Longlisted for the RTE Guide/Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition

A great start to this week with the news that one of my short stories has been longlisted in the RTE Guide/Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition. I have been invited to a day of workshops and talks in Dublin in September where I hope to meet some of the people whose names have become familiar to me as I research editors and agents for my novel.

The last writing workshop I attended was back in 2002 with Éilís Ní Dhuibhne in the Irish Writers' Centre in Dublin. I got so much out of that ten-week course and always hoped to attend other writing courses at some stage. Three children and the fact that I then emigrated to rural France made that rather difficult.

At the beginning of the year, I decided I would attend some conferences or writing courses no matter how complicated the childcare/work arrangements were. In April I won the Writing West Midlands Short Fiction competition and travelled to Birmingham to read and collect my prize. I mingled with other emerging writers, sipped wine with the team at Writing West Midlands, and discussed writing and other things with author Tiffany Murray. A couple of hours in the company of like-minded people was a real pleasure.

But I still had my eye on workshops or 'events' where I could listen to editors, agents, publishers and fellow writers discussing the book industry. And so I began to plan a trip to the upcoming Cork Literary Festival http://www.corkshortstory.net/ (18th to 22nd September) and hope to attend some interesting events.

And now, another opportunity to visit Dublin arises and I begin a new flight search. How to make it to Dublin and drive kids to after-school activities simultaneously? I'm sure it'll all sort itself out. Looking forward to the RTE Guide/Penguin Ireland day. May even be in with a chance of winning...

Hopefully the millions will start rolling in soon to pay for this expensive habit.

Jazz in Marciac (3) Joe Cocker and Todd Unctious

Joe Cocker was one of the big acts this year and he played to a packed marquee. Even better than I remember, when he came to Marciac in 2007.  At 69 years of age he can still belt them out.

Warm-up act was Canadian Kellylee Evans. She has a powerful voice, mixed a little hip hop with jazz to interesting results, and she managed to charm the audience by speaking excellent French.

  

And Joe. What to say about Joe? Able to send a thrill down your spine from the other end of a rugby pitch. He sang a good few songs from his new 'Fire it up' album, but loads of the oldies as well--You can leave your hat on, With a little help from my friends, Unchain my heart, and the heart-stopper, You are so beautiful. What a show.

 

  

First time I noticed the physical similarity with Todd Unctious from Father Ted, must have been the black clothes!



So I feel obliged to link to a clip from Father Ted. No disrespect Joe!



Here's Mrs Doyle's list (copied from this blog I found while searching the very subject.

Fr. Andy Riley,
Fr. Desmond Coyle,
Fr. George Byrne,
Fr. David Nicholson,
Fr. Declan Lynch,
Fr. Ken Sweeney,
Fr. Neil Hannon,
Fr. Keith Cullen,
Fr. Ciaran Donnelly,
Fr. Mick McEvoy,
Fr. Jack White,
Fr. Henry Bigbigging,
Fr. Hank Tree,
Fr. Hiroshima Twinkie
Fr. Stig Bubblecard,
Fr. Johnny Hellzapoppin’ ,
Fr. Luke Duke,
Fr. Billy Ferry,
Fr. Chewy Louie,
Fr. John Hoop,
Fr. Hairycake Linehan,
Fr. Rebulah Conundrum,
Fr. Peewee Stairmaster,
Fr. Jemima Racktool,
Fr. Jerry Twig,
Fr. Spodo Komodo,
Fr. Cannabranna Lammer.
Fr. Todd Unctious
YES!!!!!

And no, Kellylee is nothing like Mrs Doyle.

Jazz in Marciac (2) Wynton Marsalis and Mr Bean

 

 

 

At JIM (Jazz in Marciac) festival, we're so chilled out we're horizontal (of course, that may be the heat and the wine but one can't be sure.)

The godfather of the festival, the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, was pure class. Playing with his quintet: Walter Blanding (saxophone), Carlos Henriquez (bass), Ali Jackson (drums) and Dan Nimmer (piano), this was the first of his two appearances at the festival.  He has played every year at JIM since 1991 and there's even a statue of him in the village. Here's his Marciac Suite album.

 

 

There's something very unassuming about him, but he's adored by the festival organisers, especially due to the work he puts into the teaching of jazz, passing on the tradition. I wish I had access to the masterclasses that my daughters have been attending.

 

  

We couldn't help thinking of Mr Bean at the Olympics when we watched Dan Nimmer on the piano (sorry Dan!)

 

 

 

So I have to add that clip which still makes me laugh. 

  

 



Jazz in Marciac (1) Esperanza Spalding and Wayne Shorter

 

 

Jazz in Marciac

For the 36th year running, the tiny village of Marciac in the Gers department of France opens its shutters to some of the jazz greats. It's amazing to see the village square turned into a huge stage and musicians playing in every café and corner.










Restaurants pop up everywhere and visiters can sample some of the specialties of this region of France, notably foie gras and Saint Mont wine. Duck and Armagnac are on the menu too.

















The huge square in the centre of the village hosts the 'off' festival. My daughter, a student at the local collège, will perform here. The collège specialises in jazz and students spend five hours a week working those improvisations.

 

 

I love the juxtaposition of crisp white sails and colombage buildings, plastic chairs and ancient stone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course the real stars who perform in the two big venues every evening--the chapiteau and l'Astrada. So far we've seen Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding, Wayne Shorter, and looking forward to many more over the next couple of weeks.

Hard to take good photos in the chapiteau, but here's Esperanza Spalding, a cool lady on the double base with an amazing voice...

... and Wayne Shorter, celebrating his 80th birthday this year, and a legend on the sax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Gone Girl: Review

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The story begins on Amy and Nick's fifth wedding anniversary. Nick returns home to find his house has been ransacked and Amy is missing. The police suspect him immediately especially as there seems to be an unexplained gaping hole in his alibi.

