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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190809T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190809T210000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190706T114437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190709T100135Z
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SUMMARY:Scribes at the Duncairn with Bernie McGill\, Natalya O'Flaherty and Danny Morrison
DESCRIPTION:This free event with wine reception (from 6.30pm) is part of the Feile Belfast 2019 programme. There will be readings from each of the three writers and a Q&A\, chaired by Marnie Kennedy\, as well as an opportunity for questions from the audience. Marnie is Shared Reading facilitator and coordinator of Stories@theDuncairn\, a volunteer-led\, community literature project in North Belfast. For more information\, Tel. the Duncairn on 028 90 747 114 or turn up on the evening. No booking required. \n\n\n\n\nBernie McGill is the author of two novels\, The Butterfly Cabinet and The Watch House (shortlisted for the Irish European Union Prize for Literature in 2019) and of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories shortlisted in 2014 for the Edge Hill short story prize. She has been published in the UK\, the US and in translation in Italy and the Netherlands. Her short fiction has appeared in anthologies Belfast Stories\, The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and Female Lines. She is the Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow\, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre\, Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nAmazing spoken word artist Natalya O’Flaherty has shot to national prominence with bravura performances at the National Concert Hall and Electric Picnic\, appearing twice on The Late Late Show in a few months. Dubliner Natalya speaks courageously and without inhibition about the youth of today\, the challenges and dilemmas they face on the street or within family. “I tell stories whether that’s about Ireland as a whole\, or personal relationships that I have or people in my life have. When I’m on stage I’m a different person… It’s like I’m possessed.” \n\n\n\n\nDanny Morrison is a well‐known commentator and novelist\, former republican prisoner and Sinn Féin’s national spokesperson\, whose writings have been translated into German\, Spanish\, Serbian and Estonian. For over twelve years he and designer Seán Mistéil designed Féile an Phobail’s highly‐regarded published programmes. Seán also designed the stylised covers of Morrison’s re‐issued novels\, West Belfast and The Wrong Man. For forty years Danny has been collecting quotes on a variety of themes from books and poems which appealed to him or suggested a little insight into the meaning of life. This collaborative book\, Life\, I Do Not Understand You contains around several hundred selections by Danny\, and Seán’s artistic response.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/scribes-at-the-duncairn-with-bernie-mcgill-natalya-oflaherty-and-danny-morrison/
LOCATION:Duncairn Cultural Arts Centre\, Duncairn Avenue\, Belfast\, BT14 6BP\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190722T144500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190725T164500
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190625T161138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190625T163504Z
UID:1604-1563806700-1564073100@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Novel Writing: First Chapters with Bernie McGill at the John Hewitt International Summer School
DESCRIPTION:Bernie McGill will take the Novel Writing: First Chapters workshops at the John Hewitt International Summer School at the Market Place Theatre\, Armagh\, on Monday 22nd\, Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th July from 2.45pm-4.45pm on each of the three days. In response to audience feedback\, we have extended the duration of our popular creative writing workshops to two hours per class and provided space in the Summer School programme for workshop participants to work on their creative writing outside of class time. \nEach workshop runs over three sessions and class sizes are kept to 15 or fewer to ensure everyone gets a chance to participate. Participants should attend all three workshop sessions. \nOur seven tutors are all experienced facilitators and published authors. For the full workshop schedule\, including Short Story with Heather Richardson\, Flash Fiction with Jan Carson\, Memoir Writing with Ferdia MacAnna\, Poetry with Siobhan Campbell\, Poetry with Kathryn Maris\, and Getting Started with Nessa O’Mahony\, as well as full details of all Summer School events go to the John Hewitt Society website. \nSpaces are limited – advance booking is essential. To book Novel Writing: First Chapters go to the Market Place Theatre website or telephone the Box Office on 028 3752 1821. \nBernie’s publications include novels The Butterfly Cabinet (2011) and The Watch House (2017) and a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers (2013)\, shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize in 2014. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for numerous awards and in 2008 she won the Zoetrope All-Story Award in the US. Her work has been anthologised in the award-winning collections\, The Long Gaze Back  and The Glass Shore  and more recently in Female Lines and  Belfast Stories.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/novel-writing-first-chapters-with-bernie-mcgill-at-the-john-hewitt-international-summer-school/
LOCATION:Market Place Theatre\, Armagh\, Market Street\, Armagh\, Armagh\, BT61 7BW\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190615T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190615T173000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190417T121859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190417T121859Z
UID:1575-1560614400-1560619800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:In conversation with Éilís Ní Dhuibhne at Belfast Book Festival: Twelve Thousand Days\, A Memoir Of Love And Loss
DESCRIPTION:Twelve Thousand Days is the poignant memoir of a marriage of 30 years between renowned writer Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and folklorist Bo Almquist. \nIn the aftermath of Bo’s death\, Éilís wrote about love and grief\, capturing the beauty of a relationship that spanned decades whilst also illuminating the complexities and compromises of being in love. \nThis love story between Éilís and Bo is interlaced with observations on Irish life\, culture and morality. \nÉilís Ní Dhuibhne has published over twenty-five books\, including six collections of short stories\, several novels\, books for children\, and plays. She has won three Bisto awards\, an IBBY award\, a Readers’ Association of Ireland award\, several Oireachtas awards for novels in Irish\, and the Butler Award for The Dancers Dancing\, which was also shortlisted for the Orange Prize. In 2015 she was awarded the Irish PEN award for her outstanding contribution to Irish literature\, and in 2016 she was given a Hennessy Hall of Fame award for lifetime achievement.  She is a member of Aosdána\, an ambassador for the Irish Writers’ Centre\, and President of the Folklore of Ireland Society (An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann). \nJoin Éilís in conversation with Bernie McGill as they discuss writing\, memoir and life after loss.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/in-conversation-with-eilis-ni-dhuibhne-at-belfast-book-festival-twelve-thousand-days-a-memoir-of-love-and-loss/
LOCATION:Crescent Arts Centre\, 2-4 University Road\, BELFAST\, BT7 1NH\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190609T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190609T183000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190417T115101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190417T115101Z
UID:1570-1560099600-1560105000@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Launch of Belfast Stories Anthology at Belfast Book Festival
