Festivals and Events | SiarScéal Festival and the Hanna Greally Literary Awards

Hanna Greally Literary Awards 2023 Now Open for Entries

– part of SiarScéal Festival 2023 celebrations –

Entries are now being accepted for the Hanna Greally Literary Awards 2023, which takes place as part of the annual SiarScéal Festival. Cash prizes totalling €400 are up for grabs but better be quick: the closing date for entries is this coming Friday, 22 September, to be received no later than 5pm (Irish time).

Entry is free but limited to one per participant. Entries may be in the style of poetry (maximum of 100 lines) or prose/short story (maximum of 2000 words). A cash prize of €200 will be awarded to each of the overall winners in the Poetry and Prose/Short Story categories. Detail of how to enter (including competition rules, etc) are available from the website of SiarScéal (see Competition page).

Winners will be announced and prizes presented at SiarScéal Festival 2023, to take place on Saturday, 21 October at Roscommon Co. Library, Abbey Street, Roscommon Town. Also featuring in this year's festival programme of events is a symposium of young authors, who will read from their work contained within their own handmade book, produced with the help of artist, Vanya Ward

SiarScéal is an annual arts and literary festival that has run every year since 2007 and takes place in Roscommon, drawing inspiration from unique culture and heritage of the Roscommon environs, together with the regional counties of Leitrim and Sligo.

SiarScéal – annual arts and literary festival that takes place in Roscommon

New Books and Titles | Bádh B'fhéidir le Seán Ó Muireagáin

Bádh B'fhéidir

– cnuasach nua gearrscéalta le Seán Ó Muireagáin –

Tá leabhar úr amuigh ag Seán Ó Muireagáin, Bádh B'fhéidir. Is cnuasach gearrscéalta ficsean eolaíochta é. Tá sé ar fáil sna siopaí anois agus ón suíomh eabhloid.com.

Sa bhailiúchán úr seo de scéalta samhlaíocha ficsean eolaíochta, cuireann Ó Muireagáin saolta osréalacha os ár gcomhair, saolta diostóipeacha agus barbartha, saolta a mbíonn an fhírinne á ceistiú iontu agus a mbíonn rian maith den fhíorshaol le sonrú iontu i gcónaí. Ábhar maith léitheoireachta don léitheoir fásta agus don fhoghlaimeoir.

Léigh tuilleadh faoin leabhar anseo.

Bhuaigh an scéal An Chóir Chodlata Duais an Mhaolánaigh i gcomórtas liteartha an Oireachtais 2018.

Through the Pages of History by Michael Whelton – an art, music and medical miscellany

Through the Pages of History
by Michael Whelton

Was Mozart really buried in a pauper’s grave? What role did yellow fever play in the construction of the Panama Canal? How did the painter, Renoir cope with rheumatoid arthritis in his old age? Has history been overly harsh towards King Herod?

Just a few of the questions (from among a very broad range of subject matter) that are looked at from historical and medical perspectives in Michael Whelton’s engaging collection of essays. Through the Pages of History: an art music and medical miscellany is written in a lively style and a manner that will intrigue but also satisfy inquisitive minds. It is book that will appeal as much to the general reader as to those with specialist knowledge.

It is also a book that the reader will not find easy to put down, once started on a journey that trawls through medical annals, to probe popular misconceptions or shed new light on the personalities and events that have shaped history. Charles Darwin, Ignaz Semmelweis, Marie Curie, Alexander Fleming, Rosalind Franklin all get more than a mention but, the author also casts his trained medical eye over matters and phenomenon such as diseases and epidemics, medieval witch hunts, tattooing, embalming, 'humane' judicial killings. A firm grasp of the facts is exhibited but, always with an good eye for the story or amusing anecdote connected to landmarks in human history, scientific achievement, artistic excellence and so on.

Portraits of the Past
by Michael Whelton

Most importantly, he brings to bear his own scientific knowledge, as a retired medical doctor and in doing so, amply demonstrates how truth is all too often stranger than fiction. Not that he doesn’t have experience in this area too. His previous volume, Portraits of the Past, a collection of short stories and flash fiction published just last year, reads like Joycean narratives set in his native Cork during the post-war period.

Through the Pages of History: an art, music and medical miscellany by Michael Whelton is published by The Manuscript Publisher and is on sale now. RRP €12.99.

The Compendium by Brian Corvin: something a little different

The Compendium is author, Brian Corvin's third published work. Where his first two – The Dream Journey (2010) and The Unity Project (2016) – were collections of poetry and verse, the present volume offers "something a little different".

