CloudNine

Happy Christmas from Cloud Nine. 2010 was a good year for me. I won quite a few awards this year and finally managed to complete my first short story collection (more about that anon). I also finally got around to arranging the completion of my PhD thesis which I'm hoping will turn into some kind of book next year. In 2011 I have a new short play on at the Arcola Theatre in London, and my play, Leopoldville (which won the 2010 Papatango New Writing Award) will have its first reading in the US. I'm really looking forward to that. The picture here is 'Eine Kleine Nachtmusik' by Dorothy Tanning. I saw this startling piece at the Tate Modern this year where it is one of the many Surrealist works in the Poetry and Dreams exhibition. Tanning was the wife of Max Ernst and as I've come to know her work I have to say I prefer hers to his. Have a great Christmas and a brilliant 2011!

The new Poetry Ireland Review (issue 102), edited by Caitriona O'Reilly, will be in all good bookshops soon. I have reviewed three recent volumes of poetry for this issue. Also, my feature on the Irish sugar industry should be published in the Irish Left Review shortly.

The Guardian are posting a series of podcasts in the lead up to Christmas with different authors reading and discussing their favourite short stories. The first one is Philip Pullman reading Chekov's 'The Beauties': http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/short-stories-podcast The Guardian also featured an article in the paper’s review section on the weekend about said favourite short stories, with my own preferences echoed by Jeanette Winterson and Colm Toibin. So I thought I’d post my own favourite top ten here. But just to say first, there’s been a lot written recently (particularly in an introduction to a certain Granta collection) along the lines of the-British-not-being-able-to-write-short-stories-as-well-as-the-Irish type of thing. Well, I have to say that some of the finest short story writers I’ve ever read are in fact, British.  I wonder is it  a rather jingoistic thing to group pieces of writing under 'national' umbrellas anyway? Probably not - though ...

Very nice to get a mention on the Poetry Library website: http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/news/poetryscene/?id=713

To see the winning poems in the recent 2010 Liverpool Lennon Poetry Competition judged by Carol Ann Duffy, just download them from the following link. As winner I get to be on top: www.beatlesstory.com/.../beatles_story__1291046637_Paper_Poems.pdf

Congrats to Comma Press author, David Constantine!   BBC National Short Story Award 2010 The Winner and Finalists DAVID CONSTANTINE WINS THE BBC NATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD 2010 The 2010 winner is David Constantine for his poetic and beautifully crafted story about the end of a relationship, Tea at the Midland . James Naughtie, chair of this year's judging panel commented, "The winning story, Tea at the Midland , is remarkable for the rich poetry at its heart and the economy with which David Constantine creates a story with fully formed characters and a memorable setting. It has imagination, depth and brevity. What more could you say about a short story?" 2010 SHORTLIST The five shortlisted stories are: Tea at the Midland by David Constantine Haywards Heath by Aminatta Forna Butcher's Perfume by Sarah Hall If it Keeps on Raining by Jon McGregor My Daughter the Racist by Helen Oyeyemi Front Row interviews each of the ...

Future Arcola, coming soon... In January 2011 London's brilliant and eclectic Arcola Theatre will be moving to Ashwin St, opposite Dalston Junction Station. The theatre team are currently converting a beautiful 19th Century factory. It is the former home of Reeves - makers of paint for the likes of Turner - and appropriately named Colourworks . I am happy to announce that I have been commissioned to write a short play to be staged at the new Arcola space in March 2011.   Will keep you posted.

Liverpool Lennon Poet 2010 Paper Poet  Jaki McCarrick The Beatles Story are proud to announce that the Liverpool Lennon Poet 2010 was a fantastic success. Jaki McCarrick was declared as the first ever winner of the Liverpool Lennon Paper Poetry competition by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. The glittering ceremony was held on Saturday the 6th of November in the Sir Paul McCartney Auditorium at Lipa (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.) May I personally thank everybody who supported the event and encouraged such an amazing rersponse. I enclose a copy of Jaki McCarick's deservedly winning poem Roger Cliffe-Thompson Competition organizer eventpoets.co.uk "In my poem ‘The Selkie of Dorinish,’ I imagine John and Yoko living on the island of Dorinish in Clew Bay, Co. Mayo. Lennon purchased this island in the '60s. I imagine an unusual arrangement for the couple in which John is a shape-changing seal. I rarely enter poetry competitions but I got a strong fe...

