*OF DUBLIN & OTHER FICTIONS* REVIEW

My chapbook of flash, Of Dublin and Other Fictions, has been reviewed by Peter Blair in Flash, the International Short-short Story Magazine. Click and zoom to read.

Wales Arts Review reviews *Of Dublin and Other Fictions*

The Wales Arts Review has a fab review of Of Dublin and Other Fictions in their new issue. Big thanks to reviewer John Lavin. '...what is so extremely impressive about Ní Chonchúir’s use of the flash fiction form is that, time and time again, she uses it to deliver the same epiphanic punch that can be found in the best of her short stories and poems.' The rest is here.

PICS FROM ARLEN HOUSE/TOWER PRESS LAUNCH

Some pics from last night's Arlen House and Tower Press launch in Dublin. Thanks to all the lovely folk who came along, including my 86 year old aunt, Eta, who is the most positive person in Ireland. She smiled through Maighréad Medhbh's fantastic and provacative orgasm poem, delivered as only Maighréad can. Great stuff! I was raging I had to dash back to Galway afterwards for this morning's school run.

It's been a really odd Friday the 13th: lots of work things suddenly piling up (agent convo, pre-pub stuff for Scotland visits, tears over one aspect of one book, hope over an aspect of another). Life things tripping me up - the fridge I ordered? Turned out the order didn't go through so while I've been waiting.. My head is addled. Anyhow, pics:

Alan Hayes, publisher Arlen House, with books, lovely books, and Jane from Poetry Ireland

Alan McMonagle reading from Psychotic Episodes

Not dancing but yapping

Patrick Chapman reading from The Negative Cutter

Maighréad Medhbh, reciting

Geraldine Mitchell reading from Of Birds and Bones

DUBLIN CHAPBOOK LAUNCH - THURSDAY!

I am delighted to be hosted by Arlen House for the Dublin launch of Of Dublin and Other Fictions. Arlen House are launching four books (two by members of my own writing group, The Peers - Patrick Chapman and Alan McMonagle) and are very generously letting me tag along. The other books are by two women writers I hugely admire: Geraldine Mitchell and Máighréad Medbh. All welcome!

Date: 12th December
Time: 6pm
Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2

LANGUAGE AT AWKWORD, REVIEW AT GEBBIE'S

I have a piece on language and writing at NZ mag Awkword Paper Cut. Michelle Elvy, sailor and writer, asked Robert Vaughan, Tim Heath and myself for our thoughts on language and rhythm. Here.

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The wonderful Vanessa Gebbie has reviewed Of Dublin and Other Fictions on her blog. Blushtastic review. Ta, Vanessa!

VIRTUAL TOUR - STOP #6 - ELIZABETH BAINES HOSTS

Writer Elizabeth Baines hosts me and my little chapbook today at her bloghome in England. We talk research and the surreal.

Elizabeth is one of the hardest working writers I know and I am a huge fan of her writing and also her blogs, which include the incomparable Fiction Bitch.

Interview here.

*OF DUBLIN* LAUNCH WITH ARLEN HOUSE

I am delighted to be hosted by Arlen House for my Dublin launch for Of Dublin and Other Fictions. Arlen House are launching four books (two by members of my own writing group, The Peers - Patrick Chapman and Alan McMonagle) and are very generously letting me tag along. The other books are by two women writers I hugely admire: Geraldine Mitchell and Máighréad Medbh. All welcome!

Date: 12th December
Time: 6pm
Venue: Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2

VIRTUAL TOUR - STOP #5

I am nearly done with all the me, me, me...in the meantime the lovely and talented Dan Powell has interviewed me at his blog home in England about Of Dublin and Other Fictions. We talk points of excitement (in writing) and annoying the shite out of critics. 'Tis here.

And there will be a Dublin launch for the chapbook. 12th December - watch this space!

DAN POWELL REVIEWS *OF DUBLIN*

Writer Dan Powell reviews the chapbook today on his blog: 'Ní Chonchúir...is a writer who is the exact opposite of faint hearted, a writer capable of producing small stories far stronger than, from their size at least, they might appear. It is said that the best things come in small packages. Of Dublin and Other Fictions certainly proves the idiom has truth in it.' Aw :)

VIRTUAL TOUR - *OF DUBLIN* - STOP 3

My virtual tour for the chapbook takes me to San Francisco today for an interview at the blog-home of writer Ethel Rohan. We talk personification, voyeurism and my new novel. See here.

*OF DUBLIN* GALWAY LAUNCH PICS

Thanks to everyone who turned up on Saturday at Tosnú Art Gallery for the launch of Of Dublin and Other Fictions - it was a blast. In nice timing, my piece about the beauty of chapbooks appeared in The Irish Times on Saturday. You can read it here.