DESCRIPTION:Join Doire Press for the launch of Belfast Stories\, a collection of short fiction set throughout the neighbourhoods of the city\, written by both established and emerging writers who live in or have a strong connection to Belfast. Edited by Paul McVeigh and Lisa Frank. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe writers in Belfast Stories include: Linda Anderson\, Lucy Caldwell\, Jan Carson\, Wendy Erskine\, Jamie Guiney\, Peter Hollywood\, Caoilinn Hughes\, Rosemary Jenkinson\, Winnie M Li\, Bernie McGill\, Michael Nolan\, David Park\, Glenn Patterson\, Ian Sansom\, Dawn Watson and Shannon Yee. \nThe anthology also features photos and background information on each neighbourhood\, as well as local listings and a map displaying where each of the stories takes place. \nThe preface and photos are by Malachi O’Doherty. \nThis launch event will include readings by some of the writers featured in the anthology\, including Jan Carson\, Bernie McGill\, Dawn Watson and Shannon Yee\, among others\, and will be launched by Damian Smyth.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/launch-of-belfast-stories-anthology-at-belfast-book-festival/
LOCATION:Crescent Arts Centre\, 2-4 University Road\, BELFAST\, BT7 1NH\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190529T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190529T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190511T163042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190511T164346Z
UID:1582-1559127600-1559134800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:At Sea with Words: Creative Writing Workshop with Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:As part of the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival\, author Bernie McGill is hosting a free writing workshop in the Parochial Hall on Rathlin Island on Wednesday 29th May from 11am-1pm. No previous experience required. Come with writing materials and be prepared to write. Numbers are limited. Booking essential. Please phone the Rathlin Visitor Information Centre on 028 2076 0054 to book a place. \nYou’ll find the ferry timetable between Ballycastle and Rathlin here\, and if you fancy spending a night or two on the island around the time of the festival\, you’ll find details of accommodation on Rathlin here. The Festival runs from 24th May to 2nd June this year and there’s lots on offer\, from boat blessings to beach cleans\, pop up crab shacks to little pirates’ discos. Full programme available here. \nBernie McGill is the author of The Watch House\, a novel set on Rathlin Island at the time of Marconi’s wireless telegraphy experiments of 1898. The Watch House has been shortlisted for the Irish/European Union Prize for Literature. \n‘McGill writes about life\, love and telegraphy with a poet’s clarity’ The Sunday Times \n‘McGill proves once again she is a masterful storyteller . . . historical fiction at its absolute best’ The Lady \n‘A novel to haunt you’ Sunday Mirror \n‘Totally absorbing and full of unexpected twists’ Sunday Business Post \n‘Endlessly intriguing and exhilarating’ Dublin Review of Books \n‘An evocative novel that’s brimming with suspense… [it] reels you in and keeps a grip on you until the very end’ The Incubator \n‘[McGill’s] assured style and eye for detail make The Watch House a pleasure to read\, a fast-paced tale that rarely flags\, with a complex and beguiling heroine at the helm’ Irish Times \n‘Hard to put down\, this atmospheric book will stay with you long after the final heart-rending denouement\, setting McGill firmly into the panoply of modern Irish writers’ Irish Independent \nAs the twentieth century dawns on the island of Rathlin\, a place ravaged by storms and haunted by past tragedies\, Nuala Byrne is faced with a difficult decision. Abandoned by her family for the new world\, she receives a proposal from the island’s ageing tailor. For the price of a roof over her head\, she accepts. \nMeanwhile the island is alive with gossip about the strangers who have arrived from the mainland\, armed with mysterious equipment which can reportedly steal a person’s words and transmit them through thin air. When Nuala is sent to cook for these men – engineers\, who have been sent to Rathlin by Marconi to conduct experiments in the use of wireless telegraphy – she encounters an Italian named Gabriel\, who offers her the chance to equip herself with new skills and knowledge. As her friendship with Gabriel opens up horizons beyond the rocky and treacherous cliffs of her island home\, Nuala begins to realise that her deal with the tailor was a bargain she should never have struck. \n  \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/at-sea-with-words-creative-writing-workshop-with-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Parochial Hall\, Rathlin Island\, BT54 6RT\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190511T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190511T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190310T164711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190310T164711Z
UID:1505-1557568800-1557579600@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Creative Writing Workshop with Bernie McGill at Burnavon Arts Centre\, Cookstown
DESCRIPTION:A practical workshop on the everyday craft of writing\, with the aim of sparking ideas for new work. All levels of experience welcome\, from experienced writers to first-timers\, poets and fiction writers alike. The workshop will be fully participative with attendees taking part in writing exercises throughout the morning. Come with writing materials and be prepared to write. \nSuitable for 16y+ \nBook online or Tel. Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre on 028 8676 9949 \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet (named by Julian Fellowes as his novel of the year in 2012)\, and Sleepwalkers\, a collection of short stories\, shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize in 2014. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/creative-writing-workshop-with-bernie-mcgill-at-burnavon-arts-centre-cookstown/
LOCATION:Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre\, Burn Road\, Cookstown\, BT80 8DN\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190413T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190413T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190311T211853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190408T101652Z
UID:1516-1555149600-1555174800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:In Sight of Rathlin Writing Workshops at Corrymeela\, Ballycastle
DESCRIPTION:A Day of Free Writing Workshops organised by Ballycastle Writers’ Group at Corrymeela\, Ballycastle. \nSpecial Guest – Joan Newmann \n10am Meet and Greet  \n10.30am Choice of Three Workshops \n(1) Poetry with Kate Newmann \n(2) Poetry with Ruth Carr \n(3) Fiction Writing with Bernie McGill \n12.30pm Lunch  \n1.30pm  Choice of Three Workshops \n(1) Poetry with Kate Newmann \n(2) Poetry with Ruth Carr \n(3) Fiction Writing with Bernie McGill \n3.30pm Writers’ Showcase \nThese workshops are free to participants and can be booked via Ballycastle Writers’ Group’s Facebook Page. Participants are welcome to book into one or two workshops. Lunch is provided. The day will finish with a Writers’ Showcase in which all participants are welcome to read a short piece of their work.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/in-sight-of-rathlin-writing-workshops-at-corrymeela-ballycastle/
LOCATION:Corrymeela Ballycastle\, 5 Drumaroan Road\, Ballycastle\, BT54 6QU\, United Kingdom
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ORGANIZER;CN="Ballycastle Writers' Group":MAILTO:kaslass@yahoo.co.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190401T191500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190401T204500
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20190218T145924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190218T150428Z
UID:1493-1554146100-1554151500@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Bernie McGill & Sheena Wilkinson - Northern Irish Fiction Event at IWHC\, Manchester
