you
feel special. The staff are amazing. After check-in, the reception staff
escorted us to the elevators and told us to feel free to explore the hotel. We
did and found our bearings pretty quickly despite the maze of hallways and
beautifully ornate staircases. Everything is well signposted and so we enjoyed
exploring without stressing about getting lost. 

While we were there Storm Ciara arrived. So we were happy to stay inside and as I’ve already said, there was plenty to explore for the afternoon. Despite the crazy weather outside, the rooms were cosy and so quiet. It’s great to stay somewhere and have silence at night.

Opulent touch

Breakfast was delicious. Full Ulster fry with eggs done to perfection… not easy to accomplish in a buffet. The black pudding was really good. There’s also a fine selection of juices, cereals and pastries. The croissants were lovely.

One really nice touch, I noticed, was the lack of single-use plastics. We had glass bottles of water in the room. At breakfast, the ketchup and brown sauce were available in petite mason jars that could be washed and refilled. Linen napkins, as opposed to disposable ones, were provided with meals (even with bar snacks.) Top marks for environmental awareness!

Reduce, reuse, recycle evident throughout the Titanic Hotel

The staff were friendly, helpful and nothing was too much bother for them. We felt so cared for. All in all, it was a perfect stay and it made me proud to have a hotel/tourist attraction like this in Belfast. Well done Titanic Hotel – I’d turn the dial to 11 for this hotel!

As for the Rathmore Gala Ball – it was brilliant. I met people I hadn’t seen in decades, chatted to past pupils who have grown up into the wonderful people I knew they would and a deep sense of community, of connection, of belonging to something important, filled my heart. I hope it becomes an annual event, not least because My Sister has many beautiful dresses for me to wear – if I can stay off the chocolate to fit into them!

Byddi Lee

The Stray Sod at the Armagh Museum

It was with great delight that I accepted an invitation for Flash Fiction Armagh to have another event at the Armagh County Museum. The folks there are just so amazing to deal with and when they explained their idea for this event, I was even more excited.

Local artist, Orlaith Cullinaine has taken inspiration from museum objects to create a number of artworks for an exhibition called The Stray Sod. The title comes from local folklore and is all about being lost in a familiar place. The Museum asked if we’d like to theme our event and we said we’d give it a go.

To be honest, I was worried that the theme would mean fewer submissions but writers rose to the challenge and the submissions poured in. And such good stories!

As I read the submissions each one took me on a journey – some took me back to places and times I’d lived in before – others took me from the life I know, to live a ghost of some other life. I realized that each time I read a story, I experience a different reality from the safety of my chair and at the end of the story, I’m returned to where I am sitting and everything around me is just the same though I have changed a tiny little bit. The act of reading is a stray sod experience…

It was one of the hardest yet to curate as we have a limited places and so many great stories. It was a good lesson for me as a writer, seeing first-hand how a perfectly good story is sometimes not selected and for reasons other than the quality of the writing. Sometimes the stories are too similar, or don’t fit with the other stories and are too different. I’m hoping that all writers take the message away from this post as follows: Your story might not have been selected this time and for this event/publication, but it is not necessarily a reflection on your writing, so don’t give up on it.

Flash Fiction Armagh is delighted to announce our line-up, in no particular order:-

Sue Divin                         Rosé

Cathy Carson                   Stay

Eddie Mc Clenaghan       Push
on Home

Malachi Kelly                  The Empty Dining Chair

Ellen Mc Kenna               Cast Adrift

Peter Hollywood             Little People

Jay Faulkner                     Hero Worship

Kieran Mc Gurk               Cnoc Na Mboe

Réaltán Ní Leannáin        Fóidín
Mearaí/Stray Sod

Morrow Brady                 Hearth

Maire Quinn                     The Stray Sod

Lorna Flanagan                Edenvilla

Catherine Regan              The Shadow Shop 

Réamonn Ó Ciaráin         Coimhthíoch 

Tickets cost £5.

We’re excited to see so many new faces and of course, welcome back old friends. It promises to be a good Saturday Night at the Museum.

And before I sign off – just one wee plug for myself. If you’re interested in finding out about release dates for my Trilogy (to be published in 2020 by Castrum Press) please sign up to my Newsletter.

March to November

Because this time of year is the climax of my book March to November, I’m running a free kindle download promotion until 2nd November 2019. It’s free on all the Amazon sites worldwide but here are the links to download your free copy from the USA Amazon and from the UK Amazon.

