Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Blog, page 46

TITLE FOR MY NEXT NOVEL REVEALED

I am buzzing today. I had a great morning editing and adding colour to my American novel with all I learnt/saw/absorbed in Massachusetts.

Then, this afternoon, I got the very welcome news that Louise Erdrich has granted me permission to use an adapted quote from her poem 'Advice to Myself' as the title for my Scottish novel, due spring 2014. Yipee! Louise is a novelist and poet and she owns Birchbark Books, a book shop in Minneapolis. How cool is that?

So, I can now reveal....drum roll... that the novel will be called The Closet of Savage Mementos. Next stop, the cover. Yay!

Professional Development Day for Writers - IWC

A great new event at the Dublin Book Festival - a professional development day for writers. This looks brilliant and I am definitely going. I am always moaning about the lack of supports for mid-career writers (everything seems to be aimed at newbies or famous people), so I am thrilled to see New Island and the Irish Writers' Centre presenting such a  practical workshop at a good price. Details:

Professional Development Day, Sunday November 17thOn Sunday, November 17th, from 9.30-16.00, New Island Books and the Irish Writers’ Centre are hosting a Professional Development Day for published authors as part of the Dublin Book Festival. The event will consist of a series of workshops designed to help writers develop their careers.

Eoin Purcell, Editorial Director of New Island Books, will discuss how the publishing industry works, emphasising what it is that publishers seek from authors and going through in detail the work flow and financial realities of book publishing.

Margaret E. Ward, Journalist and CEO of Clear Ink communications agency will cover the practical aspects of promotion for writers and their work through the media. Eoin Purcell and Margaret E. Ward will be joined by journalist and broadcaster, Audrey Carville who will moderate a panel discussion entitled, ‘What Supports do Professional Writers Need?’

In order to book a place on the Professional Development Day you must be a published author with a recognised publisher. To check eligibility for this event please click here.
Cost: €60 (€50 members)

MASSACHUSETTS PICS

Hello from Massachusetts! I am currently guest writer at Bay Path College in leafy Longmeadow and I am loving it here. This is day 7 of a 10 day trip and I spent the first 4 days in Amherst, exploring Emily Dickinson's place and also meeting with my dear friend, writer and artist Marcella Brown.
Marcella Brown at her Colraine farmI am enjoying the students very much - talking to their classes and yapping with them in general. I did a reading last night and tomorrow is Writers' Day, where I give a seminar on the short story. I've had such a warm welcome here from everyone - Massachusettsians (?) are extremely nice.
Marcella with one of her pastelsMarcella lives on a wooded hill in Colraine, near Shelburne Falls. Her place - all these places - have to be seen to be believed; they are idylllic, time-warpy, and autumnally beautiful just now.

Hills and woods near Colraine Homegrown produce at Marcella's. We ate that marbled tomato for lunch.It was a joy for me to visit Emily Dickinson's home and West Cemetery, where she is buried. The museum - her home and her brother's - are fascinating and moving and I had an ace guide, all to myself. Score.

Emily's Homestead - I walked past it every day as my B&B was on the same street Emily's grave - 'Called Back' Artefacts atop Emily's grave, including a pic of my Juno In West Cemetery, Amherst, the lovely spot where Emily restsAnd here in Longmeadow I have my own house, the college guesthouse - a wooden, porched, vast house that dates from 1799.
My Longmeadow homeThe writer Anita Shreve lived in the house and she sold it to the college. It is huge, a warren of prettily decorated rooms, including a spooky basement that won't lock...
Guesthouse sitting room (one of them...)
Guesthouse pantry - the smallest of its 15 or so rooms

Colraine cornstalk

Between the people, the house, the libraries, the scenery and the experiences, I feel utterly spoilt. Thanks to Suzanne Strempek Shea for inviting me; Briana Sitler for minding me; Leanna James-Blackwell for lunch and chats. And Marcella for laughs, talks and expert tour-guiding. Great women all.

Marcella's Rosa - her parents were Cowboy and Nelly - names fans of 'Nude' will recognise :)

DUBLIN BOOK FESTIVAL INTERVIEW & MASSACHUSETTS

I'm interviewed at the Dublin Book Festival site ahead of my appearance on the Anti Room panel on women’s writing, which will also feature arts journalist and broadcaster Sinéad Gleeson, journalists Anna Carey and Jennifer Ridyard, and author Christine Dwyer Hickey.

