TWO LAUNCHES FOR JOYRIDE TO JUPITER

DUBLIN:

GALWAY: New Island Books  requests the pleasure of your company to celebrate the Galway launch of  Joyride to Jupiter  by Nuala O'Connor   on Friday, June 16th at 7.00pm, in the Rosie McGurran Gallery and Studio, Roundstone, Galway. Guest speaker: Artist Gavin Lavelle  Please email info@newisland.ie or call 01 – 2784225 to RSVP. Praise for Nuala O'Connor ‘These stories - from a writer of immense talent - are a joy to read.' – Sinéad Gleeson 'A gifted and ambitious artist.' – Mike McCormack ‘Nuala O’Connor’s luminous prose has long been one of Ireland’s most treasured literary secrets’ – Dermot Bolger A heartbroken man deals with his wife’s Alzheimer’s as best he can. The Jesus of O’Connell Street reflects on his situation, which isn’t half bad. A too-young girl witnesses her father’s shocking infidelity. A quiet murder on a riverbank. Imperfect lovers and unlikely friends thwart and bolster each other as they act out their dramas on the beaches of Brazil, in the bedrooms of Dublin, and in the wilds of North America. With prose both lyrical and profound, the award-winning Nuala O’Connor writes of maternal love and cross-generational friendship but here, also, are stories of ageing, suicide, and the buoyancy of new love. In these urgent, humane stories of ill-advised couplings, loneliness and burgeoning hope, we find O’Connor’s trademark humour and sensuality, and the quest for longed-for truths. A truly stunning collection by one of Ireland’s finest writers.

Nuala O’Connor (AKA Nuala Ní Chonchúir) was born in Dublin and lives in East Galway. A novelist, short story writer and poet, she is the author of three novels, including Miss Emily(Penguin USA/Canada, Sandstone (UK)), about the poet Emily Dickinson and her Irish maid, five short story collections, and four collections of poetry. Miss Emily was shortlisted for the Novel of the Year award at the 2015 Irish Book Awards, and longlisted for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award. Nuala’s fourth novel, Becoming Belle, is published in 2018.

BEYOND THE CENTRE - BELFAST LAUNCH

Beyond the Centre is an anthology of essays written by Irish writers to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writers' Centre. The book is edited by Declan Meade, publisher and editor with The Stinging Fly press and lit mag. You can order it now from New Island books at €16.95.

I have an essay in it called 'Luck and Storms' and will read from it at the Belfast launch of the anthology in the Crescent Arts Centre on the 16th November at 7pm, alongside my lovely former college lecturer Alan Titley, as well as Martina Devlin and Jack Harte. Carlo Gébler will launch the book. More here.

Here's the description of the book from New Island's website:

What is it to be a writer? What are the struggles, the joys,

the moments of hardship and ones of brilliance?

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writers Centre, Beyond the Centre: Writers in their own Words is a landmark anthology of essays by some of Ireland’s foremost contemporary writers, specially commissioned and edited by Declan Meade, publisher of The Stinging Fly.

By turns provocative, poignant, and practical, these candid accounts touch on various themes such as the craft of writing, the Irish literary scene through the decades, the struggle to make a living, and other snapshots of the writing experience. And controversy is never far from the surface – social class, diversity, gender, exclusion, nationalism, eremitism and ego all make spiky, colourful appearances.

Diverse and engaging, many pieces are also deeply personal, with honest and humorous anecdotes, offering an uncommon and revealing look into the lives and perspectives of contemporary Irish writers.
Here are their successes as well as their setbacks; the trials and the triumphs; the demands and rewards that writing affords. Beyond the Centre reveals the dedication and courage that define the writing life.

With essays by:
Kevin Barry, Pat Boran, Evelyn Conlon, Sarah Clancy, Dominique Cleary, Martina Devlin, Rob Doyle, Anne Enright, Mia Gallagher, Jack Harte, Anne Haverty, Lia Mills, Catherine Phil MacCarthy, Thomas McCarthy, Lisa McInerney, Belinda McKeon, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Joseph O’Connor, Mary O’Donnell, Mary O’Malley, Sean O’Reilly, Ian Sansom, Peter Sirr, Gerard Smyth, Alan Titley

Declan Meade is the founding editor and publisher of The Stinging Fly magazine and commissioned this collection of essays as part of the Irish Writers Centre’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

The Irish Writers Centre has long been a hub of literary activity, supporting established and aspiring writers throughout Ireland from its base in 19 Parnell Square, Dublin.
www.irishwriterscentre.ie

MISS EMILY LAUNCH - PICS

Giving thanks

The launch for Miss Emily in The Gutter Bookshop in Dublin was a great success on Friday night. So many lovely friends, family, writers and well-wishers came out. I was really touched and honoured by the sheer volume of people. Even my goes-nowhere eldest son came - score! Thank you, all, lovely, lovely people.