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome two fantastic Northern Irish writers\, Bernie McGill and Sheena Wilkinson\, to share their work at the Irish World Heritage Centre\, Manchester\, on Monday 1st April. \nBernie McGill is the author of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories short-listed in 2014 for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize\, and of the novels The Butterfly Cabinet and The Watch House (a story of infidelity\, secrets and murder in a small Irish island community\, inspired by Marconi’s experiments in wireless telegraphy in the late nineteenth century). In 2012\, Julian Fellowes\, creator of Downton Abbey named The Butterfly Cabinet his novel of the year. She has been published in the UK\, the US and in translation in Italy and in the Netherlands. Her short fiction has appeared in acclaimed anthologies The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and Female Lines (all by New Island Books\, Dublin)\, and for the theatre she has written\, The Haunting of Helena Blunden and The Weather Watchers. She lives in Portstewart in Northern Ireland with her family\, works as a professional mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre and as a Writer in Schools for Poetry Ireland. She is currently Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund\, based at the Seamus Heaney Centre\, Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nSheena Wilkinson\, described in The Irish Times as ‘one of our foremost writers’\, writes contemporary and historical fiction for young people and adults. She has won many awards including the CBI Book of the Year in 2013 for Grounded. Her most recent novel\, Star by Star\, published to commemorate the centenary of female suffrage\, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards and won the CBI Honour Award for Fiction. Her short stories have also won awards\, and she was recently included in the acclaimed Female Lines anthology. Sheena won a Major Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2013\, and is a Royal Literary Fund Advisory Writing Fellow. She lives in County Down and travels extensively\, talking about reading and writing. She has spoken about Star by Star at GladFest\, Glasgow Women’s Library and the Oxford Literary Festival\, and is very excited to share it with readers in Manchester\, the hometown of its suffragette heroine. \nWe are delighted also that this event will be introduced and chaired by Dr Caroline Magennis\, Chair of the British Association for Irish Studies and Lecturer in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Literature at the University of Salford. \nThis is a free event\, but please do register for tickets at EventBrite. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/bernie-mcgill-sheena-wilkinson-northern-irish-fiction-event-at-iwhc-manchester/
LOCATION:Irish World Heritage Centre\, 1 Irish Town Way\, MANCHESTER\, M8 0AE
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190209T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20190323T141500
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20181119T153446Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190310T164919Z
UID:1471-1549706400-1553350500@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Novel Writing with Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:This 16 hour course will run on Saturday 9th & Saturday 23rd February and Saturday 9th & Saturday 23rd March 2019 from 10.00am-2.15pm each day at the Playhouse Theatre & Arts Centre\, Artillery Road\, Derry. \nIn this course\, participants will look at: structuring work; writing openings with impact; developing setting; creating credible characters; selecting point of view; writing dialogue; editing and redrafting; outlets for completed work. You will be invited to take part in writing exercises to further develop your work and to share your writing with other class members. Suitable for committed writers who are beginning or developing a novel. Participants should come with a 250 word outline for a novel. Works-in-progress are welcomed. \nBernie McGill is the author of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories short-listed in 2014 for the Edge Hill short story prize\, and of the novels The Butterfly Cabinet and The Watch House. She has been published in the UK\, the US and in translation in Italy and in the Netherlands. Her short fiction has appeared in acclaimed anthologies The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and Female Lines\, and for the theatre she has written The Haunting of Helena Blunden and The Weather Watchers. She works as a professional mentor with the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin and as a Writer in Schools for Poetry Ireland. She is currently Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre\, Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nThis course is kindly sponsored by Arts Council Northern Ireland. \nCost: €88 (£80) Book online at the Irish Writers’ Centre or email info@writerscentre.ie or Tel. (+353) 1 872 1302.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/novel-writing-with-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:The Playhouse Theatre & Arts Centre\, 5-7 Artillery Street\, Derry\, BT48 6RG\, United Kingdom
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ORGANIZER;CN="Irish Writers' Centre":MAILTO:info@writerscentre.ie
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181202T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181202T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20181021T141018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181021T141454Z
UID:1454-1543744800-1543766400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:On the Same Page at the River Mill Writers' Retreat with Sheena Wilkinson & Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:A day-long intensive fiction writing and editing workshop for committed writers facilitated by two of Northern Ireland’s most acclaimed fiction writers. Come prepared to write\, share your work and learn how to take your skills to the next level. From the first spark of inspiration to sending your work out into the world\, Bernie and Sheena will guide you through the process\, drawing on their own experiences in publishing and offering practical advice for the submission process. \nThe workshop fee includes lunch and refreshments.\nTo book\, contact Paul Maddern at inforivermill@gmail.com. \nBernie McGill is the author of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories short-listed in 2014 for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize\, and of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet. Her stories have been widely anthologised\, in the award-winning The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and\, most recently\, Female Lines. She is the recipient of a number of Arts Council of Northern Ireland Awards\, is a creative writing facilitator in the community and with Poetry Ireland’s Writers in Schools Programme as well as a Professional Mentor for the Irish Writers’ Centre. She is Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre\, Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nSheena Wilkinson has been described by The Irish Times as ‘one of our foremost writers for young people’.  She has written seven novels\, the most recent being Star By Star\, winner of the CBI Honour Award for Fiction and shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards 2017. She has won many awards\, including the CBI Book of the Year Award for Grounded. She has won or been placed in the Sean Ó Faoláin\, Fish\, Brian Moore\, Writers Bureau and Riptide International short story competitions. Her work has been anthologised in The Great War (2014)\, and most recently in Female Lines. She is an ACNI Major Award Holder and Royal Literary Fund Advisory Fellow. She teaches Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin and for Arvon.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/on-the-same-page-at-the-river-mill-writers-retreat-with-sheena-wilkinson-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:River Mill Writers’ Retreat\, 43 Ballyclander Road\, Downpatrick\, BT30 7DE\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181110T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181110T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180828T104153Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180828T104153Z
UID:1364-1541844000-1541865600@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Dropping Your Gaze: A Day of Mindfulness and Writing with Michelle Gibb and Bernie McGill at Flowerfield Arts Centre\, Portstewart