Did you know that even if you don’t own a Kindle you can still read Kindle books? If you go to this link you can download an app that will allow you to turn your smartphone, PC or Mac into a Kindle reader. You can carry a library in your pocket. If you do have a Kindle, you can sync with the phone so it knows where you are. It’s great to always have a book at your fingertips.

The March to November promotion has been running for a couple of days now and I’m delighted with how its been going. It’s interesting that most of the downloads are in the US. I had some in Spain – which surprised me. My aim is to get the book in front of people who don’t know me and expose my work to more new readers. So far, so good. The promotion ends on the 2nd November 2019, so download your copy today, and don’t miss out.

Another exciting development yesterday was that March to November hit #29 in the Women’s Contemporary fiction Free Kindle section. Being in the top 30 made me think of Top of the Pops! Did anyone else tape the songs? Did you feel devasted when your Mum would call you for dinner and ruin that Adam and the Ants song? Oh dear – I digress – but those were the days! No library’s in pockets then!

Anyway – back to the 21 Century… If you are a Kindle Unlimited customer you can get March to November and The Bramley for free all the time, so check it out.

I’m taking the time now to give my first child (March to November) some much-needed attention before the triplets are published by Castrum Press in 2020 in the form of the Rejuvenation Trilogy. That’s so exciting, I can barely breathe – partly with terror too. Sending a book out into the world is one of the bravest things a writer can do – sending three out is sheer lunacy! Deep breaths…

If you’d like to get the details of the next book release please sign up for my newsletter. It means you get the information right to your inbox and don’t run the risk of missing it on social media – those algorithms are getting scattier by the day! I promise to keep the newsletters brief and to a minimum – no more than 4 or 5 a year.

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Leave this field empty if you’re human:

As winter draws in, it’s a great time to snuggle up by the fire and read. If you prefer paper to ebook here’s an idea – use your Kindle app to download the free samples so you can peruse the books you’d like to buy or borrow from the library first… then go get ’em and … well, you know what to do… hot chocolate + open fires + books = bliss!

Byddi Lee

The ABC of Good Taste

It might be akin to organising a booze up in a brewery, but the ABC council’s spectacular festival celebrating food and cider in the Orchard County (or the Armagh, Banbridge and Criagavon borough to be exact) deserves every award it has so magnificently won.

We at Flash Fiction Armagh were very proud to kickstart the festivities on Thursday evening with a fabulous Flash Fiction in the Orchard, set in Teepees in the grounds of Crannagael House.

Photo by Réamonn Ó Ciaráin

Jane and John Nicholson, owners of Crannagael house, were suberb hosts and we all felt so welcome.

To be honest, I felt nervous – the teepees are deceptively big. I worried that we would not have a large enough crowd, but the event sold out!

Listening attentively.

The readers were amazing. Hop over to our webpage to hear them. We had a nice mix of new faces along with seasoned readers. Many past readers were in the audience to support their fellow writers.

Mingling during the intermission

Quite a few audience members were new to Flash Fiction Armagh completely, and I know we ended the night with a few converts!

The inside of the teepee was luxurious. I loved the chandeliers.

We ended the evening with music and song from Phoenix Rose . It was the perfect end to a perfect evening.

The Armagh Food and Cider Festival continued over the weekend. I attended the Food Tour by Donna Fox Tours. These tours are a total taste treat. I’d highly recommend any of Donna’s Tours.

This tour started at our local Supermarket – McAnerney’s. I love this supermarket. It’s my local stop and the thing that I think is so special about it, is the local produce it stocks, from Armagh – balsamic vinegar, cheeses, ciders, gins, and beers to slightly further afield Irish artisan products.

We were completely spoilt for choice with samples of freshly baked Foccacia breads, lamb kebabs, in-house sausages… We followed Donna around the town in fine form for the rest of the afternoon, stopping at Uluru for more delicious food and finally ending up at a cocktail making lesson hosted by …. Mr Fox. No relation to Donna and I’m doing well to remember his second name after all that gin! But I can tell you his company is called Lough Neagh Distillers. The website has some of the recipies. There was also something about Spade:Town Brewery and it’s based in Lurgan but … well… gin… and btw the cocktails were Wow!

And before I sign off – just one wee plug for myself. I’m thrilled that Castrum Press is going to publish my trilogy next year. If you’re interesed in finding out about release dates please sign up to my Newsletter.

Byddi Lee

Conversations and Orchards

I’ve been a busy bee this summer, weeding and writing – bet ya can’t say that quickly without dropping the ‘r’ in writing.

