A TRIO OF SEPTEMBER GIGS

Writer Paul Kingsnorth - I will interview him at Shorelines in Portumna

I have three gigs this month, which is fun after a quiet August on that front. I am busily doing rewrites on novel #4 but it's always nice to get away from the desk and meet real, actual people.

CORK SHORT STORY FESTIVAL
Sat. 10th September, 2.45pm, Firkin Crane Theatre, Cork

I am taking part in a panel on the author-editor relationship chaired by Patrick Cotter, with Declan Meade, Danielle McLaughlin and Sara Majke.

CASHEL ARTS FESTIVAL - CULTURE NIGHT
Fri. 16th September, 7.30pm, Cashel Library, Cashel

I will read from my novel Miss Emily - a free event but booking is advised.

SHORELINES ARTS FESTIVAL
Sunday, 18th September, 3.30pm, Christ Church, Portumna

I will be in conversation with author Paul Kingsnorth whose latest, intriguing novel Beast is published by Faber.

WALES ARTS REVIEW & WEXFORD GIG

John Lavin of the Wales Arts Review was in Cork in September at the Cork International Short Story Festival. As an afterword to the festival he interviewed some of the writers who took part for the current issue: Colin Barrett, Paul McVeigh, Valerie Sirr, Matt Rader, Órfhlaith Foyle and myself. More here. John also wrote about his own impressions of the festival, including the Richard Ford brouhaha, and you can read them here.

And, Wexfordians! I'll be reading in the library this Saturday, 3pm, from my latest novel. Free, but book: 053 919 6759. They made a sticky-together image:

ALEX FAGE - WRITER SKETCHES

Here are sketches from Alex Fage, of some of the writers who took part in the Cork International Short Story Festival this year. Check out his blog here. Alison MacLeod is top left. That's Sara Baume with the blunt fringe, middle far-right. (Sara is interviewed on the Dublin Book Festival site ahead of her appearance in November.) I'm top right, looking (welcomingly) slim.

CORK AFTERS - PHOTOS

I'm in recovery mode after Cork and the short story festival. My favourite festival of them all. I taught a four day novel course to an enthused group of nine writers; I read and took part in a panel; I heard Richard Ford say the short story was a lesser form (than the novel) - ouch!; I listened to writers read, discuss, argue and laugh into the early hours.

I met lovely Canadian writers (again!) - like my fellow reader Matt Rader and also Lynn Coady, who read brilliantly with the sublime Alison MacLeod. We ate, we drank, we pub-crawled, we talked. It was exhausting and exhilarating, as ever. Kudos and gratefulness to Pat Cotter, Jen Matthews and all at Munster Literature Centre and Triskel for making it so good and for welcoming us all in.

My photos are pretty uniformly rubbish - I didn't bring my camera, for some reason, so it was phone snaps all the way. So, if you are not pictured here, it's because the photo I took of you is terrible. Here are a small few pics of the festival and of spots around Cork itself:

Jaki McCarrick reading at the library

Paul McVeigh reading at Culture Night in Waterstone's

Shane Vaughan reading at Culture Night in Waterstone's

Valerie Sirr reading at the library

Declan Meade introducing Sara Baume, Davy Byrnes 2014 winner, & Danielle McLaughlin, runner-up

Tofu gorgeousness at Café Paradiso

Juno sending a postcard to her brothers

The butter churn obsession continues apace - this one at The Butter Museum

Retro butter packets at The Butter Museum

Juno at The Butter Museum

Kay O'Mahony's, Shandon

Every time I go to Cork, I think, This is really a great place to visit. My top tips for visitors to Cork: eat at the Quay Co-op, the Farmgate Restaurant in the English Market, and Café Paradiso, Visit the Butter Museum and Mutton Lane Inn. Go to the Crawford Gallery and Vibes 'n' Scribes Book Shop. Enjoy, enjoy. I'm already looking forward to next year's Cork Short Story Festival.

CORK SHORT STORY FESTIVAL EVENTS 2014

I'm on the train to Cork, very much looking forward to the next five days at the Cork Intl Short Story Festival (CISS). Unbelievably (to me) this is my tenth consecutive visit to the festival. It is truly the best little literature festival in the world - the hospitality and friendliness are second to none. If you are a short story writer and you have never been, beg or bribe your publisher to get you a spot. If that doesn't work, go anyway. You won't regret it.

I am looking forward to Richard Ford's reading tonight (a festival returnee also - see, even Richard Ford can't stay away!). My friend Órfhlaith Foyle reads tomorrow with Valerie Sirr; the wondrous Rachel Trezise and Alison MacLeod read on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. And for Culture Night there's a Flash Fiction event at Waterstone's. There are lots more events, of course, see here. 

As to my events, I'm teaching a 4-day course in The Novel. I'm also doing a short story reading with Canadian writer Matt Rader on Weds. 17th September at 7pm in Triskel. And on Saturday afternoon I'll be yapping on a panel about long and short forms in fiction with Patrick Chapman and Ladette Randolph, chaired by Jennifer Matthews.

Hope to see some of you there!

CISS WORKSHOPS 2014

The Cork International Short Story Festival workshops are now open for booking here. I am teaching a 4-day session on novel writing; Rachel Trezise is giving a short story masterclass; Jon Boilard is doing a workshop for beginner writers, and Kristiina Ehin will teach a poetry workshop. Something for everyone :)

When: 17th - 20th September daily, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Where: Cork city, venues TBA

Cost: All workshops €180, with the exception of Short Stories for New Writers with Jon Boilard (€150).

Class descriptions and more here.

Cork, New York and San Francisco

I'll say cheerio for a bit. I'm of to Cork, New York and San Francisco. Excitement!

CORK: For the Cork International Short Story Festival, to hear readers such as Angela Bourke and Alistair MacLeod, and to chair a panel on short story anthologies with editors and publishers of four recent anthologies, namely Kevin Barry, Sinéad Gleeson, Micheál Ó Conghaile and Elizabeth Reapy.That's on at 2.30pm in Triskel Christchurch on Saturday.

I may even participate in the Culture Night event - Flash Fiction Rapid Fire - at 9.15pm on Friday night. Also in Triskel.

NEW YORK: To meet my new literary agent and see if she enjoyed the finished novel. Eeek, nervous. And to enjoy New York, of course :)

SAN FRANCISCO: For the first time for the launch of my chapbook of short-short stories, Of Dublin and Other Fictions on Friday the 27th September at the Parc 55 Wyndham, Union Square at 7pm, as part of the American Conference for Irish Studies. I'll read from the book, which is the first publication for publisher Tower Press, run by Idaho-based academic Jodi Chilson. If you are in San Fran, or you know anyone there, all are welcome to come along to the launch.

On Sunday the 29th, I'll be giving a talk on the Irish Short Story at the Irish Literary and Historical Society at 5pm in the United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco.

I'll talk to you all when I am back. Slán go fóill!