Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Blog, page 28

JOELY R. AS EMILY D.

I'm looking forward to seeing Joely Richardson as Emily Dickinson in an off-Broadway production of The Belle of Amherst next week. Lovely Joely, lovely Emily.

This picture is by Carol Rosegg for the Wall Street Journal .

TALLAGHT, NEW YORK & BEYOND

I'm reading from my latest novel The Closet of Savage Mementos this Saturday at 2.30pm, at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght, as part of the Red Line Book Festival. I'm reading with Dónal Ryan, Dermot Bolger and John Sheahan. Blessed amongst men.
The festival is on all this week and my friend Shauna Gilligan is giving a free writing workshop on Saturday in Lucan Library, 10am to 1pm, Bookings: 01 621 6422.
After Red Line I am off to New York to meet my agent and my new editor at Penguin USA for lunch, then a meet-n-greet at the Penguin office. And after that I head to New Mexico where I am giving a talk on historical fiction, and my first reading from Miss Emily, at the Uni. of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Excited doesn't even come close!!

WALES ARTS REVIEW & WEXFORD GIG

John Lavin of the Wales Arts Review was in Cork in September at the Cork International Short Story Festival. As an afterword to the festival he interviewed some of the writers who took part for the current issue: Colin Barrett, Paul McVeigh, Valerie Sirr, Matt Rader, Órfhlaith Foyle and myself. More here. John also wrote about his own impressions of the festival, including the Richard Fod brouhaha, and you can read them here.

And, Wexfordians! I'll be reading in the library this Saturday, 3pm, from my latest novel. Free, but book: 053 919 6759. They made a sticky-together image:

ALEX FAGE - WRITER SKETCHES

Here are sketches from Alex Fage, of some of the writers who took part in the Cork International Short Story Festival this year. Check out his blog here. Alison MacLeod is top left. That's Sara Baume with the blunt fringe, middle far-right. (Sara is interviewed on the Dublin Book Festival site ahead of her appearance in November.) I'm top right, looking (welcomingly) slim.

LINES OF VISION - LAUNCH AFTERS & PICS

The launch and opening of Lines of Vision at the National Gallery of Ireland went great last night - there were lots and lots of people there, and the prosecco and wine were flowing. It was all very civilised and glamorous. I love posh events, I must say. There was a private reception for the writers, before the opening, in 5 Leinster Street, a beautiful section of the gallery that overlooks the inner atrium. It was great to meet and chat with writers I know like Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Dónal Ryan and Eoin MacNamee. Also there were literary stars (and brilliant people) Jennifer Johnston, Evelyn Conlon, Enda Wyley, Peter Sirr, Paula Meehan and Theo Dorgan, among many others.


I was delighted to meet up again with some of my fellow Italo-Irish Literature Exchange crew, namely Seán Hardie, Bill Wall and his wife Liz. Seán's wife is the poet Kerry Hardie and she has a beautiful war poem in the book inspired by Pierre Bonnard's Le Déjeuner, in which Marthe de Méligny speaks. (Marthe was Bonnard's wife.) Many of the images are in copyright so I can't reproduce them here but you can look at the Bonnard here and, my choice, Jack B. Yeats's Men of Destiny here.
John Lavery - Return from Market It was also lovely to reconnect with writer Noëlle Harrison who now lives in Norway. Noëlle took John Lavery's Return from Market as her inspiration, to write a sensual story about regret and self realisation.

William (Bill) Wall used Seán Keating's famous An Allegory  as a stepping off point for an intriguing political prose poem.
Curator/editor Janet McLean, President Higgins, Sabina Higgins and gallery Director, Seán RainbirdPresident Michael D. Higgins opened the exhibition (with a suitably mellifluous speech about the importance of cruthaíocht/creativity in our lives). We were allowed into the exhibition before the President joined us with his wife Sabina. It was fantastic to see the paintings from the book all exhibited together - very moving somehow.
My painting (my painting!) is the first one you see as you come in the door, which is sort of nice. We weren't allowed photograph it, but here's the nameplate:


The exhibition of Lines of Vision runs until April 2015. There are dozens of events on around the exhibition and book: readings, talks, plays. I am taking part in a study morning on Jack B. Yeats on the 15th November and I will also be leading a writing workshop next March for over 55s. 
And, of course, the gorgeous book, produced by Thames and Hudson, is available nationwide and online. It costs €25 and would make a fab gift. If you can't afford the book, do go to the exhibition - it's beautiful and it's free!

