Cork, New York and San Francisco

I'll say cheerio for a bit. I'm of to Cork, New York and San Francisco. Excitement!

CORK: For the Cork International Short Story Festival, to hear readers such as Angela Bourke and Alistair MacLeod, and to chair a panel on short story anthologies with editors and publishers of four recent anthologies, namely Kevin Barry, Sinéad Gleeson, Micheál Ó Conghaile and Elizabeth Reapy.That's on at 2.30pm in Triskel Christchurch on Saturday.

I may even participate in the Culture Night event - Flash Fiction Rapid Fire - at 9.15pm on Friday night. Also in Triskel.

NEW YORK: To meet my new literary agent and see if she enjoyed the finished novel. Eeek, nervous. And to enjoy New York, of course :)

SAN FRANCISCO: For the first time for the launch of my chapbook of short-short stories, Of Dublin and Other Fictions on Friday the 27th September at the Parc 55 Wyndham, Union Square at 7pm, as part of the American Conference for Irish Studies. I'll read from the book, which is the first publication for publisher Tower Press, run by Idaho-based academic Jodi Chilson. If you are in San Fran, or you know anyone there, all are welcome to come along to the launch.

On Sunday the 29th, I'll be giving a talk on the Irish Short Story at the Irish Literary and Historical Society at 5pm in the United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco.

I'll talk to you all when I am back. Slán go fóill!

DELAWARE - LEWES CONFERENCE - AFTERS

I am in that strange jet-lag land today - I feel like I'm wading through cottonwool all day. And my lovely Granny-in-law died yesterday, so things are all topsy turvy here.

Delaware was fantastic, as were Pennsylvania and New Jersey; 3 States in 6 days - what fun. Writer Billie Travalini, a native Delawarian, whom I met through a mutual love of short fiction, was my hostess with the mostess in Wilmington, Northern Delaware.

The Lewes Writer's Conference - organised by Billie - was wonderful; lots of enthused and friendly writers and my first taste of the poetry and insights of the rather excellent Devon Miller-Duggan, whose collection Pinning the Bird to the Wall has my brain zinging. In Lewes we stayed with Billie's friends Dr and Mrs Miller, and they couldn't have been sweeter or more welcoming to a wandering Irish writer.

Lilies at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania

So, a few pics. With Granny's death and general exhaustion I haven't the will for more. All thanks to The Arts Council for contributing towards my trip and to Billie and the Millers for hosting me.

Billie's writing desk

Billie Travalini on the deck of her cabin by the Brandywine River in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanian butterfly - it was HUGE

I really fancied this cabin across the river from Billie's

Speed limit sign by the cabin

Me on Billie's Wilmington balcony, Delaware

Amish pie fillings at Booths Corner Farmers' Market, Penn.

Amish produce, Booths Corner

Amish honey, Booths Corner

Bathroom mermaid, Lewes

Billie opening the Lewes Conference

Lighhouse, Lewes - from the ferry to Cape May, New Jersey

Cape May, New Jersey, in the rain

Dellas diner, Cape May, New Jersey - they do a great veggie burger

Me on the Cape May-Lewes ferry

10th ANNUAL SEAN Ó FAOLÁIN PRIZE - DEADLINE LOOMS

Judge Joyce Russell

There are just 12 days to go to the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Prize deadline on July 31st. The prize is ten years in existence this year and is open to all writers. €15 entry fee.

Judged once more by former winner Joyce Russell, first prize consists of €2000 (approx $2600/£1700) in cash, publication in Southword, a reading spot at the Cork International Short Story Festival in September, with hotel accommodation and meals provided AND a week at Anam Cara writers' retreat.

Entry details here. Read last year's winning story here. There are also prizes and publishing opportunities for second place and four runners-up.

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year Award

Good news for the Irish short story with the announcement of a new category in the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards: the Writing.ie Short Story of the Year Award. (Maybe my emails to them last year paid off, though I got no reply?) It's a limited response to a much needed category but at least it's something.

This new category is open to short stories of up to 7000 words published between 1^stNov 2012 and 31^st October 2013 in any of the following contexts: a collection of short stories by a single author; an anthology of short stories; or an established journal or magazine, digital or print, that has been in existence for at least six months within the period of eligibility.

Stories must be original fiction, i.e. neither a reprint nor adaptation of a previously-published work, and all stories must have been or will be published in English or Irish during the qualifying period.  Stories published in Irish must be supplied with an English translation. The author must be Irish by birth, citizenship or long-term residence.

Stories should be submitted via the online form here by editors ONLY. Closing date for entries is 1^st September 2013.

Stories may only be submitted by the editor of the publication in which the story appears, with full permission of the author, with a maximum of one story per edition or collection. Self published works, at this stage, are not admissable. An individual author may be entered more than once for the competition if their work appears in more than one publication. It is the editor’s decision which author will represent each of their publications. Submission of an entry is taken as acceptance of all the terms and conditions of entry which can be found here.