DESCRIPTION:Mindfulness is the practice of learning to be present. It is also beneficial for calming the physical state of the body and quietening the mind. Whether you’re new to writing or have been writing for a while and are looking for a way to rejuvenate your approach\, this day of guided mindfulness and writing exercises\, led by two experienced facilitators\, will refresh and enhance your writing skills and leave you with a simple toolkit that you can use in your everyday practice. Alongside focused writing exercises\, you will learn: the importance of breath work and how to calm your breathing; how reducing the mind chatter can help centre your writing focus; a fifteen second calming technique; visualisation guidance and advice; short and simple brain gym exercises. All levels welcome. Please bring a packed lunch. \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet and of a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers. She has worked for twenty-five years as a creative writing facilitator\, is a Writer in Schools with Poetry Ireland and a Professional Mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre. www.berniemcgill.com \nMichelle Gibb is a poet\, life coach and yoga teacher whose work has been published locally by A New Ulster and nationally by United Press.  She is qualified in kinesiology\, hatha yoga and energy medicine and has been practicing yoga\, mindfulness and meditation as well as facilitating groups for over ten years. www.michymodo.com \nTo book\, tel. Flowerfield Arts Centre on 028 7083 1400 or email info@flowerfield.org. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/dropping-your-gaze-a-day-of-mindfulness-and-writing-with-michelle-gibb-and-bernie-mcgill-at-flowerfield-arts-centre-portstewart/
LOCATION:Flowerfield Arts Centre\, 185 Coleraine Road\, PORTSTEWART\, Northern Ireland\, BT55 7HU\, United Kingdom
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181104T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181104T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20181007T144951Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181007T144951Z
UID:1441-1541325600-1541347200@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:One Day Writing Workshop at Ballyeamon Barn\, Cushendall
DESCRIPTION:A practical one day workshop led by Bernie McGill in the beautiful surroundings of Ballyeamon Barn\, Cushendall on the everyday craft of writing and with the aim of sparking ideas for new work. All levels of experience welcome. Come with writing materials and be prepared to write. \n\nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet\, and Sleepwalkers\, a collection of short stories\, shortlisted for the Edgehill Prize in 2014. She is Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow based at the Seamus Heaney Centre\, Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nFee includes lunch. To book please email: liz@lizweir.net
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/one-day-writing-workshop-at-ballyeamon-barn-cushendall/
LOCATION:Ballyeamon Barn\, 127 Ballyeamon Road\, Cushendall\, Ballymena\, Antrim\, BT44 0QP\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ballyeamon-300x200.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181103T200000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181103T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20181006T175524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181006T175524Z
UID:1427-1541275200-1541282400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Of This and Other Worlds - an Evening of Literature and Music at the C.S. Lewis Festival\, Belfast
DESCRIPTION:C.S. Lewis Festival Curator Jan Carson hosts a bespoke evening of two halves. During the first half of the performance\, poet Damian Smyth\, novelist\, Bernie McGill and Bangor-based folk duo\, The Darkling Air\, playing alongside The Arco String Quartet\, will tell stories and sing songs exploring real world experiences. In the second half\, the performers will delve into the more magical elements of their work. \nTo book tickets visit Belfast Welcome Centre\, 9 Donegall Square North\, Belfast\, BT1 5GB\nTel. 028 9024 6609 \nWe’ve chosen\, “Of This and Other Worlds\,” as our theme for this year’s CS Lewis Festival. In the essay collection of the same name Lewis focuses his attention upon speculative writing: fantasy\, science fiction and the recently emerged genre of magic realism. Lewis throughout his career was always a great champion of imagination and this year’s festival theme gives us the opportunity to explore and exercise our imaginations as we focus on non-realist art across a range of different forms and expressions. Imagination isn’t just essential to creative practice\, imagination helps us to envisage what the future could look like\, to find creative solutions to ongoing problems and empathise with those who see the world a little differently from us. Through talks\, screenings\, workshops\, performances and a range of exciting\, innovative events we hope this year’s festival will give you scope to kickstart your own imagination\, exploring other worlds and seeing your own community through fresh eyes. \nBorn and bred in east Belfast\, C. S. Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. His major contributions in literary criticism\, children’s literature\, fantasy literature\, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. \nThe C.S. Lewis Festival celebrates the legacy of Lewis through themes of storytelling\, imagination and spirituality with events including talks\, lectures and tours\, exhibitions\, workshops\, theatre\, poetry and spoken word events and film screenings. This year expect to see some firm favourites\, new ideas and some quirky events\, across 5 days of the festival. Full programme downloadable here. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/of-this-and-other-worlds-an-evening-of-literature-and-music-at-the-c-s-lewis-festival-belfast/
LOCATION:Campbell College\, Belfast\, Belmont Road\, Belfast\, BT4 2ND
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Aslan-statue-CS-Lewis-Square-Belfast.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181027T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181027T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180828T104223Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180828T104223Z
UID:1347-1540634400-1540656000@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Dropping Your Gaze: A Day of Mindfulness and Writing with Michelle Gibb and Bernie McGill at Seamus Heaney HomePlace\, Bellaghy
DESCRIPTION:Mindfulness is the practice of learning to be present. It is also beneficial for calming the physical state of the body and quietening the mind. Whether you’re new to writing or have been writing for a while and are looking for a way to rejuvenate your approach\, this day of guided mindfulness and writing exercises\, led by two experienced facilitators\, will refresh and enhance your writing skills and leave you with a simple toolkit that you can use in your everyday practice. Alongside focused writing exercises\, you will learn: the importance of breath work and how to calm your breathing; how reducing the mind chatter can help centre your writing focus; a fifteen second calming technique; visualisation guidance and advice; short and simple brain gym exercises. All levels welcome. Please bring a packed lunch. \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet and of a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers. She has worked for twenty-five years as a creative writing facilitator\, is a Writer in Schools with Poetry Ireland and a Professional Mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre. www.berniemcgill.com \nMichelle Gibb is a poet\, life coach and yoga teacher whose work has been published locally by A New Ulster and nationally by United Press.  She is qualified in kinesiology\, hatha yoga and energy medicine and has been practicing yoga\, mindfulness and meditation as well as facilitating groups for over ten years. www.michymodo.com \nTo book\, contact Seamus Heaney HomePlace\, Bellaghy on 028 7938 7444 or email seamusheaneyhome@midulstercouncil.org or book online here.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/dropping-your-gaze-a-day-of-mindfulness-and-writing-with-michelle-gibb-and-bernie-mcgill-at-seamus-heaney-homeplace-bellaghy/
LOCATION:Seamus Heaney HomePlace\, 45 Main Street\, Bellaghy\, BT45 8HT\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Word-hoard-Seamus-Heaney-HomePlace.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181013T120000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181013T130000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180912T101331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181007T145633Z
UID:1342-1539432000-1539435600@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Panel Discussion on The Glass Shore & The Long Gaze Back at Omagh Literary Festival