For various reasons I did not attend the Lennon Poetry prize-winning ceremony at LIPA in Liverpool this weekend. This of course meant I did not get to meet the wonderful and brilliant Carol Ann Duffy, whose work I have long admired and been influenced by. Nonetheless, it seems I have won the 'paper poet' section of the competition with my poem, The Selkie of Dorinish , in which I imagine John and Yoko living on the island of Dorinish in Clew Bay, Co. Mayo. Lennon purchased this island in the '60s. I imagine an unusual arrangement for the couple in which John is a shape-changing seal. I rarely enter poetry competitions - to be honest I can't afford them - but I got a strong feeling for this poem after coming across an article on Mayo by Tamasin Day-Lewis in Cara , the Aer Lingus magazine. Like a lot of writers, I am often at my most creative when travelling about. Anyway. Here's what The Liverpool Echo says: THE FIRST winner of the Liverpool Lennon Poetry competit...

I'm posting details here of an interview with my good friend (and director of The Mushroom Pickers ), director and play translator, Svetlana Dimcovic. Here she talks about the subtle art of translation - and what she has to say might just as equally be applied to translating poetry. The interview is by Jo Caird. http://www.ideastap.com/magazine/knowledge/theatre-translator-interview

Yep. It's out. 142 new poems, one of them by yours truly. Published by Limerick City Council, The Stony Thursday Book is available via the usual poetry outlets.

Very happy to learn today that Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate, has selected my poem as one of the eight from which she will announce the winner and runners up in the Liverpool Lennon Paper Poet Competition. This will happen at the Liverpool Lennon Poetry Slam to be held on Saturday the 6th of November at LIPA in Liverpool. I've never actually been to Liverpool before so I'm completely looking forward to this prize-giving weekend. As ever, it's wonderful to be shortlisted no matter what the outcome.  Link: http://www.beatlesstory.com/media-room/liverpool-lennon-paper-poet-finalists-announced.html

This is just to let you know that my short story, ‘The Visit’, recently shortlisted in the UK for the Wasafiri Prize for New Writing, was announced winner at a ceremony last week in Somerset House, London. I won joint first prize with another shortlisted writer, Jayne Ryan, and was presented with cheque by Fiction judge, Romesh Gunesekera (nominated in 1995 for the Booker Prize for his novel, Reef) . Wasafiri is Britain’s premier magazine for international contemporary writing. Published quarterly, it has established a distinctive reputation for promoting work by new and established voices across the globe. The 2010 Summer issue of the magazine was dedicated to Irela nd: Texts and Contexts and featured articles by Declan Kiberd and Alain Chouinard. ‘The Visit’ is set against the backdrop of Bill Clinton’s visit to Dundalk in 2000 and will appear in the March issue of Wasafir i. More info: http://www.wasafiri.org/pages/news_01/news_item.asp?News_01ID=205 The ceremony was also part...

The Good Ear Review is a new literary journal for dramatists. Every week it publishes a monologue from established and emerging writers alike.  (I have read some wonderful monologues in this journal.) Well, today it's my turn. The monologue comes from my play, KINDRED, an adaptation of Euripides' Electra set on the Irish border. I am currently adapting the play for radio. In the selected monologue, Eoghan Hartnett has returned home having been away in the US for twelve years. We already know that his father, Heber Hartnett,  now dead, was a leading Republican, famed for his speeches and great story-telling - but Heber also had many secrets.  In this scene Eoghan finds an old story his father used to tell called 'The Field of Hands': http://thegoodearreview.com/

Lots of playwriting and screenwriting opportunities listed here. Have fun! LitNet a new Development organisation in Northern Ireland LitNet NI is a new literature development organisation set up to provide support for writers and literature professionals working in Northern Ireland. Litnet NI has a strong co-ordinating role, bringing individuals and organisations working in the field of literature together. Its new literature forum encourages co-ordination and partnership working at local level and between regional and inter/national organisations and individuals. It will benefit the literature community in Northern Ireland through training, information and the means for contact and shared practice. The organisation runs a Professional Development and Mentoring programme for writers and literature workers. Business and creative skills for mid-career and emerging practitioners will be developed working in collaboration with leading UK literature organisations. LitNet NI Conference...