reading
In Conversation with novelists Nuala O’Connor and Martina Devlin at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy
Seamus Heaney HomePlace 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, United KingdomJoin writers Nuala O'Connor and Martina Devlin for a discussion about their historical fiction novels based on the lives of real people. Nuala O’Connor’s novel Nora tells the story of Nora Barnacle, one of the world’s most famous muses, bringing her out from behind the shadow of James Joyce. Nora was named a Top 10 2021 historical novel by the New York Times and was the One Dublin One Book choice for 2022. Martina Devlin’s new novel Edith: A Novel is set during the War of Independence and focuses on Edith Somerville, who was one-half of Irish writing sensation Somerville and Ross. Writing with her cousin Violet Martin, she produced some of Ireland’s most celebrated literary works, such as The Real Charlotte in 1894 and The Irish RM stories, which have stayed in print for more than a century. Nuala and Martina will be in conversation with novelist Bernie McGill to explore historical fiction, responsibility to the past and the celebration of fascinating women. Book via Seamus Heaney HomePlace.
Book Week NI Author Panel: John Self hosts Bernie McGill and Wendy Erskine
Chichester Library 109 Salisbury Avenue, Belfast*This event is now available to view online. Renowned international literary critic John Self will host a panel with authors Bernie McGill and Wendy Erskine to discuss their recent short story collections This Train Is For and Dance Move, and the importance of the short story genre. Bernie McGill is the author of two novels, The Watch House, (2017, Tinder Press), nominated for the Ireland/European Prize for Literature, and The Butterfly Cabinet, (2011, Headline Review), and one previous short story collection Sleepwalkers, (2013, Whittrick Press), shortlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Her short fiction has been nominated for numerous awards and in 2008 she won the Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Award in the USA. Her work has been anthologised in award-winning collections including The Long Gaze Back, The Glass Shore, Her Other Language, The Danger & the Glory, Belfast Stories, and Female Lines. She has been the recipient of numerous Arts Council of Northern Ireland Awards, and is a former Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University, Belfast. She now works as a Lector and Associate Fellow for the Royal Literary Fund, and offers One-to-one mentoring via the Irish Writers’ Centre. This Train is For was published […]
This Train is For by Bernie McGill is shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize
London Review Bookshop 14-16 Bury Place, London, United KingdomThis Train is For by Bernie McGill, published by No Alibis Press, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Edge Hill Prize, awarded annually by Edge Hill University for excellence in a published single authored short story collection. This is the second time that Bernie's work has been shortlisted: her first collection Sleepwalkers was shortlisted in 2014. This year the judges for the prize are Lucy Luck (Agent with CWA), last year’s winner Saba Sams, and Edge Hill University lecturer and short story writer Andrea Ashworth. They will decide the winner between these wonderful shortlisted collections. Follow the links for interviews with the authors: Total by Rebecca Miller (Canongate) Love in the Time of Chaos by Rosemary Jenkinson (Arlen House) Cat Brushing & Other Stories by Jane Campbell (Riverrun) Animals at Night by Naomi Booth (Dead Ink Books) This Train is for… by Bernie McGill (No Alibis Press) The literary world, particularly fiction, has long been dominated by the novel. To recognise the acceleration of what was once an overlooked art form, Professor Ailsa Cox (the world’s only Professor of Short Fiction) founded the Edge Hill Short Story Prize in 2006, highlighting the intricate craftsmanship of short story writing. The Prize […]
(SOLD OUT) Between the Lights: Writing Workshop with Bernie McGill at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy
Seamus Heaney HomePlace 45 Main Street, Bellaghy, United KingdomThe Celtic festival of Samhain traditionally marks the end of the lighter half and the beginning of the darker half of the year. It was believed that at this time, the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. As we head into the darker weeks of the year you are invited to join us for a half-day writing workshop around the theme of passing between the lights. This will be a practical workshop on the everyday craft of writing with the aim of sparking ideas for new work. Open to all from experienced writers to first-timers, poets and prosers alike. Come with writing materials, prepared to write. Bernie McGill’s latest publication is the short story collection This Train is For, long listed in July 2023 for the prestigious Edge Hill Prize, published by and available from No Alibis Press. Bernie is author of The Butterfly Cabinet, The Watch House and the short story collection Sleepwalkers (shortlisted for the Edge Hill Prize in 2014). She is an experienced facilitator and mentor and an Associate Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund. Book this workshop on the Seamus Heaney HomePlace website* Full programme of events at Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Autumn/Winter 2023. *Please note this workshop is now sold […]
Michelle Gallen in Conversation with Bernie McGill
Linen Hall Library, Belfast 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, United KingdomThe critically acclaimed author of Big Girl, Small Town and Factory Girls, Michelle Gallen, joins us at The Linen Hall Library for an insightful conversation with Bernie McGill about her work. Fresh from her well-deserved Comedy Women in Print prize, Michelle will delve into how her characters’ narratives are intricately shaped by her deep connection to place, rural life, Northern Ireland politics, and her unique life experiences. Copies of the book will be available to buy on the evening of this event. ABOUT MICHELLE GALLEN Michelle Gallen was born in Northern Ireland in the mid-1970s and grew up during the Troubles a few miles from the border between what she was told was the “Free” State and the “United” Kingdom. She studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin, then survived what doctors now suspect was autoimmune encephalitis in her mid-twenties. Her debut novel, Big Girl, Small Town was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. Her critically acclaimed second novel, Factory Girls, was published in 2022. She now lives in Dublin with her husband and kids. About Bernie McGill Bernie McGill is the author of two novels: The Watch House (nominated for the Ireland European Union Prize for Literature in 2019) and The Butterfly […]
Taster Workshop: Short Story Writing with Bernie McGill
Women's TEC 29 Chichester Ave, BELFAST, United KingdomFocus on Short Story… with Bernie McGill, a workshop for the North Belfast Festival 2024 In this short participative creative writing workshop, you will be offered a number of prompts and writing exercises to help get you started on (or help you to develop) your own short story. Come with an open mind, prepared to write. Bernie McGill is the author of two novels (The Watch House and The Butterfly Cabinet) and two short story collections (This Train is For and Sleepwalkers). She is the 2023 winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize for This Train is For (No Alibis Press). www.berniemcgill.com This event will take place at the Women's TEC, 29 Chichester Avenue, Belfast, BT15 5EH. Cost: £5. To book go to Taster Workshop on the North Belfast Festival website. For the full programme of the North Belfast Festival (23rd - 25th February 2024), including tours, exhibitions, talks, performances and workshops visit Look North! The North Belfast Festival.
