Novels

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

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.

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.

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!

Bloomsweek events 2022

I have a raft of events for Bloomsweek. I’d love to see some of ye out and about across the week in Dublin:

June 11th, 2.30pm – speaking at opening of Ulysses Imagined exhib, Graphic Studio Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin. More here.

June 11th, 6.20pm IFI – premiere of BBC Arena documentary, James Joyce’s Ulysses. I’m part of discussion after the screening. More here.

June 12th, 7.30pm – I’ll be online at The Glue Factory with Rónán Hession talking about One Dublin One Book and James Joyce. To join us via Zoom, DM @DavidCollard1 on Twitter with your name and email address.

June 13th, 6pm – chairing a panel about Ulysses at Hodges Figgis, for the new Cambridge ed. of Ulysses with Fintan O’Toole, Frank McNally, and Catherine Flynn. More here.

June 15th, 6pm – NORA event at Alliance Francaise: More here.

BLOOMSDAY:

June 16th – reading/discussion at TCD Ulysses 100 Symposium with Mary Morrissy about Nora Barnacle. See here.

June 16th – interviewing David Collard in Hodges Figgis at the launch of his book Multiple Joyce. More here.

DALKEY BOOK FESTIVAL:

June 18th – Dalkey Literary Award reading event. NORA is shortlisted for Novel of the Year. See here.

June 19th – Dalkey Book Festival event on NORA. 3.30pm. Book here.

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.

At the Princess Grace Library in Monaco
Princess Grace Library
Princess Grace Library

NORA – TWO SHORTLISTINGS

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 – 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.