LINES OF VISION - LAUNCH & OPENING

Lines of Vision: Irish Writers on Art  will be launched by President Higgins tonight at 6pm at the National Art Gallery. The book contains stories, poems and articles inspired by artworks from the gallery and it celebrates the National Gallery of Ireland's 150th anniversary. I have a wee story in it based on a Jack B. Yeats painting. I'm looking forward to the private reception for the writers before the main event at 6pm. The book is accompanied by an exhibition which opens to the public on Wednesday.

There are lots of literary events taking place around the book/exhib, including a study morning on Jack B. Yeats that I am doing on the 15th November with Roddy Doyle, Moya Cannon and Dermot Bolger. The morning can be booked here.

The Sunday Times had a review of the book this past weekend by Cristín Leach Hughes. She said of my story: 'Nuala Ní Chonchúir spins a quick, gripping yarn about gunrunning from Jack B. Yeats's 'Men of Destiny'.' Here's a photo of the review, which will be readable if you click on it and zoom in:

DROMINEER LIT FEST - PICS AND MINI-REPORT

Cottage at Dromineer, beside Lough DergI had a lovely time in Dromineer, Co. Tipperary - what a pretty place. The festival was well attended and very friendly. All thanks to Eleanor Hooker, Bernie McGrath and team for the invite and the warm welcome.
Boats at Dromineer, Lough DergMary Jane Holmes - a friend - who is a writer and editor, and heavily involved with Cork's FISH, won the Flash Fiction prize, and poet Michael Farry came out on top in poetry comp. Big congrats to both of them.
Flash fiction group - pic by Geraldine WisdomMy flash fiction class were an enthused bunch and we passed a happy couple of hours talking short-short stories.
Michael Murphy, me, Thomas McCarthy, Liz Nugent, Kobus Moolman & Maureen KennellyI really enjoyed the Meet the Authors event at Nenagh Arts Centre, where we talked about a book that had influenced us (I chose Edna O'Brien's 1970 novel A Pagan Place) and we read a little from our own work. I was in stellar company: the sublime Thomas McCarthy, the wonderful Liz Nugent, the sweet-and-lovely Michael Murphy and the impressive Kobus Moolman. Great people all. And Poetry Ireland's wonder-director Maureen Kennelly steered us along. It was a great event.

Signing after the Meet the Authors event - pic by Geraldine WisdomAnd our B&B was the swoon-worthy Ashley Park House near Nenagh: a 17th century house with a colonial style exterior, resident peacocks and enormous rooms. We had a suite, with a white muslin-draped four poster bed, working window shutters and a lake view. So beautiful.

Our suite - Ashley Park B&B View over Lough Ourna from Ashley Park B&B Welcome pack from the festival - choc, notebook, book, soap, notelets & card. Sweet or what?

DROMINEER LITERARY FESTIVAL

Dromineer - doesn't it look pretty?I'm off to Co. Tipperary, today for the Dromineer Literary Festival, which started last night. Looking forward to meeting my flash students in the morning, and talking short-shorts for a couple of hours.

In the evening I am taking part in a panel, chaired by Maureen Kennelly, about inspirational/influential books. Also taking part: Thomas McCarthy, Liz Nugent, Michael Murphy and Kobus Moolman.

Gallery Press are having a poetry reading in the afternoon at Lough Derg Yacht Club, featuring Gerald Dawe, Medbh McGuckian and Conor O’Callaghan.

And the festival launch is on tonight at the same venue. Such a pity the weather has turned and it is now bucketing rain. Ah well, you can't have it all.

FLASH FICTION WORKSHOP - SAT. 4TH - TIPP

There are still places on my flash fiction workshop at Dromineer Literary Festival this Saturday. I'd love to see you! 10am, Lough Derg Yacht Club. More here.

EASONS, GALWAY READING - MON. 29th

On Monday 29th September, at 4.30pm, I will be reading at Easons, Shop St, Galway, as part of their 25 year celebrations. I will read from The Closet of Savage Mementos and there will be poetry from Alice Lyons, Peggie Gallagher and Geraldine Mitchell.