All posts by Nuala Ní Chonchúir

ACQUISITION ANNOUNCEMENT

New Island Books Acquires Nuala O’Connor’s Sensational New Novel, SEABORNE, publishing April 2024.

New Island Books (Dublin) is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Nuala O’Connor’s new novel, SEABORNE. Aoife K. Walsh, commissioning editor at New Island, acquired English -language, Ireland, UK and Commonwealth rights from Gráinne Fox at United Talent Agency (New York). SEABORNE will be published by New Island in April 2024.

About:

After the huge success of her 2021 novel, Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce (Irish bestseller, Vogue and New York Times recommended, One Dublin One Book), Nuala O’Connor’s sixth novel is her most ambitious yet. In crisp, shimmering prose, she conjures a completely unexpected portrayal of Anne Bonny, giving us so much more than just the 18th-century, Irish-born pirate of lore. In the hands of one of Ireland’s most brilliant fiction writers, Bonny is a young woman of privilege who is anything but comfortable, hell-bent on a voyage of self-realisation with or without the consent of those around her. Novelty-seeking, contrary, stubborn and bisexual, she is also neurodivergent, brave, and capable of deep and enduring love.

Records show that Anne Bonny spent all of two months actually being a pirate. SEABORNE is the thrilling and sensuous imagining of the loss, frustration and desires that steer this lonely daughter of a plantation owner towards elopement, two marriages, two pregnancies, violence, trial for piracy, and legendary status.

Comments:

Commenting on the acquisition, Nuala O’Connor says, ‘It’s a pleasure to once again publish with New Island – my sixth volume with them – they’ve always been great champions of mine and they take such warm, meticulous care with the books. I know the team will safely steer SEABORNE, my tribute to pirate Anne Bonny, into reader’s hands.’

New Island commissioning editor Aoife K. Walsh said, ‘Everyone at New Island Books is truly delighted to be working with the master storyteller Nuala. Obviously, we were hooked at the first mention of pirates but soon we were utterly captivated by Nuala’s rich, complex and sensual portrayal of the oft-mythologised Anne Bonny. As an independent Irish publisher, it feels right to be publishing this Irish origin story and we can’t wait for today’s readers (wherever they may be) to meet this fiercely independent, queer, neurodivergent, brave and passionate 18th-century pirate.’

NUALA O’CONNOR is a novelist, short story writer and poet, and lives in Co. Galway with her family. She is the author of five previous novels, including Nora (2021) and six short story collections. She has won many prizes for her short fiction including Short Story of the Year at the 2022 Irish Book Awards, the Francis MacManus Award, and the James Joyce Quarterly Fiction Contest. Her work has also been nominated for numerous prizes including the Edge Hill Short Story Prize, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year and the International Dublin Literary Award.

For further information contact Des Doyle, Marketing and Publicity Manager, des.doyle@newisland.ie

FIBROMYALGIA ESSAY – HEAL

I have a short essay in HEAL (Humanism Evolving through Arts and Literature) about what it’s like to have fibromyalgia. HEAL is a medical narratives journal from the Dept of Medicine at Florida State University, edited by Tana Jean Welch and Liz Ruelke.

‘Fibromyalgia is a joyless, ever-present, prismic garment, complex and invisible.’

Download the issue pdf here.

The County Measure – GALWAY

Red Steyr, Ballinasloe

I’ll be on RTÉ Radio 1 on The County Measure, talking about colour in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, on 5th June – Bank Holiday Monday – between 11am and 12pm IST.

The County Measure is a much-loved radio programme presented by writer and broadcaster Vincent Woods, who travels across Ireland exploring county identity in terms of culture, music, sport, tradition, environment, and politics. Thanks to the lovely Regan Hutchins for the invitation to take part.

Switzerland, alcohol, autism, & me

Meiringen vintage poster

I have a new essay ‘Cailín Deas, Cailín Dána’ published in Trasna today. The essay is about many things, including Switzerland, sibling loss, autism, giving up alcohol, Maria Edgeworth, and photographs…it’s a braided/hybrid piece, a mixumgatherum. You can read the essay here. Hope you enjoy it!