Special thanks goes to Group 8 and the gallery for hosting; to Maureen Gallagher for doing such a fine job of launching the chapbook; thanks to the cake and crumble, salad and sandwich makers. Thanks for the cards, the pressies, the flowers. Thanks to my sis Úna for taking pics. And thanks to Lucy for selling the book on the night. Thanks to Tommy who, Jesus-style, produced more wine when all the launch wine was guzzled.

It looks like we'll be doing it all again in Dublin in December...watch this space! In the meantime, a few pics from Saturday's do:

Signing

Writers Tony O'Dwyer, Sara Mullen, Shauna Gilligan and Alan McMonagle

John Dillon and Finn Dillon - with John Walsh of Doire Press lurking behind :)

Writer Maureen Gallagher launching the book

Lyra and Juno enjoying tortilla chips

Nuala and gallery owner, Joyce Little

LAUNCH TONIGHT!!

Group 8 presents the launch of my chapbook of flash fiction from Tower Press, Of Dublin and Other Fictions, by writer Maureen Gallagher.

Saturday 9th November, 6pm, Tosnú Art Gallery, Brackernagh

I will read. Food and wine will be served. The chapbook will be for sale and I will sign.

Facebook event page here.

All welcome - free admission!

VIRTUAL TOUR *OF DUBLIN* - STOP #2

'Lusty, vibrant and irreverent' - review and interview of my new chapbook by/with Wicklow-based writer Alison Wells. Read here.

VIRTUAL TOUR - *OF DUBLIN* - STOP #1

I kick off my virtual tour of lit blogs at Rich Rennicks' A Trip to Ireland site today. Rich is an Irish writer based in North Carolina.

A sampler from the interview: 'People/critics always seem to want all fiction to be the novel, or to aspire to be the novel. This is messed up thinking. We need to accept that short can be good. Short is good! Comparing novels to short fiction is like comparing eggs to bacon. They go well, side by side, but they are not each other.'

Read the interview here and see Rich's review of the chapbook from yesterday here.

Rich says, 'I'm happy to do what I can to spread the word about good Irish writers.' So, if you are an Irish writer with a recent publication contact Rich via his site here.

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Launch is this Saturday, btw. 9th November, 6pm, Tosnú Art Gallery, Brackernagh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Launch speech by writer Maureen Gallagher. Food and wine will be served. The chapbook will be for sale and I will sign. All welcome!

1st REVIEW OF *OF DUBLIN & OTHER FICTIONS*

The first review of Of Dublin and Other Fictions is in, big thanks to Irish ex-pat Rich Rennicks of the A Trip to Ireland blog. Read it here.

COVER FOR MY NEW BOOK

Herewith the cover for my new chapbook of short-short stories/flash, coming from Tower Press, and launching at the American Conference for Irish Studies in San Francisco on Friday the 27th September. Galway and Dublin launches also being planned.

Maria Gasol is the cover artist and publisher Jodi Chilson is the designer. I love the job they did!

BUSY-NESS

 
There is a lot happening in my world these days and I am torn between this, that and the other, busy as busy can be(e). I am having fun reading the stories sent in for my guest editorship of The Stinging Fly. 330 flash stories and 262 longer stories were subbed for the issue so there is a ton of reading to do. There are some absolute gems among the stories - my 'YES' pile is enormous and it is going to be very difficult to trim that down.

I fly out to Delaware in the USA in 10 days or so for a writers' conference run by writer friend Billie Travilini whom I meet at the International Short Story Conference every two years. I have been to lots of cool places in the States and, much as I love NY etc., it is always fascinating to visit smaller, more obscure places like Lewes,a sweet coastal town dubbed 'the first town in the first State'. And it's wonderful to experience these places in the company of other writers.

Other than that I am finishing Novel #3, editing  Novel #2 and prepping for the publication of Of Dublin and Other Fictions - my chapbook of short-shorts/flash that is being published in the USA in September. Cover art has now been secured - I can't wait to reveal it. It is by a Donegal-resident Spanish artist and it is both witty and pretty. The chapbook launch takes place in San Francisco at the American Conference for Irish Studies.

I also had a very productive meeting with the New Island team last week to discuss Novel #2 which will be out next spring. We still haven't locked down the title - I want to use an adapted quote from a poem as the title so I am awaiting permission from Harper Collins in the USA. I got a friendly email from them last week (from an Irish employee!) so I have all fingers crossed that it works out. Again, I hope to reveal the title for that shortly. As the novel is mostly set in Scotland, I have been planning the launch - think whiskey and shortbread and lots of tartan :)

Novel #2 features a paperweight that becomes central to the plot. I own that paperweight and today my friend the photographer Úna Spain is going to photograph it with a view to it being used as cover art for the book. I can't wait to see the images and send them on to New Island to consider.

Also Salt, who published my story collection Nude, have given me permission to digitize the book. I thought it would be a very simple process (it's not really - lots of formatting issues) so my lovely husband has taken over that task and is working on it. Nude for Kindle available very soon! And at a special introductory price.

It's all good.