CORK SHORT STORY FEST WORKSHOPS

The Cork Short Story Festival (CISS) has some exciting looking workshops coming up in September: Flash/prose poetry with Dave Lordan, Short Stories for Beginners with Jon Boilard, Photography with John Minihan and a Fiction Masterclass with Michele Roberts.

When: 18 - 21 September daily, 9.30am - 12.30pm

Where: Venues TBA, with most being no more than a 10 minute walk from the readings venue, Triskel-Christchurch in South Main Street. The exception is Alannah Hopkin's workshop on 'The Uncanny: Horror and Ghost Stories' which takes place at University College Cork - a fifteen minute walk to Triskel, Christchurch, or a 5 minute bus ride.

Fee: Prices vary. Please see individual class descriptions for more information.

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Speaking of CISS, I didn't get a chance to blog about David Constantine's winning the Frank O'Connor Award with Tea at the Midlands - anyway, delighted for him! And for his publisher, Comma Press.

FRANK O'CONNOR AWARD LONGLIST 2013

There is a 75 strong list of books on the Frank O'Connor longlist this year including books by David Constantine, Junot Diaz, Molly Ringwald (yes, that Molly), former winner Ron Rash; Irish hopefuls include Mike McCormack, Emma Donoghue and Alan McMonagle.

The jury is comprised of Cathy Galvin (founder of the Sunday Times S/S Award), non-voting chairman Patrick Cotter, writer John F. Deane and editor Brigid Hughes.

A shortlist of up to six books will be selected in late May and the winner publicly announced in July. The award will be presented at the culmination of the Cork International Short Story Festival in September. 

FRANK O'CONNOR SHORTLIST 2012

Kevin Barry is the only Irish nominee on the shortlist for the 2012 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the world’s biggest prize for a collection of stories. What a year he's having!

Congrats to all of the six-strong list which is nicely international with collections from Americans Nathan Englander and Lucia Perillo, Israeli Etgar Keret, New Zealander Fiona Kidman and British writer Sarah Hall. Nathan Englander is effectively on the list twice as he translated Keret’s book; he and Keret will split the prize money if the book wins. Perhaps they'll do a nice two-hander at the festival if that happens. That would be cool. Etgar K gave a good reading and interview the last time he was shortlisted for the award.

The winner of the award of €25,000, organised by the Munster Literature Centre and funded by Cork City Council, will be announced on July 5th and the prize will be presented at the Cork International Short Story Festival in September. The judges are poet James Harpur, Irish novelist Mary Leland and festival organiser Ann Luttrell.

FRANK O'CONNOR 2012 LONGLIST

The longlist for the 2012 Frank O'Connor Award has been released. My forthcoming collection Mother America (New Island, May 2012) is on it. To be fair any book that qualifies and is sent in by the publisher is on it, so it's not an achievement as such, but it's still nice :) This is my fourth time to be longlisted. It would be beyond fab to make the shortlist but, jaypers, look who else is on it: Joyce Carol Oates! Don DeLillo! Caitlin Horrocks is not on it, so that's a shame.

There are eight Irish books on this year's longlist (a record surely?). Maybe this points to a renewed interest from publishers in the short story form? The other Irish on the longlist are Órfhlaith Foyle, Mary Costello, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Eileen Casey, Jim Mullarkey, James Martyn Joyce and AN Other who is not on the list below...there are two authors with short story collections newly published who spring to mind, one of whom has clearly been accidentally ommitted and the other one's publisher clearly didn't send in the book. Or, maybe the eighth Irish person is neither of those two and is published abroad and is being classified on the longlist as being from that country? And I just don't recognise the name. Hmm.

In these recessionary times the purse has been reduced to €25,000 - but this is still the world's largest short story collection prize money. All credit to the stalwart efforts of those in the Munster Literature Centre. Patrick Cotter and his team do excellent work.

The shortlist will be announced in June and the winner in July. The winner will appear at the Cork Intl Short Story Festival in September. (Where there are lots of great classes which I will post on anon.)

