A real privilege to get to talk stories, reading and ideas with a bunch of wonderful undergrad medical students at Queen’s today. It’s great to see STEM courses weaving the arts into their students’ university experience

Perennial post

90% of my copy edits are changing ‘til to till and yet I continue to write ‘til every time it comes up in a new piece. (See also, that should be a comma not a semicolon and does the full stop go inside or outside the bracket?) God bless my editor.

So grateful to Belfast-based artist Catherine Minford for capturing me so beautifully in this gorgeous painting. Check out her work at www.CatherineMinford.com

Join us to celebrate the publication of FOUND IN A CONTEXT OF DESTRUCTION, the debut collection of poetry by Tim MacGabhann! We're launching in @booksupstairs.bsky.social on 12 February and in No Alibis in Belfast on 19 February. All are welcome! bansheepress.org/read/join-us...

A brilliant conversation between Daisy Fancourt and Hilary Copeland crescent arts centre this evening. Huge congratulations to the team NI Science Fest kicking off another stellar festival programme in style today.

Homage to Barbara Pym (also myself)

I’ve got a brand new short story, a re-imagining of the Lot’s Wife narrative up on the EFACIS website as part of Kaleidoscope 3. It’s my favourite thing I’ve written in ages. Follow the link here if you fancy spending 15 minutes with the “Salty Wives” kaleidoscope3.efacis.eu/publications...

I lost this badge a few years ago. I need to source a new one as a matter of urgency

I recommend starting your writing week with an enormous software update which leaves your laptop in limbo for a good hour. Gah.

Last night I dreamt that someone started a comedy club for Christians and it was called “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” and I’m pretty impressed that my unconscious brain is capable of punning on this level.

Happy joint birthday to the best bookish trio ever - me, Liza Thompson (editor extraordinaire) and Charles Dickens (not pictured here). All born on this very day.

Kudos to the two drunk men on a bench outside City Hall telling every single person who walks past that they’re beautiful. Good to have your full armour on before you make it to Royal Ave where a street preacher with a megaphone will tell you how vile and depraved you are.

Sara Baume does it again - this is the book equivalent of a deep life affirming breath and it’s been a joy to read over the last few days. Out in July from @grantabooks.bsky.social

A tiny sun has appeared at the very bottom of the weather forecast and it’s only 10 days away. (I fear Belfast might be submerged by this point)

I can’t work out how to make online graphics so here is a shot of the Irish launch dates and venues for #FewAndFarBetween written on a post it. More events to come (and better graphics hopefully)

I’ve been on the Enterprise 6 times this year so far and it’s yet to arrive on time. Why don’t they just admit that it’s not 2 hours and 10 minutes from Belfast to Dublin and then everyone could amend their expectations accordingly?

I’ve just been floored by my first encounter with Mavis Gallant. I know, I know, it shouldn’t have taken me this long to pick her up and yes, I will be seeking out the short stories asap.

Funny, familiar and bittersweet - a cracking debut novel by @patrickfreyne.bsky.social published in June. A must read for anyone who’s ever been in or around a not particularly successful band.

The French translation of #PostcardStories has just arrived on my doorstep. Translated by students of the University of Lorraine and published by Editions de L’Oxalide. This is the second translation from the original Emma Press publications.

“I will not be acquiring any books on this trip to Dublin,” she said, with tremendous conviction.

Thanks to my weird algorithms for highlighting the fact that Ali Smith and Barry Keoghan are pretty much the same person.

Thanks to all the amazing booksellers, programmers, bloggers and bookish people who came along to tonight’s @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social showcase for Irish writers. It was great to meet so many of you and to have a chance to talk about #FewAndFarBetween

In praise of publicists, so good, they know exactly which seat you’d like best on the train and book your tickets accordingly. Looking at you Leonor Araújo. It’s the little things that make all this scuttling about more bearable.

New Margaret Drabble!!! How lucky are we?

