THE ANTI-ROOM RETURNS!

The Anti-Room is back and I'm delighted to be a contributor. Woop!

There are now more contributors so it should stay very active. Contributors include Sinéad Gleeson, Fiona McCann, June Caldwell, Anna Carey and Arlene Hunt, among many others. Check in in for all your pop culture/literary/feminist/ranting needs.

ART FROM SHORT FICTION

At the International Short Story conference students from Arkansas are invited to produce art works based on  some of the participating writers short stories. Two years ago Shelby Watkins did a picture from my story The Sea Saw; this time two artists did line drawings based on my flash/short short story Vincent in the Yellow House.

Sadly, I only managed to photograph the one above by Heidi Gilliom. The exhibition was temporary and when I discovered a second artist had done a pic, I was rushing off to a paper. When I got back, the exhibition had been dismantled. Bummer.

Big thanks to Heidi and the other artist for such great images.

PARIS LITERARY PRIZE

I love Paris, I love novellas. These are not unusual things. What is unusual is the new Paris Literary Prize, run by the delicious Shakespeare & Co., which is for a novella by an unpublished author (that is, no book yet) which has a prize of €10,000. Oooooh la la!

Deadline: 1st December

Entry fee: €50 (Eek!)

Les renseignements:

The Paris Literary Prize 2011

Shakespeare and Company, in collaboration with The de Groot Foundation, is pleased to announce the launch of our first literary prize. Shakespeare and Company has a long-standing tradition of opening its doors to aspiring writers and in keeping with that philosophy, the 10,000€ Paris Literary Prize is ONLY open to writers who have not yet published a book. We believe that a prize of this kind can make a difference in launching a new writer’s career.

We have long been admirers of the novella, a genre which includes such classics as The Old Man and the Sea, Animal Farm and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The Paris Literary Prize celebrates this small but perfectly formed genre while giving a unique opportunity to writers whose voice has not yet been heard.
"If a law were passed giving six months to every writer of a first book, only the good ones would do it." Bertrand Russell

Please read the terms and conditions for the Paris Literary Prize below. Happy writing and we look forward to reading your work!

Terms & Conditions – 2011 Paris Literary Prize

The 2011 Paris Literary Prize will be awarded for an unpublished novella (defined by the
Oxford English Dictionary as a short novel, or long story). A submitted novella must be a sustained narrative with a minimum word count of 20,000 and maximum of 30,000. Linked
short stories, and works aimed at children or young adults will not be considered.

The Award

The 2011 Paris Literary Prize award is 10,000€ and a weekend stay in Paris, France. The winner will also read from his or her work at a special event at Shakespeare and Company Bookshop in Paris.

The Paris Literary Prize Runner-up awards:
There will be two runner-up awards. These awardees will receive a weekend stay in Paris and
an opportunity to read from their work at a special event at Shakespeare and Company Bookshop in Paris.

Submissions are accepted on line at www.parisliteraryprize.com beginning 1 August, 2010.

Lots more rules and regs here.

SHORT STORY WORKSHOP - WEST CORK

BANTRY HOUSE photo by Stephen Moran

SHORT STORY WORKSHOP

at WEST CORK LITERARY FESTIVAL

with NUALA NÍ CHONCHÚIR 

€175 FOR 5 DAYS 

9.30am –  12.30pm

Mon. 5^th to Fri. 9^th July 2010 

AT ARDSCOIL PHOBAL, BANTRY, CORK 

Bookings: 027 55987

Or online: www.westcorkliteraryfestival.ie

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:

The workshop will be a structured guide to short fiction writing; topics covered will include character, style, dialogue, 'show don’t tell', setting and language use. Participants will receive handouts and we will workshop stories submitted in advance (up to 3000 words). Nuala will also hand back each participant's full story with feedback notes/suggested edits. There will be discussion on PR, writing competitions, publishing opportunities etc.

HAIKU COMPETITION - International & Irish

The Irish Haiku Society have announced their 2010 competition. Deadline 31st October.

