While I’ve been busy with One Dublin One Book, NORA has been shortlisted for two awards which, obviously, is thrilling.
Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year at Listowel and Irish Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards. How is that for fancy? Delighted!!
I’ll be taking part at events at both festivals in June.
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.
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.
I’m interviewing Roddy Doyle, online at Politics and Prose in Washington, about short fiction. This event celebrates the USA publication day for Roddy’s book Life Without Children, which is a warm, funny, poignant collection of ten stories. Join us! 5pm USA, 10pm Ireland. More here.
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.
I’m very pleased the New York Times names my novel NORA among the 10 best historical novels of 2021. ‘A lively fictional rendition of Nora Barnacle, the minimally educated, blue-collar woman who propped up one of literature’s most challenging highbrow writers.’ Huge thanks to Alida Becker. Lovely to be in there with personal faves Alison MacLeod and Colm Tóibín.
More here.
I’m genuinely delighted that NORA has been chosen as the One Dublin One Book for 2022. Big thanks to Dublin Libraries, Dublin City Council, and the stellar team at New Island. I’m looking forward to April and all the events we’ll hold to celebrate Nora Barnacle and James Joyce. More here.
I have several events coming up, many around my novel NORA, which was published here in Ireland in April with New Island Books, so I thought I’d do a preview/round-up list:
12th Sep, 9am GMT: SUNDAY MISCELLANY: I’ll be on RTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday morning with a radio essay about my relationship with my name, Nuala. More here.
17th Sep, 7pm GMT: CULTURE NIGHT: I’m in an artist collective here in Ballinasloe, Group 8, and we’re holding the opening of our annual exhib, UNBOUND, on Culture Night at the Town Hall Theatre in Ballinasloe. My work is a photo book with extracts from an essay I wrote about crying, that featured in Banshee. More here.
18th Sep, 4.30pm GMT: SHORELINES ARTS FEST, PORTUMNA. I’m doing an in-person fiction event with Louise Kennedy in the church. Tickets and more here.
19th Sep, 10am GMT: RETREAT WEST FLASH FESTIVAL. I’m doing an online event – delivering a keynote on writing flash and answering questions too. Tickets and more here.
23rd Sep, 7pm GMT: ULYSSES FOR THE REST OF US. I’m doing an online (and limited-tix in-person) event – chatting with the fab Conner Habib about the Penelope episode of Ulysses (my fave!!). More here.
15th Oct, 11am GMT: CHELTENHAM LITERARY FESTIVAL. I’m doing an in-person event on biofiction with the wondrous Connie Palmen. More here.
22nd Oct, TBC GMT: WESTPORT ARTS FESTIVAL. I’m doing an in-person event on biofiction and women. More to come, keep an eye here.
27th Oct, 8pm GMT: HOPE FOUNDATION BOOK CLUB. I’m doing an online event with NORA. More to come, keep an eye here.