Short Story Writing with Bernie McGill at the John Hewitt International Summer School, Armagh
Market Place Theatre, Armagh Market Street, Armagh, Armagh, United KingdomJoin writer Bernie McGill in an investigation of the short story and the ways in which short story writers can make one thing seem to cause the next. This course will offer exercises, prompts and discussion that will help you to develop and revise your work within a community of fellow writers. Come with an open mind, prepared to write. This course will take place during the John Hewitt International Summer School at the Market Place Theatre, Armagh. Workshops are scheduled for Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th July 2024 from 2.45 pm to 4.45 pm and cost £70 in total. Participants should attend all three sessions. All levels are welcome. Spaces are limited - advance booking is essential. To book go to the Market Place Theatre. Bernie McGill is the 2023 winner of the prestigious Edge Hill Prize for her short story collection This Train is For. Her first collection, Sleepwalkers, was shortlisted for the prize in 2014. She is the author of two novels (The Butterfly Cabinet (2010) & The Watch House (2017)) and is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund. For the full programme of the John Hewitt International Summer School taking place from Monday 22nd to Saturday […]
Scribes at the Duncairn: Bernie McGill, Jan Carson & Paul McVeigh chaired by Marnie Kennedy
Duncairn Cultural Arts Centre Duncairn Avenue, Belfast, United KingdomFeaturing Paul McVeigh, Bernie McGill & Jan Carson at Duncairn Arts Centre, Duncairn Avenue, Belfast. Chaired by Marnie Kennedy, Shared Reading facilitator. This event is hosted by Stories@theDuncairn, a volunteer-led, community literary project, in partnership with the Greater New Lodge Community Festival and Féile an Phobail. Café at the Duncairn open for tea, coffee and refreshments. Wine Reception. All welcome! Doors open at 6.30pm Paul McVeigh’s short stories have been in numerous anthologies including ‘Being Various’, ‘The Art of the Glimpse’ and ‘Common People’. They have also been printed in ‘The London Magazine’, ‘The Stinging Fly’ and ‘The Irish Times’, on radio at BBC 3, 4, 5; RTE 1, and Sky TV. His ten-part short story series, ‘The Circus’, appeared on BBC Radio 4 in 2023. Paul co-founded the London Short Story Festival and is associate director of Word Factory, ‘the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story’ The Guardian. Paul’s debut novel, ‘The Good Son’, won The McCrea Literary Award and The Polari First Novel Prize. His writing has been translated into seven languages. Bernie McGill is the 2023 winner of the prestigious Edge Hill Short Story Prize for her collection This Train is For (No Alibis […]
Mums Meet and Make: Creative Writing with Bernie McGill at Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady
Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre 24 Main Street, Limavady, United KingdomMOMENTS IN MOTHERHOOD | CREATIVE WRITING WITH BERNIE MCGILL Wednesday 20 November | 9.30-11am Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady Cost: £8 With prompts and support from Bernie you’ll create a poem or piece of prose about your motherhood journey, about your baby, or about yourself. After the workshop we invite you to stay for refreshments. This workshop is suitable for those with children under 1 who are not yet mobile or who will sit in a pram and car seat throughout. Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre is proudly breastfeeding-friendly and baby-changing is available. ABOUT MUMS MEET & MAKE This series of creative workshops is specifically designed for new parents with immobile infants under 1, giving you the opportunity to tap into your creativity, relax, and practice mindfulness. These workshops are enriching, enjoyable and budget-friendly and offer new mums the chance to foster friendships that will last a lifetime. Book at this link. ABOUT BERNIE McGILL Bernie McGill is an award-winning novelist and short story writer and winner of the 2023 Edge Hill Short Story Prize for her short story collection This Train is For, published by No Alibis Press. Her novel The Watch House was nominated […]
Mums Meet and Make: Creative Writing with Bernie McGill at Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart
Flowerfield Arts Centre 185 Coleraine Road, PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland, United KingdomWednesday 27 November | 9.30-11am Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart Cost: £8 With prompts and support from Bernie you’ll create a poem or piece of prose about your motherhood journey, about your baby, or about yourself. After the workshop we invite you to stay for refreshments. This workshop is suitable for those with children under 1 who are not yet mobile or who will sit in a pram and car seat throughout. ABOUT MUMS MEET & MAKE This series of creative workshops is specifically designed for new parents with immobile infants under 1, giving you the opportunity to tap into your creativity, relax, and practice mindfulness. These workshops are enriching, enjoyable and budget-friendly and offer new mums the chance to foster friendships that will last a lifetime. After each workshop, we encourage you to stay and enjoy some refreshments. Flowerfield Arts Centre is proudly Breastfeeding-friendly and baby changing is available. Book at this link. ABOUT BERNIE McGILL Bernie McGill is an award-winning novelist and short story writer and winner of the 2023 Edge Hill Short Story Prize for her short story collection This Train is For, published by No Alibis Press. Her novel The Watch House was nominated in 2019 for the […]