Category A (Irish and International)

The IHS International Haiku Competition offers prizes of Euro 150, Euro 50 and Euro 30 for unpublished haiku/senryu in English.

In addition there will be up to seven Highly Commended haiku/senryu in this category.

Category B (Irish)

The IHS International Haiku Competition offers prizes from Dóchas Ireland of  Euro 100, Euro 30 and Euro 20 for unpublished haiku/senryu in English or in Irish Gaelic (with an English translation) about Ireland in the changing world. Besides being perfect haiku/senryu, the winning poems in this category may include reflections upon or references to "what it means to live in Ireland at the beginning of the 21st century".

This category is only open for participants born or residing on the island of Ireland.

In addition there will be up to three Highly Commended haiku/senryu in this category.

More here.

LEAVING TORONTO & THE BANQUET

Tonight we head to the airport to start the epic trip home: Toronto-London-Dublin-Galway. It's a sunny Sunday morning here in Toronto and we have a few hours to wander before the off. I have urgent shopping to do: I need a Toronto magnet for my fridge.

So, the banquet. It took place in the Executive Dining Room at York University. We sat with Chad Campbell, a young Canadian writer who had done a great job of introducing me and Licia earlier. Also our man in Romania, Philip Ó Ceallaigh, and two scholars from Michigan, who particularly love Irish writing, Patrick and Katie. The food was great: fresh salads, lentil mash and salmon and they even made pasta especially for the veggies. There was a toffee apple cheesecake for afters and a modest sup of wine. Clark Blaise read an essay on borders for our entertainment (the theme of the conference was The Border as Fiction). Juno woggled around the floor, flirting with everyone from Pulitzer prize-winners to waiters. What's she going to be like when she's a teenager??!!

Unlike Irish events, the night ended early (9.30pm) and we came back to our hotel (the uni is an hour away) but everyone adjourned to the bar for mega-expensie drinks and copious chats. I could barely speak for tiredness so I just had one drink and retired, leaving my husband in the capable hands of Liadain O'Donovan and Paddy O'Reilly and friends.

I want to thank, as always, Maurice Lee and Susan Lohafer who organise this conference. Ann Luttrell who organised the Irish posse. And Culture Ireland for sponsoring us. There are bids in from several countries to host the conference in 2012, so we may end up in Taiwan, England, Italy or the USA. Only time will tell!

LAST DAY OF SHORT FICTION CONFERENCE

Sadly this is the last day. Weep, gnash, sigh. I don't wanna go home!!!

I did my reading this morning; I read the story 'Cowboy and Nelly' from my collection Nude - a story about two misfits who fall in love and what happens when one of them asks the other to do something almost impossible. It seemed to go down well - the audience were lovely. My fellow reader, Italian-Canadian Licia Canton, read a sad story about a young girl who has a baby and the consequences of that for her and the baby's father. We got questions after (the usual poetry vs short fiction question for me and also about being bilingual and its influence on writing) and, all in all, it was a very enjoyable morning.

I then went to hear Australian writers Sylvia Petter on smell and memory in short fiction, especially that of Janette Turner Hospital (v interesting.) And Paddy O'Reilly on disabilty and 'the stare' in short fiction, with particular reference to Flannery O'Connor's 'Good Country People'. Both papers were very stimulating and both were delivered in that lovely, chatty, intimate Ozzy style. Wonderful stuff. I couldn't stay to hear the final paper in that session as I started to feel dizzy and had to leave the room :(
I got food and came back here to the hotel to sleep. I reckon I am just exhausted.

So, now I've slept, had the requisite ice-cream (a Klondike Sandwich - mm-mm), tea and dark chocolate needed to recover from fatigue. Tonight is The Banquet (posh!) and I am going to go armed with a pile of books for writers to sign.