Determined to
push my ‘work in progress’ to the next stage, I got the head down and wrote like
a demon, only surfacing to weed, harvest giant potatoes, admire giant
sunflowers and photograph giant bees. I feel like I’ve been away for the last
six weeks and only surfacing now, and just in time, because September brings a couple
of exciting events.

My good friend and writing colleague, Karen Mooney came to me a while back and asked if I’d help her curate readings for an event she was organizing for the National Trust at Mount Stewart the first weekend in September. She’d also asked another writing buddy, Gaynor Kane and I knew that if I was doing anything with these women, it would not feel like work and would most definitely be fierce craic. I was not wrong. We were dubbed with the eyebrow-raising acronym ‘KGB’ and rolled with it.

The event, ‘The Art of Conversation’ will reflect conversations and the issues that provoke and stimulate conversation in today’s society. Readings by twenty acclaimed local writers take place from 1- 2 pm each day on 7th & 8th September 2019. For more information on who is reading, have a look at the national trust the website here.

Flash Fiction in the Orchard

The award-winning Armagh Food and Cider Festival takes place again this year, and Flash Fiction Armagh is proud to be included in the program. This year we are in a teepee in the grounds of Crannagael House for out Flash Fiction in the Orchard. It promises to be a lot of fun, with cider tasting, locally sourced food, music, and a great line up of readers, both old hands at the old Flash Fiction and some shiny new faces whom we are delighted to welcome. For more information and tickets (£10) click here.

Flash Fiction
Armagh is delighted to announce our line-up, in no particular order:-

Gaynor Kane At Castleward

Maria Mc
Gilly Green and Bitter

Csilla Toldy
Wallflower

Jay Faulkner
Playing Both Sides

Rachel Toner
On The Shelf

Kerry
Buchannan The Ages of Nan

Tim Hanna The Birds

Rosemary
Tumilty The Homecoming

Ellie Rose
Mc Kee The Caller

Brid
McGinley Dogs in Space

Gerry Mc
Cullough Not Quite Dead

Lorna
Flanagan Boots Trudged Across the Yard

Yvonne Boyle
The Silver Casino Player

There were
so many submissions this time around that Réamonn and I decided neither of us
would read so we could showcase as many new writers as possible. We couldn’t
ask everyone who submitted to read, and it’s an upsetting part of the process
for us. If you didn’t get chosen this time around, please keep trying for
future events.

The Flash
Fiction Armagh community has grown far beyond what we had ever hoped for. It’s
down to everyone who submits, takes part, and attends events. I feel like I
carried a little pot of fairy dust from Flash Fiction Forum San Jose and
sprinkled it over Flash Fiction Armagh and we’ve watched the magic happen.
Thank you, everyone.

Byddi Lee

Book Review: “Love in an Undead Age” by A. M. Geever

It’s here! Finally out for public consumption and you really need to consume this.

Many years
ago, when I was starting out on my own writing journey, I was fortunate to meet
the author Anne Geever and even luckier to become friend with her. I’ll never
forget the day that we went for a hike in Edgewood Park, Redwood City. I still
have the visual of us on a narrow dirt track, winding through trees as we
confessed to each other that we were writing novels.

I remember being as excited about her project as I was about my own. I loved the ideas behind it, loved hearing her share in-depth that part of the iceberg that doesn’t get written down but is pointed to by the words on the page. Anne had it all, and it was fabulous.

Still too
self-conscious to call ourselves writers, we decided nevertheless that we needed
to start a writer’s group…and we did. We went to courses and workshops and
picked up wonderful people along the way to join our group, and we wrote and
wrote. We still do…

Love in an Undead Age is a love story. It’s a love story with zombies… If you like Walking Dead,  especially in the early days, you’re gonna love this!

Connor’s breath came in scraping gasps as he sprinted across Monterey Avenue.

“The bank!” Seffie shouted.

Connor saw it on the corner: a squat Bank of America building. Low enough that they could get to the roof, but high enough that they could escape the horde. He glanced over at Mike.

Mike wasn’t there.

Connor skidded to a halt and turned back. Mike was down on one knee, still by the motel down the road, trying to shake off two zombies. If they got him down, he was done for.

Without thinking Connor ran back. From his peripheral vision he could see zombies – tens of them, soon maybe hundreds – spilling out from the parking lots and abandoned buildings of this semi-industrial strip of old San Jose. They were closing in from all sides, stalking their prey with an inexorable herky-jerky momentum.