The event is on Saturday 16th November at 4.30pm in The Main Space at Smock Alley Theatre.

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And with that I am off to Massachusetts for a short stint at Bay Path College to take part in their Writers' Day, give a reading and visit some classes. I will also be doing final research for my American novel.
It will be hard to be aways from my kids and husband for 10 days (my eldest turns 20 today - 20!!!) but I am very much looking forward to the New England autumnal colours, seeing Emily Dickinson's house and catching up with old friends. I'll talk to you, no doubt, on the other side.

PICS FROM IMRAM EXHIBITION

A few pics from the very enjoyable launch at DIT of the Imram exhibition on Monday night. There was wine, brownies and scones. Yum! Lots of people and a great atmosphere. Big thanks to all at DIT, especially the students and also to Liam Carson of Imram. Go raibh maith agaibh! I am up to my eyes with preps for my USA trip (yes, another one) so I apologise for not posting pics of the other's pieces, only my own. My time is short and I am pulled every which way with work and other obligations.


The students were given poems by several poets, to create posters from, including my poem 'Snáth' from Tatú . The posters are on billboards around Dublin. I loved what the students did with all our poems but I have a special fondness for Maija Sardiko's ropey interpretation of 'Snáth'.







Head of Dept at DIT with poets Philip Cummings, Gabriel Rosenstock, Ceaití Ní Bhealdúin, mise, Liam Ó Muirthile Gabriel reading haiku by Jack Kerouac, with his On the Road bag Mise ag léamh ó mo leabhar Tatú

Desmond O'Grady Poetry Competition

The White House in Limerick is holding the Desmond O'Grady Poetry Competition 2013. The competition is open to poets from all around the world.
Poets can submit up to 12 poems, in English or Irish. Poems must be unpublished. The fee for the competition is €3 per poem, €8 per three poems.  
The judge for this year's competition is Fred Johnston.
First prize: €1,000Second prize: €300Third prize: €100

Further details about the competition can be found here. 

CLÓ DRAÍOCHTA - EXHIB LAUNCH @ IMRAM

Beidh mé ag léamh aige seo, oíche amárach, mar chuid de hIMRAM. My poem 'Snáth'/'Yarn' is featured. If anyone spots the poster around Dublin, please take a piccie for me.

Monday 14 October 6.00 pm. Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street. Free admission

CLÓ DRAIOCHTA

In collaboration with IMRAM, Dublin Institute of Technology lecturers Clare Bell and Brenda Dermody have curated a second special exhibition of Irish language literature texts imaginatively rendered by DIT design students. Poetry selected for the exhibition includes work by Gabriel Rosenstock, Liam Ó Muirthile, Nuala Ní Chonchuir, Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin, Philip Cummings and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh. IMRAM has booked 30 city centre poster sites to display the best of the students’ work, ensuring that Irish language literature will have a presence in Dublin city centre during the festival.

MASSACHUSETTS NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

There is a nice article by Cori Urban in the The Republican ahead of my trip to Massachusetts next week for my stint at Bay Path College. Masslive.com has featured the article and you can read it here.

BOOK TRAILER - OF DUBLIN AND OTHER FICTIONS

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Athlone Literary Festival yesterday. Bill Whelan and Prof. James Flannery were both lovely panel-mates. Good, decent men. We had an interesting discussion on the diaspora and Irishness.

When we got home, myself and my husband finished making a short book trailer we've been working on for Of Dublin and Other Fictions . We had fun putting it together - I hope you enjoy it!

Paying Attention - a one-day workshop of creative writing

Paying Attention is a one-day workshop of creative writing with writer Shirley McClure. She says:
The poem is not a discussion, not a lecture, but an instance- an instance of attention, of noticing something in the world- Mary Oliver
Paying Attention invites you to slow down and connect with your own creativity. The workshop introduces examples from short stories and poetry as well as simple mindfulness techniques to lead you into writing.When? Sunday 3rd November 2013 from 10.00 - 17.00Where? Oscailt, 8 Pembroke Rd, Dublin 4. http://www.oscailt.com/ for map.
Free parking. Close to city centre.Cost: €65 (unwaged €50)
Bookings via 086-603 4481 or shirleymcclure2@gmail.com www.thepoetryvein.com 9 Camaderry Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow Tel: 01- 286 5997 086 - 603 4481