The Stinging Fly Fiction Workshop

                           











“It’s the best writing course I've done, and I've done a few, including a Masters. The group worked because of the quality of the criticism and there were no door-size egos. Without doubt everybody's work improved during the course and the work was good to start with. The one-to-one sessions were instrumental and in-depth. The guest speakers were unholy and brilliant. The course is definitely a leg up (or a kick in the arse) on the finicky road to completing the first novel.”

“What is outstanding about this course is the generosity, both in terms of time and close attention, with which every submission was discussed by Sean and the rest of the group. Sean’s instincts were unerring, his suggestions helpful, and the energy with which he engaged with each novel was remarkable. An atmosphere was soon established in which as much could be learned by critically engaging with the work of every other member as from feedback on one’s own work.“
—feedback from participants of the New Way to Fly Novel-Writing Workshop

Are you in the early stages of writing a novel or short-story collection?
If so, we are looking for people like you to participate in The Stinging Fly Fiction Workshop offered in association with the Irish Writers' Centre.
The workshop, led by acclaimed novelist and short story-writer Sean O'Reilly, will consist of no more than 10 writers and will meet once a week over a six-month period (October 2014—March 2015).  Whereas in the past, this workshop has only been open to those writing novels, we are now inviting short-story writers into the fray.

HOW IT GOES
At each evening workshop, two participants will present their work in progress (a draft of a short story or novel excerpt) to the rest of the group for close scrutiny. The writing up for discussion each week is the raw material; any questions of writing technique or prose style will arise naturally from the work itself. If you are writing a novel or story collection, you will have ten close readers to respond to every stage of its development.
Alongside the weekly workshops, on four Saturdays during the period, there will be a series of specialist talks on issues around the process of writing and the imagination. Previous guest speakers have included Evelyn Conlon, Mia Gallagher, Michael Harding, Dermot Healy, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Declan Hughes, Paul Murray, Mark O’Halloran, Keith Ridgway and Peter Sheridan.
Over the duration, each participant will also have two one-on-one sessions with Sean.

DATES, TIMES, COSTS
Starts: Monday September 28th 2014 (introductory session)
Times:  Twenty weekly workshops on Monday evenings from 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Four Saturday sessions (dates/times/speakers TBC)
Venue: The Irish Writers’ Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Cost of workshop: €1500/€1450 IWC members (A €200 deposit will be payable once a place on the workshop has been offered and accepted. The balance can be paid in two instalments in September 2014 and in January 2015.) The cost of the course includes free membership of the Irish Writers' Centre and current members receive a €50 discount.
Workshop fee also includes free admission to one Publishing Day seminar at the Irish Writers’ Centre during 2015.

APPLYING
We are taking applications now and places will be offered on the basis of work submitted. The final date to apply is August 8th — but we will assess applications as we receive them and we encourage people to apply early in order to secure a place.
See the attached PDF for more detailed information.


Sean O’Reilly’s published work includes Curfew and Other Stories, the novels Love and Sleep and The Swing of Things (all with Faber and Faber), and Watermark (with The Stinging Fly Press). O’Reilly has a wealth of experience facilitating fiction workshops, as Writer-in-Residence with Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council and IADT/Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council amongst others. He currently teaches at the American College Dublin and in the Irish Writers’ Centre.