The 2012 Longlist

Steve Almond, God Bless America, Lookout Books, USA
A. J. Ashworth, Somewhere Else, or Even Here, Salt Publishing, UK
Diane Awerbuck, Cabin Fever, Umuzi, South Africa
Lou Beach, 420 Characters, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, USA
Frank Bill, Crimes in Southern Indiana, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, USA
Will Boast, Power Ballads, University of Iowa Press, USA
Greg Bottoms, Swallowing the Past, Texas Review Press, USA
Laura Boudreau, Suitable Precautions, Biblioasis, Canada
Shannon Cain, The Necessity of Certain Behaviors, University of Pittsburgh Press, USA
Neil Campbell, Pictures from Hopper, Salt Publishing, UK
Eileen Casey, Snow Shoes, Arlen House, Ireland
O Thiam Chin, The Rest of Your Life and Everything That Comes With It, ZI Publications, Singapore
Charles Christian, This is the Quickest Way Down, Proxima, UK
Dave Chua, The Beating, Ethos Books, Singapore
K. L. Cook, Love Songs for the Quarantined, Willow Springs Editions, USA
Mary Costello, The China Factory, The Stinging Fly Press, Ireland
Eugene Cross, Fires of Our Choosing, Dzanc Books, USA
Don DeLillo, The Angel Esmeralda, Picador, USA
Stanley Donwood, Household Worms, Tangent Books, UK
Catherine Eisner, Listen Close to Me, Salt Publishing, UK
Nathan Englander, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Alfred A. Knopf, USA
Matthew Firth, Shag Carpet Action, Anvil Press, Canada
Órfhlaith Foyle, Somewhere in Minnesota, Arlen House, Ireland
Matthew Francis, Singing a Man to Death, Cinnamon Press, UK
David Galef, My Date With Neanderthal Woman, Dzanc Books, USA
Dagoberto Gilb, Before the End, After the Beginning, Grove Press, USA
Namita Gokhale, The Habit of Love, Penguin Group, India
Lorna Goodison, By Love Possessed, HarperCollins Publishers, Jamaica
Daniel Griffin, Stopping for Strangers, Véhicule Press, Canada
Tessa Hadley, Married Love, Jonathan Cape, UK
Sarah Hall, The Beautiful Indifference, Faber and Faber, UK
Hanjum Hasan, Difficult Pleasures, Penguin Group, India
Tania Hershman, My Mother Was an Upright Piano, Tangent Books, UK
Keith Jardim, Near Open Water, Peepal Tree Press, USA
James Martyn Joyce, What’s not Said, Arlen House, Ireland
Suzanne Kamata, The Beautiful One Has Come, Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing, USA
Jackie Kay, Reality, Reality, Picador, UK
Etgar Keret, Suddenly, a Knock in the Door, Chatto & Windus, Israel
Fiona Kidman, The Trouble With Fire, Random House, New Zealand
Zoe Lambert, The War Tour, Comma Press, UK
Krys Lee, Drifting House, Faber and Faber, USA – South Korea
Adam Levin, Hot Pink, McSweeney’s, USA
Peter Markus, We Make Mud, Dzanc Books, USA
Rowena Mcdonald, Smoked Meat, Flambard Press, UK
Jon McGregor, This Isn’t the Sort of Thing That Happens to Someone Like You, Bloomsbury, UK
K. R. Meera, Yellow Is the Colour of Longing, Penguin Group, India
Ana Menendez, Adios, Happy Homeland!, Grove Press, USA
Clemens Meyer, All the Lights, And Other Stories, Germany
Kevin Moffett, Further Interpretations of Real-Life Events, HarperCollins Publishers, USA
Jim Mullarkey, And, Doire Press, Ireland
Sabina Murray, Tales of the New World, Grove Press, Australia
Stuart Nadler, The Book of Life, Picador, USA
Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Mother America, New Island, Ireland
Éllis Ní Dhuibne, Shelter of Neighbours, Blackstaff Press, Ireland
Joyce Carol Oates, The Corn Maiden, Grove Press, USA
Rajesh Parameswaran, I Am an Executioner, Bloomsbury, USA
Cassandra Parkin, New World Fairy Tales, Salt Publishing, UK
Lucia Perillo, Happiness Is a Chemical in the Brain, W. W. Norton & Company, USA
Dave Pescod, All Embracing, Route, UK
Alice Petersen, All the Voices Cry, Biblioasis, Canada
Stephanie Powell Watts, We Are Taking Only What We Need, BkMk Press, USA
Wayne Price, Furnace, Freight Books, UK
Stephanie Reents, The Kissing List, Hogarth, USA
Rebecca Rosenblum, The Big Dream, Biblioasis, Canada
Pamela Ryder, A Tendency to Be Gone, Dzanc Books, USA
Nathalie Serber, Shout Her Lovely Name, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, USA
Johanna Skibsrud, This Will Be Difficult to Explain, W. W. Norton & Company/ Hamish Hamilton, Canada
Yasuko Thanh, Floating Like the Dead, McClelland & Stewart, Canada
Lysley Tenorio, Monstress, HarperCollins Publisher, USA-Philippines
Laura Maylene Walter, Living Arrangements, BkMk Press, USA
Diane Williams, Vicky Swanky Is a Beauty, McSweeney’s, USA
D. W. Wilson, Once You Break a Knuckle, Bloomsbury/ Hamish Hamilton, Canada
Lucy Wood, Diving Belles, Bloomsbury, UK
Barbara Unković, Moon Walking, Old Line Publishing, Croatia
Dina Zaman, King of the Sea, Silverfish Books, Malaysia