Love in an Undead Age by A.M. Geever

Miranda is a zombie-ass kicking woman who had given up on love until a blast from the past arrives into town. A team is deployed on a special mission that hopes to turn the tables on the zombie threat, and Miranda finds herself rubbing shoulders with old flames. It gets heated…quickly.

The Rover spun in a circle before tipping on two wheels. Miranda tried to correct but it was too late. The concrete roadway rushed towards her window, and then she was upside down. Her head thumped the headrest and spots danced before her eyes. They slid across the pavement in a shower of sparks and flame. Delilah yipped and whimpered in the back seat.

The noise and chaos was supplanted by an eerie silence and the steady drum of the rain. She felt Connor’s hand on her arm.

“You okay?” she asked. The coppery taste of blood tinged her mouth. She smacked at the flamethrower switch. The reflection of bright yellow flames vanished from the wet concrete.

Connor grimaced as he moved his shoulder. “Good enough. We have to get out of here.”

More gunfire – short, controlled bursts – then footsteps running towards them. Miranda heard the click of Connor’s seatbelt while she struggled with her own. He fell to the roof of the car with a groan.

“Mine’s stuck!” she hissed. She felt for the machete mounted on the ceiling below her but it wasn’t there anymore. She tried the door. Jammed.

Love in an Undead Age by A.M. Geever

Anne does a great job of bringing a situation that is worlds from our comprehension slap bang into everyday life. She sprinkles tongue-in-cheek humor throughout the story like magic dust, keeping it fresh and exciting.

Miranda turned her attention back to her lunch when it hit her: the woman was wearing heels. Very high heels. She hadn’t seen anyone in a pair in years.

“It’s her shoes!” she hissed. “She’s wearing heels!”

Karen regarded Miranda with a puzzled expression. “Why is that weird? Lots of women have started wearing them again. I just got a pair myself. I forgot how much they pinch your toes.”

“Lots of women are wearing them?” Miranda squeaked, her voice getting higher with each word. “Since when?”

“Not everyone plays in the dirt for a living and considers sneakers snazzy footwear, Miri.”

“How do you outrun a zombie in high heels?”

“Oh Miri, honestly! You make it sound like there are zombies around every corner,” Karen said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Things are so much better now. Why not live a little?” Karen mustered a faint grin, no doubt at the prospect of having footwear fashion trends to follow.

Love in an Undead Age by A.M. Geever

You’ll love
the high tension and excitement of the zombie attack scenes and equally the
tender moments at the heart of the story.

This is the story that converted me to a serious zombie fan. If you aren’t one yet, you will be after you read this. It’s available here – check it out. You’ll be glad you did…

Byddi Lee

Flash Fiction Armagh at the John Hewitt Society International Summer School 2019

This time last year, I was thrilled to be awarded a bursary to the John Hewitt International Summer School that takes place annually in Armagh. It was an extraordinary experience. Congratulations to all those awarded bursaries this year – my phone is barking (messenger ring tone) and cuck-cooing (whats-app ring tone) and strumming guitars (texts!) as my writing friends share their great news of winning their awards. I’m looking forward to hanging out with them in Armagh at this week-long festival featuring the top names in Irish Literature. The programme is packed with interesting panels, lively debate and insight for writers and readers alike. I was particularly inspired by the theatre performances in the evenings. It truly was a literary feast for the soul. You can read my thoughts on last year here.

Back then, I would have loved to have been chosen to take part in the showcase at the end of the week, but I was up against some stiff competition in my short story writing class. I must admit to being disappointed when I wasn’t selected to read the story I’d written during the workshop.

So I was delighted when The John Hewitt Society approached us this year and asked Flash Fiction Armagh to be part of their programme. Actually, delighted was an understatement. Our mission in running Flash Fiction Armagh is to provide a platform for local writers, both new and experienced. To be able to showcase a selection of these wonderful writers is a fabulous opportunity for all concerned. To be endorsed in this way by a highly respected literary body such as the John Hewitt Society is an honour.

I’m thrilled to announce our line-up as follows for the Flash Fiction Armagh at the John Hewitt Society International Summer School on Tuesday 23rd July 2019 at 9.30 pm in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh:

Peter
Hollywood, After The Conflict

Malachi
Kelly, Another One

Cathy Carson,
Wake Up Call

Karen Mooney,
A More Sustainable Future

Réaltán Ní
Leannáin, Extract from Dilis

Kieran
McGurk, Lonely Hearts

Byddi Lee, Níl ‘Watch’ Agam

Sue Divin, Twist or Pull

Réamonn Ó
Ciaráin, Marú Mhacra Eamhain Mhacha

Trish Bennet,
Power of a Peeler

Tickets are available at the Market Place Theatre and online here for £5.