The opening section contains of a selection of neohaikus and social verse while, the second introduces the reader to some quirky short stories, taking on tales of the macabre, turning up some strange and unexpected twists. This is followed by a trilogy of related one-act plays that deal with the issue of clerical child abuse, probing the question of whether forgiveness of the kind that can lead to redemption is ever really possible in such a context.

The volume finishes with an autobiographical fragment (Towards a New World Order), in which he describes how he became a Baha'i, while living in Devon, England back in the 1960s.

"I am still a Bahai though, these days, I sometimes describe myself as a Neo-Bahai. I have never regretted my move to Bahai though, when writing about it, I sometimes feel that I can see similarities to Graham Greene's sardonically tinged attitude to Catholic beliefs and practices. I still believe that Bahai offers an unmatched vision for the future of the species, though we seldom live up to its aspirations and, I certainly feel that it is worth considering in this confusing, pessimistic and negative transitionary period."

The author, Brian Corvin, was born in Dublin, Ireland eighty years ago but, he sees himself as a world citizen. He has been inspired by Bahaullah, the prophet of globalisation but, feels that his writing should be grounded in the here and now of the world that he finds around him.

He achieves this quite admirably and with keen insight. His true talent, it might be said, rests in an ability to faithfully convey the views held by those of a particular mindset, irrespective of whether one might share those views or, even sympathise with them. It comes across in his writing whether he is talking about the European refugee crisis, politics in the era of Trump, the motives that drive people to commit desperate acts.

The Compendium by Brian Corvin is published by The Manuscript Publisher. It is on sale now and available to buy online as well as from certain bookshops. RRP €9.99.

Portraits of the Past by Michael Whelton: a collection of bittersweet tales

Life, death and all things in between, including the decisions that we make or have thrust upon us; how we face the consequences and how we allow those consequences to shape our destinies. Such are the narratives that emerge in Portraits of the Past, a collection of short stories and flash fiction from Michael Whelton, which has just been published.

Poignant moments and personal epiphanies are skilfully captured in collection of bittersweet tales that are usually self-contained but often hinting at a larger story. The stories themselves are told with honesty, candour and a sense of humour that always shines through, even as the characters portrayed themselves seem to dwell in a certain twilight.

"She caressed the faded ribbon and thought of returning it to the secret drawer. Realising that this would only perpetuate the dream, she tenderly dropped it. The love knot burned, closing an unfulfilled chapter in her life."

Carefully crafted and written with keen observation and rare insight, the author's style is inviting. In the end, we are left with a powerful sense of the intensity of living in this world, coupled with an understanding of what it means to be alive within the context of it.

Michael Whelton is a retired medical doctor who has lived and worked in Cork for most of his life but, has also travelled extensively. Both of these circumstances are reflected in his writings. It could be said that, much like what Joyce did for Dublin, Michael Whelton does for his own native city, with his naturalistic depictions that allow for time to stand still just long enough to afford the reader a glimpse inside.

Portraits of the Past by Michael Whelton is published by The Manuscript Publisher. It is available to buy online. RRP €9.99 plus P&P.

Cork International Short Story Festival: 13 – 16 September

Indulge in your love for fiction – particularly the short story form – in Cork this September.

Cork International Short Story Festival 2017 is a four-day festival (13 – 16 September) during which authors and readers share their passion for words through readings and workshops. The complete program is available from the festival website.

"It's shaping up to be another dynamic year," according to the organisers, with readers including June Caldwell, David Means, Nuala O’Connor, Billy O’Callaghan and many more. "It is a great opportunity to hear established favourites and discover new voices in fiction."

Tickets are now available for purchase online. Two workshops are also planned: a fiction masterclass with Claire Keegan as well as a writing workshop with this year's Frank O’Connor Fellow, Marie-Helene Bertino. For more information, please contact Jennifer at The Munster Literature Centre – info@munsterlit.ie

Book Launch and Tour – The Key Signature & Other Stories by Noel King

The Key Signature & Other Stories is the title of the debut collection of stories from poet and actor, Noel King that will be launched on Monday, June 5 at Siamsa Tire Theatre & Arts Centre, Town Park, Tralee, Co. Kerry. Mary Kennelly will be the keynote speaker and the evening gets under way from 6pm.

The Key Signature & Other Stories comprises a collection of 19 stories, each of which, in various ways, concern"the trials of modern man in an Ireland of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century ... (from) ... host family father falling in love with the au pair to cross-dressing husband unleashing his grief and his vices after the funeral of his beloved wife"!