Breakdown by Nationality:

Australia 1
Canada 8
Croatia 1
Germany 1
India 3
Ireland 8
Israel 1
Jamaica 1
Malaysia 1
New Zealand 1
Singapore 2
South Africa 1
UK 17
USA 28
USA – Philippines 1
USA – South Korea 1

FRANK O'CONNOR FEST BECOMES CORK INTL S/STORY FEST

Frank O'Connor Award shortlistee, Valerie Trueblood

The Frank O'Connor Festival has been re-named The Cork International Short Story Festival. This is the 12th year of the festival and it's in my top two - maybe even my top one - of lit fests.

They have a new website here and the programme for the festival is now up. Two friends of mine are reading at it, Órfhlaith Foyle and Kathleen Murray, along with a host of literary stars including Colm Tóibín and Edna O'Brien. English writer Clare Wigfall will give a four day masterclass. I am looking forward to meeting in person San Francisco-based Irish writer Ethel Rohan who I only know virtually so far. Ethel reads on the Friday with the lovely Alison MacLeod.

I am conducting a public interview with American writer and shortlistee for the Frank O'Connor Award, Valerie Trueblood, on the Friday at 3pm in The Ballroom of the Metropole Hotel. She is a wonderful writer and a lovely woman, so it is my honour and pleasure and I can't wait!

FRANK O'CONNOR FESTIVAL 2010

The Munster Literature Centre's outstanding Frank O'Connor Festival starts on Wednesday. I've been going every year for the last 6 years and it is always a highlight of my literary year. A whole bunch of short story lovers and practitioners come together to talk, to read, to debate, and to eat 'n' drink.

I have the privilege on Saturday of introducing Tess Gallagher and Beverly Parayno (Beverly will be interviewing Tess) and, later, Tess Gallagher and Ita Daly's readings. Tess is an American author and essayist - Raymond Carver was her husband at the time of his death. Ita is originally from Leitrim; her short stories have appeared in, among other places, the Penguin Book of Irish Short Stories. Her collection, The Lady with the Red Shoes, was published by Poolbeg Press in 1980. She has won the Hennessy Award and the Irish Times Short Story Competition.

The Faber single volume edition of Claire Keegan's masterful story 'Foster' will be launched on Wednesday night at the start of the festival. The festival will end with the presentation of the €35,000 Frank O'Connor Award for a short story collection.

The award shortlist and the whole festival programme is available to view here.

FRANK O'CONNOR FESTIVAL

Frank O'Connor was born this day in 1903.

Tonight the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival kicks off in Cork with the launch of The Stinging Fly's latest anthology at Triskel Arts Centre at 7pm. Followed by a reading by 2005 Frank O'Connor Award winner, Yiyun Li.

I'll be at the festival for the next five days, so I will report on it when I'm back next week. Until then, slán go fóill!

FRANK O'CONNOR FESTIVAL 2008

Below is the vast line up for this year's Frank O'Connor Short Story Festival in the true home of the Irish short story, Cork. Many events are free, so there is no excuse for penniless writers. With workshops, readings and panel discussions there is soemthing to tickle everyone. Go, learn, have fun!

Wednesday 17th September

Opening Reception and launch of Stinging Fly Press anthology 'Let's Be Alone Together'

Refreshments and readings.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Free.