We are then taken back in time to when Nick and Amy first met, told through Amy's diary. Amy is an spoilt rich girl who analyses the world through personality quizes. She has a Sex and the City vibe about her and I liked her quirky personality. Nick seemed an ordinary kind of guy and I hoped he hadn't killed Amy, but guessed he probably had.

As the story unfolds through Nick's voice in the present, with the cops and his in-laws and the media turning against him, and through Amy's diary in the past as she dissects their marriage through the years, we begin to feel sorry for Amy. She had a childhood unlike any other, which included the wonderful folly of 'Amazing Amy', her parents' books based on a perfect child, so work and marriage just couldn't live up to expectations.

Gillian Flynn's writing seems flimsy and light, yet we realise, as the characters are slowly revealed, that the writing is actually strong and deliberate. We never know which characters we dislike more yet are drawn to reading on to know what happens. By the end I disliked them and felt sorry for them in equal measures. I was amazed at how my opinion of each character changed as the author brought me through each twist and turn.

I chose to buy this as an audio book and think it was probably enhanced by the narration. Even in my head I wouldn't have been able to sustain that New York spoilt-girl voice of Amy. Great narration by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne.

Dark Places and Sharp Objects are Gillian Flynn's two other novels which I'm looking forward to reading sometime soon.

The Herbalist: Review

The Herbalist by Niamh Boyce

This debut novel by Niamh Boyce is set in a market town in Ireland in the 30s. It's also the town where I grew up, so the book holds a special fascination for me.

An exotic stranger sets up in the market and calls himself a herbalist. The women of the town flock to buy his potions, tinctures and creams. But he also brings trouble. The story is told through the eyes of Emily, Sarah, Carmel and Aggie, who all come from different backgrounds. As their stories unfold, we realise the importance of wealth and standing and how few choices women had in those days.

Lured into the tale by stories of love and lust and loss, we don't realise until half way through that this story has a dark underbelly. The lives of the characters are interesting, the manner in which they unfold, captivating. But what lingers long after I've put the book down is the dark reality of life for those women. The herbalist plays only one part in the unspoken horrors of the times.

I've followed Niamh's journey to publication from the Novel Fair at the Irish Writers' Centre, through updates on her blog  and finally to getting my hands on a signed copy. I feel incredibly proud and I don't even know her.

Overall an enjoyable and powerful read. I'm already looking forward to Niamh's next offering.

Granta 123 Goodreads Review

Hilary Mcgrath's Reviews > Granta 123: The Best of Young British Novelists 4

Granta 123: The Best of Young British Novelists 4
by Granta: The Magazine of New Writing, John Freeman (Editor)

Hilary Mcgrath's review

Jun 23, 13  ·  edit

5 of 5 stars

Read in May, 2013

Fantastic and varied writing in this collection. I had a hard time pacing myself so that I could fully enjoy each author. Overall, a wonderful sample of these authors’ works and I look forward to getting my hands on their next novels. A common theme seemed to be the experience of immigrants in Britain or elsewhere (Indians in Dubai). We reap the rewards of such a multi-cultural society with the variety of stories produced from the immigrant experience.

I listened to the audio version and realise that one of the downsides of listening (as opposed to reading) is that it’s hard to spell the names of the characters in the stories for review purposes.

Most memorable stories:

Tahmina Anam: Anwar gets everything
The story of Indians brought to work on building sites in Dubai. We get a glimpse into their living conditions, the demands to send money home, their difficult working life. One of the workmen thinks he is entitled to more--a girlfriend, air-conditioning, trips to the cinema--but ends up washing windows on a swaying platform on one of the highest buildings in the middle of a sandstorm. Anwar advises him not to look down.

Naomi Alderman: Soon and in our days
I loved this tongue-in-cheek tale, a humorous piece about Judaism in Britain, which makes us think about religion in society. Praying to the Prophet Elijah, we have a sneak preview of what would happen if he did come down on Earth. It’s not often that I actually LOL when reading, but I did here. A memorable line about Greta, who didn’t like goat's cheese. I need to read more from this author. Listening to her podcast on the Granta website, I believe she is now mentored by Margaret Atwood. Looking forward to reading more.

David Szalay: Europa
Told through the eyes of a Hungarian immigrant as he accepts a job as minder for Emma, this is a fascinating insight into his world. Emma is brought to a hotel for her first job as a prostitute. The minder reflects on his role, while attracted too to Emma, and sits with Emma’s boyfriend in the car waiting.

Evie Wyld: After the Hedland
Set in the Aussie outback among sheep shearers, the main character, a woman, tells of the tough existence and the difficulty of being a woman in this world. She is running away from something so she has no choice but to stick with what the outback throws at her. Looking forward to reading the finished novel.

Adam Thirlwell: Slow Motion
Written in conversational style, the main character really takes the reader into his head. ‘What I thought was this…’ We know his every thought as he tries to dispose of a girl's body, a girl who he woke up with but doesn’t remember going to bed with.

Sanjeev Sahota: Arrivals
Indians working and living in a cramped flats in Sheffield. Most of them are illegal and know they have no choice but to accept the worst jobs with toughest conditions. The main character got married in order to have a proper visa but doesn’t dare suggest to his wife that they move in together. He describes his days making chapatti before work, sharing the house, buying supplies from different shops to avoid chances of being caught as illegals in Britain. They go to work in van in the freezing cold, yet are thrilled to see snow for the first time. There is respect for elders, and a curiosity to know from which region in India each new person comes. I was totally engrossed in this story and am looking forward to completed novel.

Many other stories and authors worth reading in this collection.