Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Blog, page 31

#AMWRITING

#amwriting so therefore not blogging much. Thank the stars. With all the edits and trips lately I was starting to wonder if I would ever have the time or headspace to write again. I am at that lovely madly-excited-by-the-research stage. Glued to my desk. I had a chat with my agent about the two projects I had in mind and she favoured one over the other (for now) so I am happily re-ensconced in the 19th Century.

I will have to unstick myself from my desk for next week's trip to Massachusetts (the hardship!) My first meeting of the Emily Dickinson International Society which, coincidentally, takes place in Emily's homeplace, Amherst. It will be great to be back there again - I loved it last year when I went over for final research. Can't wait! I plan to use all the long boring airport and aeroplane hours for research on Novel #4. (Mind you, it is much more likely that I will listen to my new First Aid Kit album and watch several films back-to-back on the flights...)

If I don't get back here in the meantime, see you on the other side. Happy writing!

WOMAN'S WAY - MY LIFE IN BOOKS

I'm interviewed in this week's Woman's Way in the My Life in Books section.

SILLY SUMMER DAYS & GALWAY FRINGE READING AFTERS & KINDNESS

Magical John Kindness work at the Arts Festival in GalwayI am having a stupid few days - people (a usual suspect included) attacking me on Facebook over changing my name for my forthcoming novel in the USA; lots of general nit-picking over nitpicky things from various literary quarters; kids being pains. Blah blah blah. And I have no energy for any of it.

On the bright side, there's been news about a further publication opp for Miss Emily (more anon) and I am going to Massachusetts again next week, to lovely Amherst, for my first meeting of the Emily Dickinson International Society.

Also the auld blog has been longlisted for the Blog Awards Ireland in the Best Arts and Culture Blog category - thank you kind nominators!

Órfhlaith FoyleI read at the Galway Fringe Festival on Saturday, and was introduced by my dear friend Órfhlaith Foyle whose story collection will be out in September from Arlen House. It's called Clemency Browne Dreams of Gin. Lovely!

Thanks to all who joined us, especially my cousin-in-law Cathleen, all the way from Manhattan.

Reading from The Closet of Savage Mementos at the Fringe Festival

 The Galway Arts Festival was still on and we saw this John Kindness wonderfulness from his Odysseus show

THE IRISH TIMES REVIEWS *CLOSET*

Sarah Gilmartin has a review of The Closet of Savage Mementos in The Irish Times today. And it's a goody. A snippet: '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.' Swoon. Big thanks to Sarah. Read it online here.

I am reading from the novel at the Galway Fringe Festival today: 2pm, The Bridge Mills. Adm.: €5. All welcome!

BYE-BYE NÍ CHONCHÚIR, HELLO O'CONNOR

You may have noticed that my blog header now includes the anglicised version of my name 'Nuala O'Connor' and that my Twitter account name has changed to Nuala O'Connor too. I will shortly be setting up the Nuala O'Connor Facebook page, as FB makes it difficult to change the name of an existing author page.

The reason behind all of this is a simple one: when my novel Miss Emily comes out next year, it will bear the name Nuala O'Connor, not Nuala Ní Chonchúir. It makes sense. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, can pronounce my name
I was christened Nuala O'Connor. But I went to a Gaelscoil (Irish medium school) so from the age of four, I was known as Nuala Ní Chonchúir. It's the name I have been known by for 40 years. But, you know, change is good and it seems this change is going to help sell my book, so I am happy to do it.

I haven't decided yet if the change will be permanent, or if it will be a (very familiar) nom-de-plume/pseudonym. Time will tell. In the meantime, me, myself and I are still Nuala Ní Chonchúir, but the woman who will face the legions of Emily Dickinson fans will be Nuala O'Connor. May she fare well :)

IRISH TIMES PIECE ABOUT *CLOSET*

I have a piece called 'What the Highlands Gave Me' in today's Irish Times Culture section about the genesis of my new novel The Closet of Savage Mementos. The picture with it, of me and the kiddos, is by Joe O'Shaughnessy.

