NEWS FROM THE BLOG

On the 28th March last, Imagine Belfast hosted an event curated by Viviana Fiorentino of Letters With Wings. The evening was dedicated to the women artists Chimengul Awut and Nûdem Durak. Dedicated, in fact, to all those activists who use the arts to highlight the struggle for freedom from oppression that we see unfolding every […]

In 2018, the San Patrizio Livorno Festival had its modest debut in the Ex-Cinema Aurora during St Patrick’s weekend. Since then, it has grown in stature to be a significant event in Italy’s literary calendar. In 2019, the Festival hosted an interview with John Banville, a major figure in European literature, and Marco Vichi, the […]

‘August Is a Wicked Month’ according to Edna O’Brien. And September, which has just begun, should be called the Busy Month. Before the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, September used to be the seventh month of the year. Now, of course, it’s the ninth, and among its many tasks is to signal for us the […]

Well, what a month February has been – and it’s not quite over yet.It started with a significant birthday: the one that means I’ve only one more year to go before the bus pass… Thank you to everyone who sent such lovely greetings. It was indeed a great day, followed by another great day on […]

Today’s date tells me that there are exactly two months to go to the launch of the San Patrizio Livorno Festival in March 2019.

My thanks to Niamh Boyce, whose poetry collection ‘Inside the Wolf’, is the subject of this final post for 2018. Happy Christmas to all – and more than anything, happy reading.

On Friday, 16th November, the always excellent Dublin Book Festival held a standing-room-only event at the National Library. It was further proof, if such were needed, of Ireland’s ongoing love-affair with the short story.

I am delighted to welcome Martina Devlin to my website, to celebrate the publication of her latest work of fiction ‘Truth & Dare’.

Last Tuesday, 18th September, Arlen House launched three new books at the Irish Writers’ Centre. I was invited to send these new creations out into the world, and what a pleasurable task it was.

The window of the room where I write gives directly onto the narrow street outside. I like the comfort of seeing people walk past. It feels companionable, neighbourly.