Last night was the BIG reading, mentioned yesterday. Juno, aged 1, was being a dote, shaking a plastic box of crackers, making small baby noises, but TWO women (they know who they are) continuously nearly broke their own necks to register their disapproval, so I left. I was MAD. The child was not disrurupting. We were right at the back and the place was HUGE. So, I missed Alistair MacLeod, who I wanted to hear the most. But I caught a bit of Peg, a bit of Bob and some of the questions at the end. Here are three quotes on reading from last night:

'I am an addictive reader.' Margaret Atwood

'As writers, we read the zeitgeist.' Robert Olen Butler

'My life would be very empty if I couldn't read.' Alistair MacLeod

After the readings, piles of us adjourned to a Mexican restaurant for delicious chimichangas, burritos and jugs of beer. I chatted with Liadain O'Donovan (Frank O'Connor's daughter who also lives in Co Galway) about her fascinating life and about the conference up to that point. We rolled home late, down a litup and warm Yonge Street. No wonder I am ruined!

Now, to get my dress and jewels (!) out for The Banquet. Talk soon!

TORONTO - 'PEG' ATWOOD ETC.

It's another roasting hot day in Toronto and my two darlings are napping. I  - as usual - am wide awake. I was moderator at a reading this morning by Irish writer Billy O'Callaghan and Taiwanese writer Chang Ying-Tai. It was a very entertaining reading. Australian writer Paddy O'Reilly read Ying-Tai's work in English while Ying-Tai gesticulated and laughed and did matching actions. It was all very charming and not a little bizarre!

Billy read from his 2009 collection In Too Deep, the story 'Syzygy', which is about the end of a relationship. Billy read beautifully - very low key and convincing. Alistair MacLeod, who is one of his literary heroes (and mine) was in the audience. What an honour.

I went to a panel on nostalgia in short fiction which looked at stories by three writers I love: Elizabeth Bowen, Mavis Gallant and the aforementioned Alistair. The papers were delivered by three young academics - all very articulate and capable.

Later, Bharati Mukherjee read to us from a brand new story as we ate lunch in the Executive Dining Room at York Uni. And later still Margaret Atwood was interviewed by Clark Blaise. I would have liked more chat about her stories, specifically, and about her relationship with the short story and even the writing world, or some such. I didn't stay to the end and maybe things got more interesting after I left, but I was fighting to concentrate so I snuck away. Talk to us of short stories, Peg! (The interviewer is a friend of hers and he calls her Peg.) Anyway, Peg is reading later with Bob (Robert Olen Butler), Al(istair MacLeod) and Li Ang. Should be good.

My reading is on tomorrow at 9am. Cruel. Particularly as tonight is the night us Irish are getting together to go out. Hope I can stay awake...

HI FROM THE SHORT STORY CONFERENCE, TORONTO

I may be the worst jet-lag recoveree ever. It just goes on and on. I guess all the activity and heady short story info is also draining on the mind and body, while also being HUGELY stimulating, of course.

Anyway, enough of my faux moaning - I'm having a ball at this conference. I'm buying books by the new time, meeting dozens of interesting writers & academics, and listening to wonderful theories on the short story in all its forms. It seems to me there are more people here than at the last two conferences. It is great to see a huge contingent from the UK along with our Irish gang. Sadly Kevin Barry has been unable to join us. But we are flying the flag between writers (William Wall, Madeleine D'Arcy, Philip Ó Ceallaigh, Billy O'Callaghan and myself) and academics, including Philip Coleman and Matthew Stocker.

Here are some quotable quotes from fabulous writers. I've heard these statements over the last few days so they are FRESH to you, my dear readers.


On travel and the short story:

'Travel is an inherently creative project. It creates hope.' Michele Morano (USA)

'One shouldn't try to unravel the place one visits.' Xu Xi (Singapore/USA)

On writing:

'In order to write you have to have language and you have to have leisure. You have to have a place to sit.' Alistair MacLeod (Canada)

On Paddy O'Reilly's (Australia) excellent short fiction reading:

'I listened to every word.' Pat Jourdan (England)


On flash fiction:

'If you come out of a story knowing what the character wants, then you were in the presence of fiction, not prose poetry.' Robert Olen Butler (USA)

Read fellow Irish author Madeleine's blog on the conference at Triskel's site here.

