An Unconsidered People: 2021

Twenty years ago, I travelled back and forth to Kilburn and Cricklewood, in order to meet the Irish who had settled there during the economically dark decade of the 1950s.

The ‘Stella d’Italia’ knighthood

Early in 2021, I received a lovely – and most unexpected – piece of correspondence. It came from His Excellency, the Italian Ambassador to Ireland, Paolo Serpi. He wanted to tell me that I had [...]

Imagine Belfast – Letters With Wings

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. [...]

Course in creative writing in English, in Verona

I’m very much looking forward to facilitating a course in creative writing in Verona in February of this year. The course will take place over two days, all day Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the [...]

‘Forgotten’ at the Red Line Festival, Friday 13th October 2017

It’s strange the way ideas come into a writer’s head: often at the oddest times and in the most unexpected places. In creative writing workshops, aspiring writers often ask for tips about finding [...]

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