DESCRIPTION:The 2018 Omagh Literary Festival will feature a panel discussion on The Glass Shore and The Long Gaze Back Award-winning collections of Short Stories by Women Writers from Ireland\,  with Sinéad Gleeson\, Bernie McGill\, June Caldwell and Fiona O’Rourke. \nWriter\, broadcaster and critic\, Sinéad Gleeson\, is the guest speaker on a lively discussion panel about the significant role played by Irish female writers. She has edited two collections of short stories\, namely The Long Gaze Back and The Glass Shore\, both of which have been awarded the Best Irish Published Book at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards (in 2015 and in 2016). These stories run the gamut from the heartbreaking to the humorous\, but always leaving a lasting impression. Sinéad Gleeson reviews books for The Irish Times and presents the Book Show on RTE 1. Sinead is the judge of the Benedict Kiely Short Story Competition 2018 and will announce the short list and winner at the end of the discussion. \nBernie McGill is the author of the short story collection Sleepwalkers\, shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize in 2014\, and of novels The Butterfly Cabinet and The Watch House. Her work has been anthologised widely\, and appears in both The Long Gaze Back and The Glass Shore. She works as a professional mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre\, a Writer in Schools with Poetry Ireland\, and (from September 2018) is the Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University\, Belfast. \nJune Caldwell is a ‘strong\, salty\, staggering new voice in Irish fiction’\, according to critics. Her short story collection\,  Room Little Darker\, ‘thuds with life and kicks with horror’ (The Sunday Times). Her stories deal with an array of controversial subjects including the legacy of family trauma which drips down the generations. Among her awards are Short Story of the Year\, Irish Books Awards and Irish Times Book Club of the month April 2018. \nFiona O’Rourke is an author\, creative writing facilitator and professional mentor at the Irish Writers’ Centre\, Dublin. Her first novel\, Have you found Luke? was a winner at the Irish Writers’ Novel Fair 2016 and her short stories have been included in Spontaneity Magazine and many other publications. ‘Wrong Whiskey’ was the prizewinner in the Fish International Short Story Award 2012. In 2017 she was selected for the inaugural Arts Council NI and Irish Writers’ Centre X Borders  project. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/panel-discussion-on-the-glass-shore-at-omagh-literary-festival/
LOCATION:Strule Arts Centre\, Town Hall Square\, Omagh\, BT78 1BL\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-Glass-Shore_feature2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181009T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20181009T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180829T113438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180912T114522Z
UID:1338-1539113400-1539117000@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Victorian Mavericks at Red Line Book Festival\, Dublin
DESCRIPTION:In the Victorian era\, women were forced to endure many inequalities in terms of marriage\, finances and social status. Viewed as belonging to the domestic sphere\, they were expected to provide their husbands with a clean home\, food on the table and children. \nIn this special event for Red Line Book Festival\, Nuala O’Connor (Becoming Belle)\, Bernie McGill (The Watch House) and Caroline Busher (The Ghosts of Magnificent Children) explore the lives of Victorian female characters in their novels and the ways those women and girls defied the conventions of the time. \nBooking information here.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/victorian-mavericks/
LOCATION:Pearse Museum\, Saint Enda's Park The Hermitage Grange Road\, Rathfarnham\, Dublin 16\, Ireland
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5459.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180922T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180922T203000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180815T101710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180815T101710Z
UID:1328-1537644600-1537648200@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Pordenone Legge Book Festival\, Italy
DESCRIPTION:The Italian translation of The Watch House is published by Bollati Boringhieri on 30th August 2018. Translated by Simona Garavelli\, it appears under the title  Le parole nell’aria (The Words in the Air). \nOn 22nd September\, Bernie McGill will be interviewed by Mary B. Tolusso at Pordenone Legge Book Festival\, Italy. \nÈ l’estate del 1898 nella piccola isola irlandese di Rathlin. La giovane Nuala Byrne\, non vede altra possibilità per garantirsi la sopravvivenza se non sposare l’anziano sarto del paese. Ma sull’isola sbarca uno scienziato italiano\, collaboratore di Guglielmo Marconi\, cui sono affidati i primi esperimenti del telegrafo senza fili. E quando Nuala verrà arruolata come apprendista\, il mondo della scienza le aprirà nuovi\, inimmaginabili orizzonti.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/pordenone-legge-book-festival-italy/
LOCATION:Auditorium Istituto Vendramini\, Via Beata E. Vendramini\, 2 33170\, Pordenone\, Italy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Copertina.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180914T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180914T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180814T153338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180815T113920Z
UID:1317-1536919200-1536940800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Dropping Your Gaze: A Day of Mindfulness and Writing with Michelle Gibb and Bernie McGill in the Festival Yurt\, Bangor Castle Walled Garden
DESCRIPTION:Mindfulness is the practice of learning to be present. It is also beneficial for calming the physical state of the body and quietening the mind. Whether you’re new to writing or have been writing for a while and are looking for a way to rejuvenate your approach\, this day of guided mindfulness and writing exercises\, led by two experienced facilitators\, will refresh and enhance your writing skills and leave you with a simple toolkit that you can use in your everyday practice. Alongside focused writing exercises\, you will learn: the importance of breath work and how to calm your breathing; how reducing the mind chatter can help centre your writing focus; a fifteen second calming technique; visualisation guidance and advice; short and simple brain gym exercises. All levels welcome. Please bring a packed lunch. \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet and of a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers. She has worked for twenty-five years as a creative writing facilitator\, is a Writer in Schools with Poetry Ireland and a Professional Mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre. www.berniemcgill.com \nMichelle Gibb is a poet\, life coach and yoga teacher whose work has been published locally by A New Ulster and nationally by United Press.  She is qualified in kinesiology\, hatha yoga and energy medicine and has been practicing yoga\, mindfulness and meditation as well as facilitating groups for over ten years. www.michymodo.com \nTo book\, see this event in the Aspects Festival programme\, or contact Bangor Visitor Information Centre Tel: 028 9127 0069 (Mon\,Tue\, Thur & Fri 9.15am-5pm\, Wed 10am-5pm & Sat 10am-4pm) Email bangorvic@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk \nor Ards Visitor Information Centre: Tel 028 9182 6846 (Monday- Friday 9-5 pm\, Saturday 9.30-5pm) Email ardsvic@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/dropping-your-gaze-a-day-of-mindfulness-and-writing-with-michelle-gibb-and-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Festival Yurt\, Bangor Castle Walled Garden\, Valentine Road\, Bangor\, BT20 4BN\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5281-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Aspects Festival":MAILTO:museum@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180823T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180823T170000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180711T161932Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180815T114821Z
UID:1306-1535029200-1535043600@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Fiction Writing Workshop\, the Governor's Room\, Linen Hall Library\, Belfast