Photoshoot with the Captain up at Stormont this afternoon in preparation for the launch of #FewAndFarBetween

It’s my second Hilary Mantel of the year and it was another cracker; a sequel to her first novel. She’s such an unflinching observer of human nature. Every single character here is a stand out. Dark and funny and wry. Loved it #MyYearWithHM

Some incredibly generous words from the legend that is @stuhennigan.bsky.social sometimes these weird online places aren’t entirely awful and they still allow writers to find each other and be supportive. Stu’s novel Keshed is published very soon and sounds like a brilliant read.

The best thing about Frederick Wiseman season at the QFT is getting my Wiseman library card stamped at each viewing. The second best thing is Joan’s excellent intros which are ace. (There are still loads of docs to come, you too can acquire your own Wiseman library card).

PEOPLE!!!! We made it through the longest January of all time. It was bleak, it was cold, but it was also my best reading month in a very long time. Hard pressed to pick nine favourite reads but here they are. All gems.

Huge congratulations to Lee and Helen. It was an absolute treat to celebrate the opening of Ok Afie Coffee this afternoon. Best coffee in Tandragee, delicious pastries and a super warm welcome.

Ultimate rural driving nightmare - there’s a tractor parade in Scarva. Just driven past on the other side of the road laughing at the people stuck behind 60 tractors, am fully aware that normally life would have me firmly in the middle of that queue

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. I have loads of brilliant suggestions now

Thursday night, end of January, four invites to great arts events on the one evening, made it to two, both were top notch and bunged - sometimes, it’s good to be reminded how great the arts community is in Belfast.

An absolute pleasure to be part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Digital Film Archives @qftbelfast this evening. So many fabulous projects over the years and such wonderful footage.

Happy George Saunders Day to all of you who celebrate.

You can now reserve a free spot at the #FewAndFarBetween book launch on April 7th in the Crescent Arts Centre via the wee link below. crescentarts.org/events/few-a...

Jane Austen with a side of tinned meat - more Barbara Pym please and more @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social - thanks @irishtimes.com @martindoyle.bsky.social

I need some help folks. I’m looking for a song from Ireland or by an Irish artist suitable to be sung by a choir which is explicitly (ie quite obviously) about community and good times. Something nice and upbeat please.

Scheming with a bunch of brilliant creatives in Bullhouse this afternoon. Cannot wait to tell you all about a very exciting #FewAndFarBetween collaboration with @eastsideartsbel coming later this year.

Not a complaint, just something I wish id known a decade ago. The amount of unpaid work required of a writer in the months around publishing a book is crazy. Articles. Interviews. Admin. For me it equates to an extra 10-15 hours per week. Constantly feeling like I’m playing catch up with myself.

Read two Narnia books back to back for a research thing today and the experience has driven me to watching Die My Love. CS wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

❛ What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though. J. D. Salinger, who died #OTD in 2010.

I’ve just had my first glimpse of the extremely pretty maps of the Neagh Archipelago which come as a bonus print with the No Alibis special edition of #FewAndFarBetween preorder if you want to make sure you get one. Once they’re gone they’re gone.

Cookie cutters have arrived for the #FewAndFarBetween launch. Looks like we’re going to have boat shaped shortbread to celebrate the Neagh Archipelago.

I've been busy, so it took almost 2 wks to read "The Raptures" by @jancarsonwrites.bsky.social. which is no reflection on the book, just my time management. This is a story from rural Northern Ireland where schoolchildren begin to die mysteriously... More in Alt text.

Sunday morning in a coffee shop and I can see five separate people reading actual books including a whole wee family, kids and all. Makes it feel less counterproductive to be sat in the corner writing a book.

It’s been 3 weeks since I watched Marty Supreme and I still have the thought “I hope the bath isn’t going to go hurtling through the floor” every time I step into it. Just me?

This is a cracking read… new novella coming soon from Danielle McLaughlin. Published by @stingingfly.bsky.social

Beginning my year of reading Flannery O’Connor with my umpteenth read of Wise Blood. It’s so visceral and strange and acutely observed. It’s a massive understatement to say it was way ahead of its time but it absolutely was #MyYearWithFOC