The launch will be followed by a reading tour at venues across Ireland. Dates which have been announced include:

• Tuesday, June 6 @ 8pm – On the Nail, Chez le Fab, Arthur’s Quay Park, Limerick – hosted by Limerick Writers' Centre.
• Wednesday, June 7th @ 7.30pm Seanchaí – Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre, Listowel, Co Kerry.
• Thursday, June 8th @ 6.30pm – Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Galway City.
• Friday, June 9 @ 7.30pm – The Elbow Lane Inn, Fermoy, Co. Cork.
• Saturday, June 10 – 4 'pop-up' readings with Mae Leonard in Naas, Co. Kildare:

1. McAuley Place @ 2pm
2. Naas Library @ 2.30pm
3. The Moat Club Cafe @ 3pm
4. Swan's on The Green @ 4pm

• Sunday, June 11 @ 6.30 – The Cafe @ Louis Mulcahy Pottery, Clogher, Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry.
• Wednesday, June 14 @ 7.30pm – David Butler & Tanya Farrelly’s Staccato series @ Toner’s Pub, Baggott Street, Dublin.
• Thursday, June 15th @ 8pm – SPOTLIGHT @ The Haven, Bachelor's Quay, Cork.
• Friday, June 16th @ 2pm – Carnegie Arts Centre, Kenmare in association with Clann na Farraige writers group

The Key Signature & Other Stories by Noel King is published by Liberties Press and is available to buy online.

Centenary of the Birth of Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

By Hans van Dijk / Anefo
(Derived from Nationaal Archief)
[CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roald Dahl, authors of novels, short stories, screenplays that have appealed to audiences worldwide and across generations.

Born in Wales, to Norwegian parents (he was named after the polar explorer, Roald Amundsen and not, as has been suggested, out of some kind of conceit not to be knows as 'Ronald'!), Dahl grew up in a household where Norwegian was the spoken language and English therefore, was effectively a second language for him.

He enjoyed/suffered the benefits of an English public school education, where he excelled at sports, being exceptionally tall (as an adult, he stood a towering 6" 6') and also honed a love of literature during these years. The stature that he would attain as a literary figure was only hinted at during his school years however. One of his English teachers observed in a school report, "I have never met anybody who so persistently writes words meaning the exact opposite of what is intended."

The Second World War would see him serve as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He married twice - to actress, Patricia Neal, with whom he had five children and later, to Felicity "Liccy" Crosland, who remained with him until his death in 1990.

Dahl's literary output adapted quite well to the media of TV and cinema and it is these adaptation that have probably had most to do with making him a household name. Even people who have barely so much as picked up a book are likely to be familiar with his work in some form. His short story collection, Tales of the Unexpected, published in 1979, was adapted to a successful TV series of the same name, which ran during the 1980s - with Dahl even presenting some of the early episodes.

It is as a writer of children's fiction (including works such as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG) that Dahl most excelled, demonstrating a keen sense of childhood mischief. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest in this genre. His storytelling exhibits an "unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic mood, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm sentiment." (Source: Wikipedia).

The centenary of Roald Dahl's birth comes a matter of weeks after the death of actor, Gene Wilder, who portrayed one of Dahl's most enduring characters in the eponymously titled, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (a 1971 film adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Dahl, however, was reportedly unhappy with the film adaptation of the script that he provided. This would lead him to 'disown' the film. Reasons suggested for this have been ascribed to a view that "it placed too much emphasis on Willy Wonka and not enough on Charlie" and also, the casting of Gene Wilder instead of Spike Milligan, who was Dahl's choice to take the role. (Source: BBC website - Willy Wonka's everlasting film plot).

It was Wilder, apparently, who came up with the idea for the titular character's dramatic entrance - pretending to be a frail old man, hobbling on a stick until making a forward somersault to the acclaim of worried but relieved onlookers. "I knew that from then on, the audience wouldn't know if I was lying or telling the truth," Wilder said many years later. There is proof, perhaps, in this anecdote, that while great minds don't always think alike, it is still no reason why can't entertain and each be masters of their respective trades.

Road Dahl was born on 13 September 1916. He died 23 November 1990 but his work truly lives on. Over 250 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.

Books Ireland Short Story Competition 2016

Following the success of the 2015 inaugural short story competition, Books Ireland have announced that another competition will take place in 2016, as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations.

Cash prizes are on offer, including €400 for the winning entry plus a writing course at the Irish Writers Centre and publication in Books Ireland. Entries should be no more than 2600 words and must be original, unpublished and not currently submitted for publication nor for any other competition or award. Otherwise the competition "is open to all writers of any nationality writing in English, with no restriction on style or theme."

An entry fee of €10, or €5 for subscribers to Books Ireland or members of a creative writing group applies. The closing date for entries is 31 August, 2016.

Full details on how to enter are available from the website of Books Ireland where you can also view the results of last year's competition and read the winning entries.