FIVE DIALS! FIVE DIALS!

 
The first installment of the special Cork issue of Five Dials (Five Dials 25) has just been released. Frank O'Connor's daughter, Liadain O'Donovan, pressed the magic button that sent it flying into our inboxes. Five Dials is an eclectic literary magazine published by Hamish Hamilton and edited by Craig Taylor.

For those of you who don't subscribe a) sort that out, and b) here's the link to Issue 25. Brand new stories in it from Lydia Davis, Mike McCormack, D.W. Wilson, Kevin Barry and me. Poetry from Joe Dunthorne and Patrick Cotter. The issue is free gratis as always.

As a Five Dials fan it is a true thrill for me to feature between its covers. Issue two of the Cork edition will feature stories from Tania Hershman among others. Can't wait :)

CORK RELEASES SHORT STORY LISTS - LONG AND 'SHORT'

 Juno in her short story T-shirt from Literary Threads

It's a day for short story longlists/shortlists. The Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award longlist has been announced, with four Irish writers on it - Ethel Rohan (see previous post!), Colm Tóibín, Galway writer Moya Roddy and Seán Mackel (see my interview with Seán here). Congrats, my fellow Irish folk!

There are also five Salt authors on the list, including my pals Tom Vowler and Vanessa Gebbie. I wish you all shortlist luck.

The Americans dominate as always with twenty six books. Another favourite of mine, former winner Yiyun Li is there again. Shortlist announced in July.

Also released today is the rather long shortlist for the William Trevor-Elizabeth Bowen Short Story Competition 2011 - there are 31 stories on the list, including one from my Peer Group fellow, Alan McMonagle. Go Alan!

Canon Sheehan Short Story Competition

Here is, it seems, a brand new short story competition from the Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival in Cork, with a prize of €1000 for a 2000 word story. €2 a word. Not bad if you can get it. Canon Sheehan was a Cork-born priest who also wrote novels and poetry. (It's always nice to see a new comp with decent prize money. Don't them Corkonians do a lot for the short story?! Fair play to them...)

Conditions of Entry

• The competition is open to people aged 18 or over
• Stories must not be more than 2000 words. The stories may be on any subject
• The story must be fictional
• Entries to be submitted with a fee of 10 Euros. Please do not send cash. Cheques/postal orders to be made out to Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival
• Stories must be typed on A4 paper. No handwritten entries will be accepted
• Entrants may submit only one short story for the competition. Stories must be the original work of the author. Stories must not have been previously published or accepted for future publication elsewhere.
• Copyright of each story will remain with the author but Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival Committee reserve the right to publish the story on their website to highlight the authors work
• All entries must be accompanied by an entry form. The name of the entrant must not appear on the story itself.
• The Judges decision is final.
• Closing date for receipt of applications is June 1^st 2011
• Please forward your entries FAO Diarmuid Hudner, Doneraile Literary & Arts Festival,  Castlesaffron Lodge, Creagh Castle, Doneraile Co. Cork. For further information please contact Diarmuid Hudner, Festival Committee Chairman : email hudnerdiarmuid@gmail.com
• Entry form here.