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.
Tag Archives: Nora
NORA IN NEW YORK
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.
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.
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.
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.
TERTULIA BOOKS, WESTPORT
I had a fab time at Westival in Westport, this weekend gone by. My event was hosted by the magical Tertulia Books, run by Bríd and Neil, and they gave me such a warm welcome to their beautiful shop and town. They are up for a book award at the APIBAS (as is NORA!), and you can vote for them here. Big thanks to the Tertulia crew, to the yoga boys for the gorgeous venue, and to Caroline Healy for the interview on the night.
NORA SHORTLISTED IRISH BOOK AWARDS
SAN FRAN BOOK REVIEW
The San Francisco Book Review has given NORA a lovely tiny review. A snip: ‘a truly impressive work of biographical fiction, Nuala O’Connor pens a powerful and incisive account of the life of Nora Joyce, who despite being remembered as “Irish literature’s greatest muse” was really a far more complex, commanding, and intriguing individual than her lasting reputation suggests.’ More here: https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/biographies-memoirs/
BERLIN EVENT
I had a gorgeous time talking with the Irish contingent in the Irish Embassy Berlin about NORA and James Joyce. You can watch back here: https://youtu.be/kSY8Zbdxbb8