Monica McInerney who gave such a wonderful launch speech for the book

Myself and writer Mary O'Donnell

Deirdre O Neill, my original editor at New Island, and me

Writers Sara Mullen, Patrick Chapman and me

Signing the book for writer Patricia O'Reilly,
with IWC Director, Valerie Bistany

Our gorgeous Cúán - I was thrilled he came along

We had Emily's Coconut Cake and Gingerbread, made by myself and my cousin, Clodagh O'Connor. Wine and Miss Emily bookmarks, thanks to my publisher Sandstone Press. 

Bob Johnston of the Gutter Bookshop - a brilliant spot - gave
us a huge, warm wecome as always

Some of the crowd

Karen O'Neill, who took most of the pics, et moi

Juno McLoughlin, with the books

Gráinne Fox, my agent, and me at after-drinks in The Stag's Head

I had meant to read out the following Emily Dickinson poem when I gave my shpake, but in my nervousness I forgot. It featured on my tights from Coline:

I gave myself to Him—

And took Himself, for Pay,

The solemn contract of a Life

Was ratified, this way—

                   

The Wealth might disappoint—

Myself a poorer prove

Than this great Purchaser suspect,

The Daily Own—of Love

Depreciate the Vision—

But till the Merchant buy—

Still Fable—in the Isles of Spice—

The subtle Cargoes—lie—

At least—'tis Mutual—Risk—

Some—found it—Mutual Gain—

Sweet Debt of Life—Each Night to owe—

Insolvent—every Noon—

The Emily Dickinson tights

LAUNCH PICS FROM THE GUTTER

The launch went wonderfully well on Tuesday night - I am only now back at my desk. Huge thanks to Bob and the team at The Gutter Book Shop, all at New Island Books, Gráinne Killeeen of Killeen PR, Sinéad Gleeson for the blush-inducing intro and to Karen O'Neill for the photos. It was a great night, jammed with family, friends, writer-friends and a dog, who yelped right on cue when I said we would be adjourning to the Parlour Bar in The Stag's Head after the launch. Whisky and wine were drank, Kendal Mint Cake and shortbread were eaten, chats were had. A lovely evening. Here are some pics.

Flowers & a card from hubby - aw!

Me with my posing smile and the book

Scotch - I had fun collecting the shot glasses in charity shops here and in Scotland, and on ebay & my beloved Etsy

Kendal Mint Cake features in the novel, as does the paperweight this bar is propped against

Shortbread, mint cake and Scotch - mmmm!

Signing! (There was a lot of that.)

Mariel Deegan of New Island Books, freelance super-editor Deirdre O'Neill, Finbar McLoughlin

Bob Johnston of The Gutter Book Shop (fresh off the plane from Paris!)

Sinéad Gleeson and me, listening to Eoin Purcell

The incomparable Sinéad Gleeson

Me with a pure O'Connor expression on my face

Some of the crowd, writers Mary O'Donnell & Lia Mills visible, also journalists Cathy Dillon & Sue Leonard

My son, Finn, and me

Writer Mia Gallagher (if you haven't read her novel *Hellfire*, please do - fab)

Writer Kathleen Murray

Me, my Da - Hugh O'Connor - & my brother-in-law, Alan Kerrigan

Gráinne Killeen of Killeen PR

Bob Johnston, superhost

Joan Murphy, photographer Karen O'Neill et moi in The Stag's Head

The beautiful writer Dimitra X

Writers Monica McInerney and Maighréad Medbh in the signing queue

View from my hotel room - the lovely Liffey

NOVEL LAUNCH & INTERVIEW

Launch tonight! In honour of the day I am interviewed by writer Lia Mills on her blog Libran Writer.

BOOK TRAILER FOR *THE CLOSET OF SAVAGE MEMENTOS*

My launch is tomorrow for The Closet of Savage Mementos. Ahead of it, I made a little book trailer for the book which is now available to buy online from Kennys Bookshop and from Charlie Byrne's. It will be in a shop near you by the end of this week. Or you can buy it at the launch! All welcome tomorrow in The Gutter, Temple Bar, Dublin at 6.30pm, where arts journalist Sinéad Gleeson will do the launching honours. And we will have wine, shortbread, whisky and Kendal Mint Cake. Hope to see you there!

SNEAK PREVIEW FOR TONIGHT'S GROUP 8 OPENING

Group 8 launch their fifth annual exhibition of art and writing, After Garbally, TONIGHT Friday the 14th March at 7pm in The Regency Room in Hayden’s Hotel, Ballinasloe. The exhibition continues until the 17th of March, daily from 11am to 6pm, including Saint Patrick’s Day.

Fr Dan O'Donovan of Garbally will open the exhibition tonight and all are welcome to enjoy wine, food, art, readings, and music from Johnny Johnston and Liam Loughrey.

We set up the exhib yesterday so here are a few preview pics. See you at 7pm!

Joyce Little preparing her blackboards for her installation

Tommy Campbell, up a ladder as usual

Walter Coughlan figuring out how best to hang his ceramics

Detail from Joyce Litte's school-themed installation

Group cake break: it was Tommy's birthday yesterday

Brendan Grealy and Úna Spain, contemplating walls

John Soden and Grellan Ganly, taking a break

Tommy hanging John's work