GALWAY FRINGE READING

Writer Órfhlaith FoyleMy friend, super-writer, Órfhlaith Foyle, will be introducing me at my Galway Fringe reading on Saturday. We'd love to see you!

When: 2pm, Saturday 26th July 2014

Where: Bridge Mills

Admission: €5

The Closet of Savage Mementos will be for sale for the special, bargainous price of €10.

The Costa Short Story Award 2014

This award, for a single short story, is open to authors aged 18 or over (on January 1st 2014) whose primary residence has been the UK or Ireland since 1st November 2011.

No Entry Fee. Max of 4,000 words. Previously unpublished stories only. Closing: 4pm, 1st of August 2014. One story per author only. No set theme. Six stories will be shortlisted and these will be posted on the Costa Book Awards website from mid-November 2014 to mid-January 2015. The public will vote for their favourite. (GROAN!) Prizes: £3,500, £1,500 and £500. Full competition rules and entry on the website.

VIENNA - SHORT STORY CONFERENCE - PHOTOS

Art in our apartmentOh, Vienna! You have me tired. I must be getting truly old when a trip to Europe wipes me out as much as a long-hauler. It was, of course, a great breakaway and it is always a joy to meet with friends old and new at the Short Story Conference. Our airbnb apartment was fantastic (large and antique furniture filled), so that was a bonus, particularly with Juno in tow. And with the temps in the mid-thirties. Swoon.

Sachertorte!Anyhoo, we ate Sachertorte at the Belvedere and vegan ice-cream at Eis Greissler, we U-bahned and trammed, walked and drank bier, and had a go in the Riesenrad ferris wheel (featured in the film Before Sunrise). I read and was on a panel and I introduced the lovely Madeleine Darcy along with the equally fab Shirley Abbott.

My photos are a mixed bag (Embassy ones are particularly bad) but here are some others for what it is worth.

Juno at The Belvedere, where we saw Klimt's 'The Kiss' Robert Olen Butler reads at Literaturhaus Lots of horsedrawn carriages on the streets Irish/Scottish writer Dónal McLaughlin reads at the Juridicum, Uni of Vienna View from the Riesenrad Golden statue on a Viennese corner Lots of fun graffiti in beautiful Vienna Juno in hat In our apartment before our farewell party at the Heurigen (wine-tavern) Me, Madeleine Darcy and Shirley Abbott The linked stories panel I was on: me, Lucy Durneen, Kelly Cherry, Adnan Mahmutovic - Robert Luscher behind Juno with Pinocchio Finbar on Stephansplatz Tania Hershman and I, new tattoo comparing Yamm! is the veggie place in Wien. Finbar had vegan frogspawn cake. Or something... My reading-mate I-Wei Wu, our introducer Madeleine Darcy and me At the Irish Embassy waiting to read, with Maurice Lee and a beatific looking Alan McMonagle Ying Tai Chang introduces Billie Travalini Billie Travalini reads Billy O'Callaghan reads at the Irish Embassy Juno running through the very posh Ferstel Arcade The flea market - we went with Tania. The heat was unbearable that day. Free books stalls near our apartment being replenished by a lovely man Pals! Pat Jourdan, me, Billie T and Tania Paul McVeigh introduces Pat Jourdan Jim Grady is alarmed by Wiener Würstchen at the
Heurigen Ailsa Cox & Elizabeth Baines, warming up at the Heurigen Yamm! lunch: Adnan, Vaness Gebbie, Jarred McGinnis, Zoe Gilbert, Tania, Dónal and Juno

*CLOSET* GIVEAWAY & FRINGE FESTIVAL READING

There are copies of my new novel The Closet of Savage Mementos up for grabs on writing.ie. Click here to enter.

I will be reading from the novel at the Galway Fringe Festival this Saturday 26th July at 2pm, in the Bridge Mills on Bridge Street, Galway City. Entry: €5. See details here.