NORA MOST BORROWED

NORA was the most borrowed adult fiction book from Dublin City Libraries in 2022! Huge thanks to all who borrowed, and espesh to Jackie Lynam & Anne Marie Kelly of One Dublin One Book, all at Dublin City Library and the stellar team at New Island Books. This is all such a thrill for a normally under-the-radar writer like myself ❤️ It was a hectic two years with NORA, all very much appreciated but also exhausting so I am re-setting at the moment, editing the next one, ruminating on the one after that, and playing catch-up with my real life kids, family, cats, and home.

NORA IN NEW YORK

Nora Barnacle

I’m off to NYC next week for the last of my NORA events – it’s been a wild, action-packed two years.

Anyone NY-based can catch me at one (or all!) of the following events – I’d love to see you. Register early!

Thurs 8th Dec: On the 8th I’m at the Jefferson Library (where the trial for Ulysses took place) for a film, launch, and in-convo with Jane Applegate and Kerri Maher, and you can register here.

Fri. 9th Dec: I’m doing a Meet the Author lunch on Fri. Dec. 9th, with my agent Gráinne Fox, at the Irish Business Organization of New York. More here.

Fri. 9th Dec: Also on the 9th I’ll be at the Center for Fiction with the James Joyce Society and there is more at this link here.

Winner – Irish Short Story of the Year

I was genuinely delighted to win Short Story of the Year at the Irish Book Awards for my story This Small Giddy Life about two daughters and their wandering, wonderful mother who gets dementia. My own mother is living with this curious condition, so it is a close-to-my-heart story. You can read the story in the New Island anthology, A Little Unsteadily Into Light, available here.

Thanks so much to An Post (awards sponsors) and writing.ie (short story award sponsors), especially Vanessa O’Loughlin. Thanks to New Island books and editor Jan Carson, for commissioning the story. We had a lovely night of celebration last night at the Convention Centre in Dublin. See my insta for (not many more) pics here.

Shortlisting – Short Story of the Year

Shortlisted! My dementia story *This Small Giddy Life* from the New Island Books anthology A Little Unsteadily Into Light is up for the writing.ie Story of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022. We had a lovely shortlisters’ event at the GPO last night. This story is meaningful to me as I took elements of my mother’s dementia to fictionalise. She’s still with us, and doing well, TG.

Voting is open now, see all shortlistees below: Vote here.

Thanks to editors Jan Carson & Jane Lugea and all at New Island & Vanessa of Writing.ie. This is my fifth Book Awards shortlisting, maybe this year I’ll take something home other than memories of a great, chat-filled, glammy night. The big event is the 23rd November and I can’t wait!

Neil Paul of Tertulia Books, Mayo, and Nuala
The 2002 Story of the Year shortlist

ELECTRONIC SHEEP X NUALA O’CONNOR

Nuala, Anne Fogarty, & Helen Delaney
Brenda Aherne

Fantastic launch tonight at the beautiful Royal Society of Antiquaries house on Merrion Square, Dublin, for Electronic Sheep x Nuala O’Connor ‘I am Ireland’ scarf (the Nora Barnacle scarf!). The genius designers Helen Delaney and Brenda Aherne have used the entire text of the tiny ‘Ireland’ chapter of my novel NORA for the scarf, and the results are stunning.

I Am Ireland – Nora Barnacle scarf

Thanks so much to Helen and Brenda for honouring Nora Barnacle with their beautiful work.

And huge thanks to Anne Fogarty of UCD for a wonderful, thoughtful speech. To Caoimhe Fox of New Island Books for bookselling ❤️ And to all the family, friends, and fashiony types who turned up to support this collaboration which has been JOY, from start to now.

Nuala & Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh & Caoimhe Fox
Finbar McLoughlin (Nuala’s husband), Juno McLoughlin, & Nuala (pic: Úna O’Connor)
Juno McLoughlin (pic: Úna O’Connor)

NEW YORK EVENTS – DECEMBER 2022

I’m ending the Ulysses 100 year with two NORA events in New York city.

8th December, 6pm to 8pm – Screening of the film ‘The Tale Behind Ulysses’ (which I’m in) at Jefferson Courthouse Library & after-film discussion panel with Producer Jane Applegate and author Kerri Maher, whose book The Paris Bookseller is being celebrated at the same event.

9th December, 6pm to 8pm – James Joyce Society: Finding Nora event. More here.

With thanks to Culture Ireland for the financial support.