Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Blog, page 35

New review of *Closet*

Very thoughtful review of my new novel at Eithne Reynolds' blog here. Míle buíochas, a Eithne.

INTERVIEW ABOUT *CLOSET*

Writer Shauna Gilligan interviews me today about my new novel The Closet of Savage Mementos. We talk character names, adoption and gigs. It's here.

2014 Poets Meet Painters writing comp

2014 Poets Meet Painterswriting competitionnow open
Prize: €250
Judge: Cherry Smyth
Closing date: 1 July 2014.
Full details atwww.hungryhillwriting.com

IRISH INDO REVIEWS *CLOSET* & IRISH TIMES Q&A & A PIC

The Irish Independent reviewed my new novel yesterday. It's online here, though the reviewer is not named in this net edition, she is Sophie Gorman and I thank her for the review. A snippet: 'In this most readable novel, Ní Chonchúir explores how our past shapes and informs our present, as it traces back to when the seeds of Lillis's future were planted, or inherited, as Lillis has to confront the uneasy possibility that she may indeed be more like her contrary mother Verity than she would ever like to believe. But Verity is not necessarily a bad mother no more than Lillis is a good daughter, the truth is always more complicated than that and thankfully there are layers here and depths.'

In yesterday's Irish Times magazine Kate Holmquist, interviewed me about writing and life in general. Joe O'Shaughnessy came to my house and took pics of me and the kids. Kate and I had a good old natter over afternoon tea in The Morrison in Dublin. She is a writer as well as a journalist - her novel The Glass Room appeared from Penguin Ireland a few years ago. Sadly it's not on Kindle but I have urged Amazon to make it available.

Here's one of Joe's pics - a rare shot of me with my three kiddiewinks. I will treasure these pics. I may even go as far as printing them which, for me, is saying something! I still haven't printed the pics of a 2010 trip to Italy, for example...


Cúán, me, Juno, Finn - photo by Joe O'Shaughnessy

MINDSHIFT - 17th MAY - IWC

Mindshift – The Irish Writers’ Centre’s professional development series for published authors – continues on Saturday 17th May as part of the Dublin Writers' Festival. This day-long event (10am – 4pm) will deal with the business of being a writer.
What type of funding and supports are there for writers? Who is eligible for artist tax exemption? How can writers set themselves up as a business? What are the ways to generate alternative sources of income? Sarah Bannan (Arts Council), Jim Doyle (Dublin City Council), Jane O’Hanlon (Poetry Ireland), Gaby Smyth (Gaby Smyth & Co accountants) and others reveal and unpack the mysteries of funding and finances in literature. A must for the enterprising writer.
€50/€60
9.30am: Centre opens and registration
10.00am–12.00pm: Valerie Bistany, Director of the Irish Writers’ Centre, will facilitate presentations and discussions on the multiple supports and bursaries available to writers, and how the writer can best avail of them. Ray Yeates will give a presentation on Arts Office supports available to artists, making note of those supports that are of particular interest to writers as well as highlighting some successful projects to date. Sarah Bannan will outline the Arts Council’s supports for individual writers and illustrators, including who and what we fund, how to apply for awards and how writers and illustrators can connect with the literary sector in order to support their practice and get their work to the widest possible audience. Jane O'Hanlon will look at some of the issues and opportunities involved  in working with children and young people.

12.00pm–1.00pm: Break for lunch

1.00pm–2.00pm: The award-winning and internationally published writer Mia Gallagher will use her experiences to talk about the nuts and bolts of residencies from a writer’s point of view, including: researching what’s available, understanding different types of residency, their costs and benefits; applying for residencies (including letter, interview & shortlisting process) & learning from unsuccessful applications; and making the most out of a residency once you receive one.

2.00pm–4.00pm: Gaby Smyth is a professional accountant with a wealth of experience working with individual artists and arts organizations. He will go into the nitty gritty of managing all aspects of tax and finances. With the professional writer in mind, he will cover in detail areas including book-keeping; income tax and levies; the ins and outs of the artist exemption scheme; tax rates and bands; and all elements of VAT relating to the writer.
All seminars will leave plenty of time for Q&A. More here.

GLASGOW AFTERS - A FEW PICS

Cloutie Dumpling - a gingery, light fruit cake I took a flying visit to Glasgow this week to read from The Closet of Savage Mementos at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) on Sauchiehall Street. My husband and youngest child came with me and we had a lovely time at the Kelvingrove Gallery and wandering the book shops, stationery shops, charity shops etc. We enjoyed tea and cloutie dumpling and shortbread in the Rennie Mackintosh designed Willow Tearooms.


What a great venue the CCA is - it's an old building and it houses the Saramago Café, a vegan bar and eaterie ( we were very happy veggies), where we enjoyed wine and food after my reading.

Writer Dónal McLaughlinI received a very warm welcome from writer Dónal McLaughlin of the Scottish Writers' Centre, a Derry native who moved to Scotland as a child. (I will interview him here shortly about his latest short story collection, Beheading the Virgin Mary .) Another Scotland-based Irish writer, Orla McDonald, took us to lunch. And the Director of the Scottish Writers' Centre, writer Douglas Thompson was a lovely, relaxed host in the evening at the CCA.

Juno & Daddy wrapping a mummy Juno at KelvingroveI love meeting readers (and potential ones) and there was a lovely mix of Irish and Scottish people at the event and they weren't shy at the Q&A. The nature of this book means I end up talking a lot about my personal life, which feels strange, but I'm getting used to it. Several people came up to my afterwards to tell me of their own, or their folks', experiences as unmarried parents in the 60s, 70s and 80s.


We adjourned to the Saramago Café afterwards and ate and drank and nattered, and it was all very friendly, as you would expect in Glasgow. I've loved Scotland since my first visit to the Isle of Skye as a student and I can't wait to go back in September to read at the Nairn Book and Arts Festival.

Verity in the novel is a taxidermist The hanging heads at Kelvingrove Tea & cake pit-stop at the gallery - Ju and Nu

ARENA RTÉ TONIGHT

I'll be on Arena on RTE Radio 1 tonight, at 7pm, talking about my new novel The Closet of Savage Mementos.

STRANDHILL SUMMERFEST

The beach at StrandhillStrandhill Summerfest is on the weekend of July 4th this year. Órfhlaith Ní Chonaill will facilitate along with Ted and Annie Deppe, and Joe Kearney. Online booking is now available on the Summerfest web page. There's a special early bird offer if you pay in full before June 4th. Visit the Summerfest site for more details.

I have been to Summerfest twice and had a ball - the Sligo surroundings are beautiful, the people are friendly and you will write lots. And it's good value at €140 for the early bird. That includes tuition, snacks, lunch and the Saturday night BBQ. Recommended!

GLASGOW READING - 29th APRIL

I am reading from my Scotland-set novel The Closet of Savage Mementos at the CCA, Glasgow, this Tuesday the 29th April at 7pm. More details here.

SUNDAY TIMES INTERVIEW

I'm interviewed in The Sunday Times's Culture Magazine today by Eithne Shortall. About my new novel and sex and chick-lit. Sure what else would you be talking about on a Sunday?! Photo by Bryan Meade.