I would also highly recommend that you take a look through the John Hewitt International Summer School Programme of Events. Here’s the link. There’s something for everyone. I’m looking forward to seeing To Hell in a Handbag which is being staged in the main auditorium just before Flash Fiction Armagh. Why not sign up for both that evening – sure if you’ve got your posh frock already on…

Submissions are closed for the Flash Fiction Armagh at the John Hewitt Summer School, but they are OPEN for the next event – Flash Fiction in the Orchard – taking place on 19th September 2019 as part of the award-winning Armagh Food and Cider Festival. We’ll be doing readings in the teepees at Crannagael House – for more details click here. For tickets, click here.

See you at the Summer School!

Byddi Lee

Jumping into June

I’m pinching myself… have been for a few months now, because if I’m honest, I’m living the kind of ‘writerly’ life I always dreamed of. Okay, there’s no 5-book-deal with Penguin … yet … there may never be, but this June I’ll ticking a few items off the bucket list such as:

Reading at the inaugural TenX9 night in Armagh on 6th June in the Market Place Theatre. So I’ll be telling a very true and very embarrassing story about something daft that I did while living in Paris. It’s above and beyond my usual daft, and I was so embarrassed by it that this story has never made it to the blog. It took months before I could even tell My Sister … and now, God help me, I’ve committed to getting up on stage and confessing the whole sorry (but ridiculous) tale to the whole of Armagh. What am I thinking?

If you have a story to tell, do check out their website http://www.tenx9.com/

Next week, a play that I’ve co-written is being staged for four nights running and is completely booked out. It’s been a pure joy to watch the producer, the wonderful Margery Quinn, sprinkle her magic on the script to bring out the best in our talented and hard-working cast. I’m just in awe of all of them and so grateful to everyone for that special something they have all brought to this production – absolute stars!

On the afternoon of 14th June, I’m going to slip away from the play shenanigans and appear on a panel in the Belfast Book Festival discussing how Science Fiction mirrors real life and gives us a safe place to explore the big issues. For more information click this link

Flash Fiction Armagh is delighted to announce it’s line-up of readers for Flash Fiction Solstice Eve on 20th June 2019 at 7 pm upstairs in Mulberry Bistro.

Kerry Buchanan Angry Mountain
Lorna Flanagan Uncle Dan
Mariread Breen Never Again
Gaynor Kane Home: A Haibun
Eileen Griffiths Afterwards
Mark Brownlee James Bond in Ireland
Brendan Magee Living Up to the Name
Rosemary Tumilty Summer Solstice
Jay Faulkner The Good Boy
Trish Bennet Time Zoned
David Braziel The Book Tower
Réamonn Ó Ciaráin The prophecy must be fulfilled – An excerpt from Cúchulainn, Ulster’s Greatest Hero

On 21 June I’m thrilled to have been asked to run a workshop in the Talfeta Festival. For details check out their website https://www.midulstercouncil.org/tafelta

Busy but fun… hopefully catch you at some of these!

Byddi Lee

Flash Fiction Armagh at the St Patrick’s Festival

Can you believe it? Flash Fiction Armagh is a year old this month and what a year it’s been. For me personally, the highlight of this year/project has been the friendships that have begun and strengthened as a result of Flash Fiction Armagh. We have a vibrant writing community in Armagh and its surrounding areas, reaching as far a field as France, and Hungry to the East and West as far as the USA.

Photogragh by Chris Wright of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh across the road from Mulberry Bistro where Flash Fiction Armagh at St Patrick’s Festival took place.

Flash Fiction Armagh at St Patrick’s Festival served up a smorgasbord of literature spanning genres from the marital problems of leprechauns being married to Banshees, sharp observations of “one for the road’ syndrome, Dinosaurs as gaelige, scary night-time stories, the mystical drawn of our lovely Armagh, David Attenborough visiting the wilds of Tyrone, the effects of desperately wanting a ring (my preeecious!), dealing with old age, avoiding with marriage for eternity, the digital age in the office, historical send-offs, sojourns with the ancients, and the horrors of homelessness.

I think we covered quite a lot and if you don’t believe me, have a look for yourself on our Flash Fiction Armagh at St Patrick’s Festival page to watch footage of many of the readings.

Sure what better way to relax between festivities this week.

Hope you have a happy St Patrick’s Day!