DESCRIPTION:A practical afternoon workshop on the everyday craft of writing with the aim of sparking ideas for new work. All levels of experience welcome. Come with writing materials and be prepared to write. \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet (named by Julian Fellowes as his novel of the year in 2012)\, and Sleepwalkers\, a collection of short stories\, shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize in 2014. \nBook online at the Linen Hall or Tel. the Box Office on 028 9087 2219. \nThe Linen Hall Library is a truly unique institution. Founded in 1788\, it is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland. \nIt has a radical and ‘enlightenment’ foundation\, and ever since has prized its independence and has maintained the principle that its resources are owned by the community for the community. \nIt is renowned for its unparalleled Irish and Local Studies Collection\, ranging from comprehensive holdings of Early Belfast and Ulster printed books to the 250\,000 items in the Northern Ireland Political Collection\, the definitive archive of the recent troubles. \nThe Library also boasts the Northern Ireland Theatre and Performing Arts Archive\, a unique collection reflecting our rich cultural heritage. The Linen Hall has an illustrious profile as a centre of cultural and creative life and offers a varied programme of events ranging from monthly exhibitions to readings and lectures.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/fiction-writing-workshop-at-linen-hall-library-belfast/
LOCATION:Linen Hall Library\, Belfast\, 17 Donegall Square North\, Belfast\, BT1 5GB\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/post_display_open-uri20140117-18635-np6z8u.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180723T144500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180725T161500
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180711T155438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180711T155438Z
UID:1300-1532357100-1532535300@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Fiction Writing Workshops at John Hewitt International Summer School
DESCRIPTION:Develop your writing skills under the direction of one of our eight tutors who are all experienced facilitators and published authors. Each workshop runs over three days\, and each intensive session lasts for 90 mins. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nBernie McGill will facilitate the Fiction Writing Workshops at this year’s summer school. Her publications include novels The Butterfly Cabinet (2011) and The Watch House (2017) and a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers(2013). Her short fiction has been shortlisted for numerous awards and in 2008 she won the Zoetrope All-Story Award in the US. Her work has been anthologised in the award-winning collections\, The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and Female Lines. \n\nFor a full list of workshops at this year’s summer school\, including Getting Started with Nessa O’Mahony; Poetry with David Wheatley; Poetry with Siobhan Campbell; Short Story with Mary O’Donnell; Memoir with Ferdia MacAnna\, and Radio Drama with Eoin McNamee go to the John Hewitt Society website. Full programme of readings and talks from Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th July also available there. \nBook the Fiction Writing Workshop online or Tel. the Box Office at the Market Place Theatre\, Armagh on 028 3752 1821 or email boxoffice@marketplacearmagh.com. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/fiction-writing-workshops-at-john-hewitt-international-summer-school/
LOCATION:Market Place Theatre\, Armagh\, Market Street\, Armagh\, Armagh\, BT61 7BW\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Bernie-McGill-author-pic-e1577395781126.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180616T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180616T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180513T180222Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180523T105731Z
UID:1258-1529143200-1529179200@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:On the Same Page with Sheena Wilkinson & Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:A day-long intensive fiction writing and editing workshop for committed writers facilitated by two of Northern Ireland’s most acclaimed fiction writers. \nCome prepared to write\, share your work and learn how to take your skills to the next level. From the first spark of inspiration to sending your work out into the world\, Bernie and Sheena will guide you through the process\, drawing on their own experiences in publishing and offering practical advice for the submission process. \nThe day will be broken down as follows: \n10.00am  – 1.00 pm SPARK\nGenerating ideas\n2.00pm – 4.00pm SHAPE\nEditing techniques \n6.00pm – 8.00pm SEND\nOutlets and advice on submission \nTo book go to On the Same Page at the Belfast Book Festival. \n  \nAbout the tutors \nBernie McGill is the author of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories short-listed in 2014 for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize\, and of two novels: The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet (named in 2012 by Downton creator Julian Fellowes as his novel of the year). Her work has been placed in the Seán Ó Faoláin\, the Bridport\, and the Michael McLaverty Short Story Prizes and she won the Zoetrope:All-Story Award in the US in 2008. Her stories have been widely anthologised\, in the award-winning The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and\, most recently\, Female Lines. She is the recipient of a number of Arts Council of Northern Ireland Awards\, is a creative writing facilitator in the community and with Poetry Ireland’s Writers in Schools Programme as well as a Professional Mentor for the Irish Writers’ Centre. (www.berniemcgill.com) \nSheena Wilkinson has been described by The Irish Times as ‘one of our foremost writers for young people’.  She has written seven novels\, the most recent being Star By Star\, shortlisted for the BGE Irish Book Awards 2017. She has won many awards\, including the CBI Book of the Year Award for Grounded. She has won or been placed in the Sean Ó Faoláin\, Fish\, Brian Moore\, Writers Bureau and Riptide International short story competitions. Her work has been anthologised in The Great War (2014)\, and most recently in Female Lines. She is an ACNI Major Award Holder and Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow. She teaches Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin and for Arvon.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/on-the-same-page-with-sheena-wilkinson-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Crescent Arts Centre\, 2-4 University Road\, BELFAST\, BT7 1NH\, United Kingdom
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180613T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180613T193000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180513T175550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180513T204000Z
UID:1250-1528914600-1528918200@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Sue Hubbard & Bernie McGill at Belfast Book Festival
DESCRIPTION:Sue Hubbard and Bernie McGill arrive at this year’s festival with two novels that have garnered rave reviews from every corner.  Tonight they will read from Rainsongs and The Watch House. \nSue Hubbard’s Rainsongs conjures the rugged beauty of County Kerry’s coastline and the inner landscapes of its characters in richly poetic and painterly language. It unfolds as a compelling tale of grief\, art\, and the fragile\, quiet ways in which time and place can offer a measure of redemption. \nIn Bernie McGill’s The Watch House\, during the summer of 1898\, on the small Irish island of Rathlin strangers have arrived from the mainland\, laden with mysterious radio equipment. When native Nuala Byrne is sent to cook for the Italian engineer Gabriel\, she becomes enthralled by the world of knowledge that he brings from beyond her own narrow horizons. It is  a gripping novel\, beautiful and lyrical\, tender and fierce. \nBook at Belfast Book Festival.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/sue-hubbard-and-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Crescent Arts Centre\, 2-4 University Road\, BELFAST\, BT7 1NH\, United Kingdom