Yiyun Li- Reading and Interview

Beijing-born Yiyun Li, 2005 winner of the inaugural Frank O’Connor International
Short Story Award, makes her first appearance in Cork.
Venue:Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

Thursday 18th September

What does an editor want? - Reading and Discussion

Jon Boilard, Vincent McDonnell & Nuala Ní Chonchúir, three fiction editors of Southword and former judges of the Sean O’Faolain Short Story Competition each will read a story of their own, then discuss the experience of assessing manuscript submissions, talk about what they were looking for and how the editorial experience has shaped how they now view their own work.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free

Ian Wild & Clare Wigfall - A Reading

A reading by two young exiled British short story writers, County Cork-based Ian Wild who has also written for radio and the stage and published a collection of poems and Berlin-based Clare Wigfall who has just won the BBC National Short Story Prize.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

William Wall & Adam Marek - A Reading

A reading by distinguished Cork-based novelist and man of letters William Wall, joined on this occasion by young British short story writer Adam Marek who has just published his first collection.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

Friday 19th September

Flash Fiction Workshop

Southword fiction editor Nuala Ní Chonchúir presents a how-to session on Flash Fiction -the micro short fiction form sometimes called short-shorts or sudden fiction.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am - 12pm.
Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals. Phone 021-4312955 to book.

Southword Showcase - A Reading

Southword is establishing itself as a journal which publishes great short fiction by complete unknowns as well as international stars such as Colm Toibín, Haruki Murakami and James Lasdun. On this occasion we would like to feature three writers who have featured in Southword and have not yet published a book of short fiction in English. Julian Campredon, Tania Hershman and Denise O’Keefe.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free.

Rachel Trezise & Mary O’Donnell - A Reading

Young Welsh iconoclast Rachel Trezise reads with Co. Kildare-based poet, novelist and broadcaster Mary O’Donnell. Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Free for Culture Night!

Mary Leland & Wena Poon - A Reading

Cork-based novelist Mary Leland shares the stage with San Francisco-based Wena Poon, originally from Singapore reading from her first collection of stories.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Free for Culture Night!

Saturday 20th September

Starting Short Stories - A Workshop

An introduction to writing Short Stories given by Jon Boilard, former fiction editor of Southword and winner of the Sean O’Faolain Short Story Prize.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am -12pm. Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals.
Phone 021-4312955 to book.

Don’t Drone On - a Workshop on Reading the Short Story Aloud

The days when you could get a on a stage and read aloud a poem or story in a soporific monotone are passed. Simon Robson gives you pointers on how to improve your performance and develop a reputation where festival and reading curators can’t resist including you on their programmes.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am -12pm. Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals.
Phone 021-4312955 to book.

Who has won the Seán O’Faoláin Prize?

The announcement and reading of the winning short story of the €1500 2008 Sean O’Faolain Short Story Prize.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre ,Tobin Street. Time: 12.30pm. Admission: Free.

The State of the Art - a Discussion

Chaired by Rosalind Porter Senior Editor at Granta and including the participation of Stinging Fly editor Declan Meade, Jen Hamilton-Emery, commissioning editor at Salt, Seamus Hosey RTE Radio producer and organiser of the Francis McManus Awards and Lucy Luck, literary agent.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free.

Salt no Vinegar Please: Carys Davies & Vanessa Gebbie - A Reading

Readings by two of the eight Salt authors longlisted for the Frank O’Connor Award this year. Salt is now
the world’s most prolific publisher of short story collections and we are delighted to be able to showcase both the publisher and their authors Carys Davies and Vanessa Gebbie.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 4.30pm. Admission: Free.

Alison McLeod and Simon Robson - A Reading

British-based Canadian novelist Alison McLeod and actor, playwright and fiction writer Simon Robson
read from their very different flavoured works.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

Julie Orringer and Bernard MacLaverty - A Reading

Erstwhile San Francisco resident Julie Orringer reads from her massively admired debut collection, followed
by one of the Irish giants of the short story form Bernard MacLaverty.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

Sunday 21st September

Presentation of the 2008 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award

Jhumpa Lahiri, this year’s O’Connor laureate will read from her winning book and conduct a public interview with Irish Times Literary Critic Eileen Battersby.
Venue: Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall. Time: 7.30pm. Admission: Free. Refreshments will be served.