TORONTO READING

I'm in Toronto for the International Short Story Conference. It's nearly 5am here and I am all jet-laggy and wide awake. I'm reading on Saturday with Licia Canton, which I'm very much looking forward to. Her collection has the stunning title Almond Wine and Fertility. Can't wait to get my mitts on it. I wonder did they put us together because mine is called Nude?! Maybe we'll get a huge and lascivious audience!

This is a conference I have read at twice before, in Lisbon and Cork. It's on every other year and it is such a treat: heavily academic, but also packed with stunning writers, including this year Margaret Atwood and Alistair MacLeod. I always return home from it more deeply in love with the short story than ever.

From what I've glimpsed of the city so far, it is Chicagoesque - a gorgeous mix of modern and shabby; vastly multi-ethnic, extremely friendly. My kind of place. And to top it all, I am going to Rufus's opera Prima Donna tonight. Its North American premiere. I feel blessed. I also met Rufus yesterday. But that's another story...

PLAYWRITING COURSE WITH ABBEY TRIP INCLUDED

Here's a question:

What is a dramaturg? It sounds like a dramatic monster. Well, apparently it's a specialist in the craft or the techniques of dramatic composition.

This weekend, playwright and dramaturg, Gavin Kostick, will host a two-day Playwriting Course in the Irish Writers' Centre. The course will run on the 12th and 13th of June and costs €165. The price incorporates tickets to the play Bookworms by Bernard Farrell for the Saturday night, as the tickets need to be booked in advance early booking is advised.

In one intensive weekend, central elements of drama including: openings, the playwright’s imagination, structure and characterisation will be addressed. These areas are investigated through a broad range of examples supported by discussion and practical exercises.

On the Saturday night of the course the group will be taken to Bernard Farrell's new play "Bookworms" at the Abbey, and met in advance by director of the play Jim Culleton.

The aim of the whole course is to develop practical skills for writing for drama and to encourage participants to widen their conceptual horizons in writing for live performance. By the end of the second day, participants will have written one complete short play.

Bookings can be made here.

Ómós - Culture Against Violence

I like the sound of this. Unfortunately I'll be out of the country that night. Fortunately, I will be out of the country at the International Short Story Conference in Canada. Woop.

For those of you not so lucky, here are the details:

A cultural evening of selected readings and music to honour those who have experienced sexual violence in Ireland and to reflect on themes of cultural responsibility and healing will take place on Sunday the 20th of June St Stephen’s Church (Pepper Cannister).

Readings By:
Roddy Doyle, Joseph O’Connor, Lia Mills, Tom Murphy, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Theo Dorgan.

Music From:
Don Baker, Karan Casey, Eleanor McEvoy, Christy Moore.

Chaired by Theo Dorgan, with Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four
When: 7.30-9.30pm Sunday 20th June 2010
Where: St Stephen’s Church (Pepper Cannister), off Merrion Square, Dublin
Tickets: €25.00 each
Tickets Available:
Online via: www.mycharity.ie/event/one_in_four_cultural_evening/
Phone: 01 6624070

Helping people to reflect on the issues of sexual violence in Irish society. All proceeds in aid of One in Four, registered charity, CHY 15289. Contact fundraising@oneinfour.org or on 01 6624070.

The Irish Writers, Authors and Poets Handbook

This new handbook covers Ireland as a whole and is by David Jones and Oscar Duggan (editors). It's €14.95. I haven't seen or read it but thought some of you might be interested.

From their site:

Practical information on writing novels, short-stories, newspaper and magazine articles, for writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Tips too on blogging and social media.
Useful tips on getting published; submitting manuscripts, approaching agents and writing covering letters. Advice on e-publishing, assisted publishing and book production.
Comprehensive, up-to-date listings of publishers, literary agents, national and local newspapers, magazines, writing festivals, literary blogs and journals in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Find out how to protect your copyright, get an ISBN number and organise legal deposit.
This is a reference book that writers and everyone connected with books and book publishing will refer to over and over again.
A must have for public libraries, creative writing groups, literary agents, publishers, editors and writers of all kinds.

Buy it here.