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180606T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180606T190000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180513T173609Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180523T110927Z
UID:1244-1528308000-1528311600@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Belfast Book Festival Meet the Author: Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:Bernie McGill is one of Northern Ireland’s most respected authors and following the May 2018 launch of The Watch House in paperback\, come along and join in the conversation led by BBC’s Helen Mark. \nFocusing on her career to date and the recent inspiration and setting for The Watch House\, Rathlin Island\, this is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know the author in an informal and relaxed session at Books\, Paper\, Scissors bookshop. \nBernie McGill studied English and Italian at QUB and graduated with a Masters degree in Irish Writing. She has written for theatre (The Weather Watchers\, The Haunting of Helena Blunden)\, novels\, The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet and a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers. Her short fiction has been nominated for numerous awards and in 2008 she won the Zoetrope:All-Story Short Fiction Award in the US. Her work has been anthologised in award-winning collections The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and in Female Lines. She is a recipient of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s inaugural ACES (Artists’ Career Enhancement Scheme) Award in association with the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University\, Belfast.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/meet-the-author-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Books\, Paper\, Scissors\, 15 Stranmillis Road\, Belfast\, BT9 5AF\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Watch-House-PBB-e1562248742229.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180531T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180531T200000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180513T171127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180521T191222Z
UID:1227-1527793200-1527796800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:In Conversation with Margot McCuaig at Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival
DESCRIPTION:The Watch House\, a novel set on Rathlin in the years of Marconi’s early wireless experiments is a gripping story about the power of words to connect us\, and the power of suspicion to drive us apart.  Author Bernie McGill reads from her book\, and joins in conversation with Margot McCuaig\, writer\, filmmaker and Rathlin resident in part-time exile in Scotland. \nFor full updates on the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival which takes place this year from Friday 25th May to Sunday 3rd June\, and to be in with a chance of winning return ferry travel from Ballycastle and a voucher for The Manor House\, sign up for the newsletter here. Results on Saturday 19th May 2018. Ferry timetable between Ballycastle and Rathlin here. Accommodation on Rathlin here. \nBernie will be taking a writing workshop at the Manor House on Thursday 31st May from 2pm-4pm. Free admission but places are limited. To book phone The Manor House on 028 2076 0046. \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/in-conversation-with-margot-mccuaig-at-rathlin-sound-maritime-festival/
LOCATION:St Thomas’ Church\, Rathlin Island\, County Antrim\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/St-Thomas.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180531T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180531T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180513T160604Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180521T190135Z
UID:1204-1527775200-1527782400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Fishing for Words: A Creative Writing Workshop on Rathlin Island
DESCRIPTION:A creative writing workshop led by Bernie McGill for participants aged 16+.  No previous experience required. Come with writing materials and be prepared to write and share your work in the surroundings of the beautiful Manor House on Rathlin Island. Numbers are limited so please phone the Manor House (028 2076 0046) to ensure a place. Here’s the ferry timetable between Ballycastle and Rathlin. \nBernie McGill is the author of The Watch House\, a novel set on Rathlin Island at the time of the Marconi wireless experiments in 1898. Watch the book trailer\, filmed on Rathlin for a taster of the island. \nBernie will read from The Watch House\, in conversation with writer and filmmaker Margot McCuaig in St. Thomas’ Church on Rathlin Island at 7pm on 31st May. \nFor full updates on the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival which takes place this year from Friday 25th May to Sunday 3rd June\, and to be in with a chance of winning return ferry travel from Ballycastle and a voucher for The Manor House\, sign up for the newsletter here. Results on Saturday 19th May 2018.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/fishing-for-words-a-creative-writing-workshop/
LOCATION:The Manor House\, Rathlin Island\, County Antrim\, BT54 6RT\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://berniemcgill.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_4884.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180429T200000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180429T213000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180404T153839Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180404T153839Z
UID:1166-1525032000-1525037400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Small Town Stories with Joshua Burnside\, Damian Smyth & Bernie McGill
DESCRIPTION:This very special evening of words and music features three artists of exceptional talent presenting poetry\, songs and story on the theme of small town living. This will be an intimate and memorable performance not to be missed. \nJoshua Burnside was born in Ireland\, but cites the music of Colombia\, Eastern Europe and North America as the greatest influences on his unique sound. Deftly blending folk textures and melodies with elements of electronica\, he has made it difficult for pundits to put him in a box. \nBernie McGill’s novel\, The Watch House\, was published in 2017 by Tinder Press. She is also the author of Sleepwalkers\, a collection of stories short-listed in 2014 for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize\, and The Butterfly Cabinet. Her work has been placed in the Seán Ó Faoláin\, the Bridport\, and the Michael McLaverty Short Story Prizes and she won the Zoetrope:All-Story Award in 2008. \nDamian Smyth’s five collections are Downpatrick Races (2000)\, The Down Recorder(2004)\, Lamentations (2010)\, Market Street (2010) and Mesopotamia (2014). English Street is due later this year. He is Head of Literature & Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. \nThis event is part of the first ever Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas\, a springtime festival with more than 30 events taking place throughout the village including poetry\, prose\, music\, film and talks plus events for families and young people. \nJoin us for: The Great Hillsborough Book Hunt\, Book Doctors\, Donal Ryan\, Kerry Hudson\, Doireann Ní Ghríofa  & lots more. Full programme of events and online booking on the John Hewitt Society website. \n  \n 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/small-town-stories-with-joshua-burnside-damian-smyth-bernie-mcgill/
LOCATION:Market Room\, The Courthouse\, Hillsborough\, The Square\, Hillsborough\, Co Down\, BT26 6AG\, United Kingdom
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180429T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180429T190000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180404T154505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180404T154505Z
UID:1176-1525024800-1525028400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:English PEN readings at Hillsborough
DESCRIPTION:In solidarity of writers who are in prison or otherwise at risk around the world\, five Northern Irish writers will read from the work of some of the incredible individuals supported by English PEN’s Writers at Risk Programme. The event will be introduced by Hannah Trevarthen\, Events and Development Manager at English PEN. \nEnglish PEN supports the freedom to write and the freedom to read in the UK and around the world. 
