I had a conversation about my novel NORA with the great writer and journalist Martina Devlin for Inspiring Reads at Trinity College Dublin, where we both studied.
Event
BRENDAN O’CONNOR SHOW & SUNDAY TIMES – SEABORNE
The link to my interview with Brendan O’Connor on RTÉ Radio 1 is HERE. We talked autism, sobriety, anxiety meds, secrets, Anne Bonny, and more. He was very nice and friendly and I enjoyed the chat.
More chat from me in the Sunday Times yesterday – this time an essay I wrote about autism, tiny fictions, stims and more. See below.
KENNYS SIGNING – SEABORNE
I signed 100 copies of Seaborne at Kennys Book Shop yesterday afternoon; and the visitors’ book! I also did my first ever reading from the novel, filmed by Dean Kelly for the Kennys YouTube channel (will link when it’s ready). It’s always a pleasure to visit this historical, storied place, teetering with books and stunning art. Thanks to the whole crew for the warm welcome 💚
Photos: Dean Kelly & Finbar McLoughlin
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.
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.
Events – NORA & more
I will appear at the following festivals/conferences/venues in the next few months:
Llangwm Literary Festival, Wales (with Culture Ireland support) – 12th and 13th August – reading and flash workshop. See here.
Drumshanbo Written Word Weekend, Leitrim – 27th August – reading and short fiction workshop. See here.
Telling Stories, Centre for Public History conference, Queens Uni Belfast – 15th September, 3.45pm – panel on bio hist fiction. See here.
Clifden Arts Festival, Galway – 18th September, 3pm – reading and discussion with Ray Burke. More here.
Culture Night – Town Hall Theatre, Ballinasloe – 23rd September, 7pm – Group 8 exhibition. More here.
Write by the Sea, Kilmore Quay, Wexford – 25th September, 11.45am – reading/discussion with Prof. Derek Hand. More here.
Moli, Dublin – Ulysses for the Rest of Us – 29th Sep., 5pm – discussion with Conner Habib. More here.
Bray Literary Festival – 30th Sep., 7.30pm – One Dublin One Book event with Rónán Hession. More here.
Echoes Festival, Dalkey, Dublin – Past Lives event – 1st October, all day – More here.
ICI, Berlin – 7th oct, 7pm – After Joyce event, with Adrian Duncan. More here.
Seamus Heaney Homeplace – 16th October, 2pm – Imagined Lives event with Martina Devlin. More here.
A Very Special Launch Event – 19th October – more to come!
Irish Writers Weekend, London – 26th & 27th November – my event is on the 27th – more here.
New York – two events on 8th and 9th December – more to come!
1 DUBLIN 1 BOOK
The whole month was a blast, from my first stop in London, on to Galway, then lots of events in Dublin, and finally to Monaco. It was exhausting and educational, a pleasure and a privilege. Thanks to Anne-Marie Kelly and Jackie Lynam of the Dublin Unesco City of Literature office in Dublin City Libraries, all the hosts and partners, and every person who came out to listen to me and to discuss Nora Barnacle and James Joyce. Buíochas ó chroí.
ONE DUBLIN ONE BOOK – we’re off!
One Dublin One Book is in full swing – I started in London at the Irish Literary Society at the end of March, and, on the 1st April, we had our inaugural Irish event at St Nicholas Collegiate Church in Galway – both nights word- and music-filled, and wonderful.
Thanks to all the organisers – Gavin at the ILS, Jo Vahey of Galway Libraries, Jackie Lynam and Anne Marie Kelly at Unesco City of Literature, and all the artists who took the stage with me: Emily Cullen, Ray Burke, David Collard, Tomás Mannion and all the musicians.
Yesterday I spoke with Miriam O’Callaghan (who was v nice, as expected) on Sundays with Miriam on RTÉ Radio 1, you can listen back here.
Tonight the Book on One starts with NORA, for 2 weeks, featuring Galway actress Cathy Belton, who is a personal fave, so I’m delighted!
Onward! The programme is here and all events are FREE but booking is advised.
JOYCE in BRAZIL
I’m taking part in a roundtable for NEI in Brazil (online) today as part of Ulysses 100. Join us on YouTube here. Discussion of Joyce’s family, life and work in contemporary literature, film, radio drama, and exhibition with me, Alan Gilsenan, Áine Stapleton and Colin Murphy. With thanks to Beatriz Kopshitz Bastos for having us!
This event is part of a UFSC and NEI project Ulysses100 Through Brazilian Eyes, launched by the Embassy of Ireland in Brazil and the Consulate General of Ireland in São Paulo, to celebrate the centenary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
ULYSSES 100 EVENTS
I’m busy, naturally, as we get closer to the Ulysses 100 anniversary on 2.2.22, so here are a few of the events & things you can catch me at:
22nd January 2022 – I have a piece about the background to writing Ulysses – how life was for Nora and Joyce – in the Irish Independent. Read it here.
Saint Brigid’s Day / Lá ‘le Bríde – 1st Feb. – I’m talking live to Ambassador Eamon Hickey at the Embassy of Ireland, Bern, in Switzerland. 5pm Irish time. More here.
Saint Brigid’s Day / Lá ‘le Bríde – 1st Feb. – I’m taking part in the celebration of Ulysses at Embassy of Ireland Paris, with Ambassador Niall Burgess. Time tbc. Watch back here.
2nd Feb – Ulysses 100 day – the exhibition I’ve curated at MOLI – ‘Love, says Bloom’ – opens today. So exciting! Sadly, Covid restrictions mean we won’t be having a shindig, but please visit the museum to see this immersive audiovisual presentation, where I took the love between the four Joyces – and their love of music – as inspiration. It includes some magnificent performances from artists including Julia Spanu of Moxie, Ian Lynch of Lankum, and Lisa O’Neill. More here.
2nd Feb – Ulysses 100 day – I’ll be on RTÉ’s Arena talking Ulysses with Sean Rocks and a panel of Joyce fans. 7pm. RTÉ Radio 1. You can hear this here.
2nd Feb – Ulysses 100 day – I am giving away a signed copy of the One Dublin One Book edition of NORA (out Feb. 24th from New Island Books). Enter until midday 2nd Feb! See my insta for details.
4th Feb, 6.30pm – I’m launching the new edition of Ray Burke’s wonderful book, Joyce County – Galway and James Joyce, in Galway city at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop. Illustrated by Joe Boske. Published by Artisan House in Connemara.
4th Feb, 10.45pm – I’m on BBC Radio 3, on The Essay, concluding a week of Reading Ulysses, with my thoughts on the Penelope episode. Other essayists include Mary Costello, John Patrick McHugh, Colm Tóibín and Anne Enright. Listen here.