Short Story of the Year longlist

I am very happy that one of my stories has made the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year longlist. More here. Crossing fingers for shortlist luck, now.

If my story does make the shortlist, there will be public voting anon, so I'll be counting on you, my ONE reader, to vote ;) And there'd be a lovely night out at the Irish Book Awards to boot. Glamour!!

Come on, Jupiter, arrange that joyride!!

BEAUTIFUL STROKESTOWN

Strokestown, and the Women in Literature Event, was so beautiful in so many ways: that gorgeous Georgian town (sadly now like so many Irish towns a shadow of its former lively self); the house itself; the famine museum; the conference and its many speakers - Christine Kinealy, Marita Conlon-McKenna, Jessamine O'Connor, Luke Gibbons et cetera. The fresh food in the Strokestown Park cafe! The sambuca...(enough said.)

Thanks to Jason King of the Irish Heritage Trust for the opportunity to take part. I fell in love with the place and am going back with my husb and youngest at Christmas for their Victorian Experience.

A few pics to give a flavour of the event and surrounds:

Jessamine

Luke

View behind the house

In through the window

Town doorway

Marita

Christine

Orla, chairperson of Roscommon Co Co, gave a rousing, feminist speech

Famine museum