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/english-pen-readings-at-hillsborough/
LOCATION:Market Room\, The Courthouse\, Hillsborough\, The Square\, Hillsborough\, Co Down\, BT26 6AG\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180428T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180428T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180403T214931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180404T151543Z
UID:1158-1524911400-1524933000@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:An Expert's Guide to Promoting your Book: Mindshift at Verbal Arts Centre\, Derry
DESCRIPTION:The key to being a commercially successful writer is learning how to get yourself and your book the exposure it deserves. Writers are often responsible for attracting their own audience and it is through the power of publicity that the media\, and more importantly readers\, will become attracted to your work. Join Mary Byrne (PR Director\, Harper Collins Ireland)\, Patricia Hamilton (Director of the Aspects Festival)\, Michelle Mac Mullan (Senior News Anchor\, Newstalk) and Bernie McGill (author of The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet)\, during this highly practical\, one-day series where they will discuss their own experiences with publicity and offer advice on gaining recognition in the industry. All sessions will allow for Q&A. \nRunning Order \n10.30 – 11.40 | Patricia Hamilton\, Director of the Aspects Festival\, offers insight into how to connect with relevant curators and organisers\, and the etiquette of ‘getting out there’. \n11.50 – 1.00 | Bernie McGill\, author of The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet shares her experiences of working with publishers and publicists as well as navigating the highs and lows of self-promotion. \n1.00 – 2.00 | Lunch \n2.00 – 3.10 | Mary Byrne\, PR Director at Harper Collins Ireland\, will discuss book promotion from a publishers perspective including how publishers aim to achieve maximum impact with new titles. \n3.20 – 4.30 | Michelle Mac Mullan\, Senior News Anchor at Newstalk\, looks at book promotion and best practice in approaching\, and grabbing the interest of\, the media while looking at ways to get a review\, an interview or how to make your book news worthy. \nAbout the speakers \nMary Byrne was appointed as PR Director at Haper Collins Ireland last year. She worked in the children’s publicity department of Puffin for many years and was also a PR consultant specialising in children’s books. \nPatricia Hamilton has been the director of Aspects Irish Literature Festival since 2013. She is also a visual artist and is Arts Officer with Ards and North Down Borough Council\, Northern Ireland. \nMichelle Mac Mullan is the Senior News Anchor for Newstalk. She has spent more than a decade working as a broadcast journalist with household names like Todayfm\, 98fm and RTE. \nBernie McGill is the author of two novels\, The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet\, both published by Tinder Press\, and of a short story collection\, Sleepwalkers\, published by Whittrick Press. \nRun in partnership with the Verbal Arts Centre
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/ni-mindshift-experts-guide-promoting-book/
LOCATION:Verbal Arts Centre\, Stable Lane and Mall Wall\, Bishop Street Within\, LONDONDERRY\, BT48 6PU\, United Kingdom
ORGANIZER;CN="Irish Writers' Centre":MAILTO:info@writerscentre.ie
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180422T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180422T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180228T142156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180301T223215Z
UID:1099-1524393000-1524412800@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:Stories Made Real\, a One Day Writing Workshop with Bernie McGill at Ballyeamon Barn\, Cushendall
DESCRIPTION:Ben Okri\, in his essay ‘The Joys of Storytelling’* has written about how important story has always been in our lives\, how the great storytellers kept the darkness at bay from around the fire\, how they made the stories real to their listeners. Too often we overlook the importance of concrete\, everyday\, ‘real’ imagery in writing – we think we need to write about the exotic\, about what is outside of our own experience\, when what we need to do\, I think\, is examine our own lives\, and see what we can use from that. \nA practical one-day workshop on the everyday craft of writing at the home of international storyteller Liz Weir. All levels of experience welcome. Come prepared to write. Cost includes lunch at the barn. \nTo book please contact Liz Weir liz@lizweir.net \n*published in A Way of Being Free (Phoenix\, London\, 2002)
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/stories-made-real-a-one-day-writing-workshop-at-ballyeamon-barn/
LOCATION:Ballyeamon Barn\, 127 Ballyeamon Road\, Cushendall\, Ballymena\, Antrim\, BT44 0QP\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180414T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Dublin:20180414T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T203216
CREATED:20180327T120645Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180327T120645Z
UID:1147-1523718000-1523723400@berniemcgill.com
SUMMARY:A Fiction Reading with Bernie McGill and Beatrice Colin
DESCRIPTION:Crossways: The Irish Scottish Cultural & Literary Festival\n 9th ~ 15th April 2018 ~ Merchant City\, Glasgow \nBernie McGill and Beatrice Colin will read from their work at this Crossways Festival event at the Vic Bar in the Tron Theatre\, Glasgow. \nBeatrice Colin is the author of the novel To Capture What We Cannot Keep\, published in the US in 2016 by Flatiron Books as well as in the UK\, Australia\, Germany\, Italy\, Brazil\, Poland and the Czech Republic in 2017. She also wrote The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite (published as The Glimmer Palace in the US) and The Songwriter. She has been shortlisted for a British Book Award\, a Saltire Award and a Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award and writes short stories\, screen and radio plays and for children. One of her children’s novels\, My Invisible Sister (with Sara Pinto) has been made into a film for TV by Disney in the US. Her novel for children\, Pyrate’s Boy is written under the name E.B. Colin and published by Floris Books. Beatrice is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. \nBernie McGill is the author of the novels The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet and the short story collection Sleepwalkers\, shortlisted in 2014 for the Edge Hill Prize. She has been published in the UK\, the US and in translation in Italy and the Netherlands. Her work has been placed in the Seán Ó Faoláin\, the Bridport\, and the Michael McLaverty short story prizes and she won the Zoetrope: All-Story award in the US in 2008. Her short fiction has appeared in acclaimed anthologies The Long Gaze Back\, The Glass Shore and Female Lines\, all by New Island Books\, and for the theatre she has written The Haunting of Helena Blunden and The Weather Watchers. She works as a creative writing facilitator\, as a professional mentor with the Irish Writers’ Centre and as a writer in schools for Poetry Ireland. \nThe particular aim of the Crossways Festival is to foster and expand the rather weak literary links between Ireland and Scotland across the North Channel. It brings together notable Irish writers\, musicians\, filmmakers and cultural figures – from both North and South – together with their Scottish peers\, in a well-planned and well-balanced Festival focussing on the longstanding contribution of Irish people\, history\, language\, culture and writing to both Glasgow and the Scottish nation.The overall balance is about one-third Irish\, one-third Diaspora Irish-Scottish\, and one-third Scottish. \n\n\n\nMost events are free across all venues\, but it is recommended that advance booking be made from 23 March for those at City Halls (0141 353 8000 / www.glasgowconcerthalls.com) and the Tron Theatre (0141 552 4267 / www.tron.co.uk). \nAdmission will otherwise be on a first come\, first served basis. Babbity Bowster\, the Vic Bar at the Tron\, and Blackfriars Basement have a seating capacity of around 50. Early arrival is therefore advised.
URL:https://berniemcgill.com/event/fiction-reading-bernie-mcgill-beatrice-colin/
LOCATION:The Vic Bar at the Tron Theatre\, 63 Trongate\, Glasgow\, G1 5HB\, United Kingdom
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