Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Blog, page 11

EDINBURGH PICS

I had a lovely Miss Emily event, with chairperson/interviewer Sasha de Buyl-Pisco, at the Central Library in Edinburgh on Thursday. It was well attended and the audience were very lively and engaged.

Edinburgh is such a fantastic city, so beautifully laid out and designed, I always love going there. Our trip basically consisted of walking, rummaging for glass, books and ceramics in charity shops, and eating cake. Heaven for me, pretty much.

We were midly cultural: we went to an exhib about diseases in the National Library, called 'Plague!', and another about famous Scottish people (mostly men, it must be said.) And we explored some churches. But it was mainly cake. And walking.

A few pics:

St Cuthbert's graveyard with the castle above
Swedish pastry in Peter's Yard, Stockbridge - yum...
Burns Night goodies, Stockbridge
This had us in stitches - the Ladybird Hipster book - in a hipster café
Greyfriars Bobby - sat by his master's grave for 14 years. Patient dog.
Patisserie Valerie goodies - we had brekky here one morning
Sunlight on Bow Street
The Bow Bar - pub we adjourned to after the event, cosy and small
We stayed in the Grassmarket so were up and down Bow Street,
and in and out of its fab shops, a lot
Deacon Brodie's on the Royal Mile Sasha and me, at the Miss Emily event in the Central Library
Smiling Sasha :)
It rained a bit, but when you are somewhere so lovely, it doesn't matter.

MOLLY KEANE AWARD 2016

EDINBURGH GIG

On Thursday 21st January I am in Edinburgh Central Library at 7pm reading from Miss Emily. And being interviewed by Sasha deBuyl-Pisco. Admission is free but you must get a ticket - there are currently 10 remaining. See here.

KINVARA, GALWAY GIG

Saturday the 16th of January finds me in Kinvara in the company of writers Paul McVeigh, Sarah Clancy and Lisa McInerney. We're doing a reading for local charity KAVA - Kinvara Are Visual Arts. Our event kicks off at  7.30pm on Saturday 16th January in the Courthouse. Admission €10 (Kava members €5) includes refreshments.

Earlier that day Paul Mc Veigh is giving a writing workshop. See below. There are still places available.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP WITH PAUL MCVEIGH

PEN TO PAPER A WRITERS' WORKSHOP WITH PAUL MCVEIGH

Born in Belfast, Paul McVeigh's first novel 'The Good Son' was shortlisted for the Guardian's 'Not The Booker Prize' and was one of ELLE Magazine Best Books of 2015.  He has written for stage, BBC Radio 4 and is co-founder of the London Short Story Festival.

SATURDAY, 16TH JANUARY, 2016 11 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
THE COURTHOUSE KINVARA
WORKSHOP PLACES ARE LIMITED  PRICE 35 EURO BOOKING IN ADVANCE 

Phone: 087 2803303 or Email: kava@kinvara.com (Exciting evening event to follow at 7.30 p.m.)


ALL PROCEEDS DONATED TO KAVA

Crescent Arts with Miss Emily

Cathy McNally will interview me this Thursday at Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast, about Miss Emily. I will also read from the book and sign copies. Let your Belfast mates know! Bookings here.

Cathy's blog, 746 Books - Confessions of a Book Buying Addict is well worth a peruse. See here.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - STORY & READING

Original image, developed by the Make Rights Real team
For Human Rights Day I've a new story online in The Irish Times, 'The Turnip Slave'; other contributors include Anakana Schofield, Martina Devlin & Sarah Bannan Keegan. 

And tonight I am reading my story Blue Rose at the Bar of Ireland for Oxfam.


*
This from the Make Rights Real site:

'To mark Human Rights Day 2015 (10th December), Make Rights Real has teamed up with The Irish Times and has invited seven well-known authors to contribute a piece of original writing inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Their work is being published this week, under the banner of ‘Writing Rights’.
Sarah Bannan, Sara Baume, Martina Devlin, Martina Evans, Eoin McNamee, Nuala O’Connor and Anakana Schofield have contributed work to ‘Writing Rights’, ranging from poetry to creative fiction to factual pieces. Each piece is accompanied by an original image, developed by the Make Rights Real team. Each author has chosen a different Article of the Universal Declaration as the starting point for their work, and each has taken a very different approach to ‘Writing Rights’. We hope you enjoy the results… Please note: the views expressed in these works are the views of the author, and in no way reflect the views or opinions of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission or The Irish Times.' *
It is also Emily Dickinson's birthday, so happy birthday, Emily :) As you said yourself, 'We turn not older with years, but newer every day.'

LONG GAZE BACK EVENT @ SÉAMUS ENNIS CENTRE

I have two gigs this week, but only one is public. The first is on Thursday for International Human Rights Day - I am reading my story Blue Rose at the Bar of Ireland for Oxfam.

The second - all welcome! - is the final The Long Gaze Back anthology event of the year. Myself, Lia Mills and Sinéad Gleeson will be at the Séamus Ennis Centre in The Naul at 8pm. More here.

My story in the anthology, 'Shut your Mouth, Hélene', was inspired by the Kate and Anna McGarrigle song 'Jacques et Gilles'. It took me years to write the story - to find the way to write it - but finally managed it under deadline for Sinéad. Here are the sisters singing this beautiful song.

BOOKS OF 2015 - MISS EMILY ETC.

It's end-of-year book listy time and I'm delighted that Miss Emily has featured on a few: Amazon Canada names it in their Best Books of 2015, writer Nina Stibbe wants it for Christmas :), Toronto's Globe and Mail has it as one of The Globe 100, 100 Best Books of 2015 and Charles Lambert has it in his Top 5.

Charles's stunning novel The Children's Home is forthcoming (Feb. 2016). I read it in proof copy and it's stunning: gothic, creepy and compelling. Think Edward Gorey, Roald Dahl, Lemony Snickett. Fabulous.

My own picks were for the Bristol Prize people - short story collections by Elizabeth Baines and Eliza Robertson. I've also picked one book for the Wales Arts Review but you'll have to wait and see what that is.

WINNER!

And the winner of Miss Emily is Mary McDonough-Clark!