Next week, I'll be in New York and Washington D.C. for some readings and talks. All welcome. Free, just register. September 29th: Georgetown University, Washington Thursday October 2nd: Glucksman Ireland House, NYU Friday October 3rd: Princeton with Yiyun Li fis.princeton.edu/event/readin...

We're really looking forward to this Dublin Book Fair event in November with Evelyn Conlon (author and UCD Press co-editor of After the Train) and author Sinéad Gleeson in conversation with author and journalist Clodagh Finn! Saturday, 8 November 11 am IMMA, RHK 🎟️ Get your tickets: bit.ly/dbf-att

Our Secondhand Superstar David took Aoife Barry’s article (@sweetoblivion.bsky.social) & Sinéad Gleeson’s anthology (@SineadGleeson.bsky.social) & went searching through the shelves to find …

Great turnout for the Norah Hoult plaque unveiling in Terenure. Thanks @louisekennedy.bsky.social, Dublin City Council, Lord Mayor Ray McAdam, Jimmy (the house owner), the writers who showed up - with a shoutout on the day to @sarahmaintains.bsky.social & @naoisedolan.bsky.social for their activism

Oh wow! I devoured The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers ed. Sinéad Gleeson & then passed it onto a friend - this has prompted me to look for it again & perhaps do a bit more searching in the stacks of Secondhand!

We have been shadowbanned on this event and yet we are nearly sold out…come help us sell out and show your love and support for Palestine and Gaza. www.ticketmaster.com/voices-for-g...

Congratulations @sineadgleeson.bsky.social and @louisekennedy.bsky.social and thank you @dubcitycouncil.bsky.social - great to see a big group of people celebrating Norah Hoult today in Terenure 💫

Honoured to have an essay in this new @dauntbookspub.bsky.social anthology, Over the Water, alongside many great writers. My piece takes in real V fictional islands in art/writing (Robert Smithson, Napoleon, Hagstone, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Joyce, Plath, Alice Maher, Rachel Fallon). Out next April

Brilliant conversion between new Laureate for Irish Fiction, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and Niall MacMonagle at @nlireland.bsky.social. Sounds like Éilís has great plans for her three-year tenure. @cormackinsella.bsky.social @artscouncilireland.bsky.social

Jaws!!! A shark shaped hagstone - holes bored in shale layers by Common Piddocks (Pholas dactylus). County Clare, Ireland.

Ten years ago this week, The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers was published. ​It took a huge amount of research, but introduced me to many writers, and to the historical omission of Irish women from the literary canon. @newislandbooks.bsky.social www.newisland.ie/shop/p/the-l...

The Sibyls, a stunning new show by Alice Maher, has just opened at Kevin Kavanagh Gallery and runs until October 11th. Terrific conversation led by Jesse Jones on hair, power, lies and dispossession. Great to see Vivienne Dick (writing about her in the next book) www.kevinkavanagh.ie/exhibitions/...

This book by legendary photography Steve Pyke is out next month. There will be an accompanying exhibition opening at Photo Museum Ireland in Dublin on October 9th, featuring portraits of Irish writers (honoured to be one of them). @lilliputpress.bsky.social www.lilliputpress.ie/products/scr...

Media from me re flotilla and Gaza connachttribune.ie/galway-activ...

🧵Irish writer Norah Hoult was born today in 1898. Despite publishing 27 books (and banned more than John McGahern and Edna O'Brien), her work has been hugely overlooked. I included stories by her in The Long Gaze Back and The Art of The Glimpse. momentsofrecognition.substack.com/publish/post...

On RTÉ Arena @ 7pm tonight, to mark 40 years of Hounds of Love, ‪me and @sineadgleeson.bsky.social‬ (to whom I am forever grateful for writing the 💥preface to the remastered edition of Under The Ivy) grapple with the big beast of Kate Bush’s discography. Should be fun! www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

How to sum up the impact and legacy of The Hounds of Love by @katebushmusic.bsky.social? Tonight, ahead of the 40th anniversary of the album's release, @graemethomson.bsky.social and I will attempt this on @rteradio1.bsky.social's Arena at 7pm. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1... @paulashields.bsky.social

Our lead ship on the Global Sumud Flotilla was droned and caught fire. The six who were onboard are safe, and our mission will continue. They know international opinion is turning inexorably against them. Bombing peaceful humanitarians won’t exactly help that, but it’s the only response they’ve got.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the death of Ana Mendieta. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

A must-read on racism and its cruelties from the brilliant Cauvery Madhavan www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This brilliant supernatural, romcom directed and cowritten by my brother David is debuting tonight at the Toronto Film Festival tiff.net/films/eternity

Anyone who knows Galway poet @sarahmaintains.bsky.social knows that in her day job, writing and life. An activist to the bone; advocating for those in Direct Provision, LGBTQI rights, & against racism & fascism, She joins Greta Thunberg today on globalsumudflotilla.org www.rte.ie/news/middle-...

Euro Country is released today, which means you all finally get to hear Lord Let That Tesla Crash. open.spotify.com/track/7zG2yp... Buy the album here: open.spotify.com/track/7zG2yp... @cmatbaby.bsky.social

The best album of 2025, @cmatbaby.bsky.social’s Euro Country is out tomorrow. Superb lunchtime show today in Belfast, with the whole audience singing every word. Interviewed Ciara a few months ago for the album press release. Will post soon on Substack. Also the CMAT/Amanda Coogan collab must happen

Mariam Dagga, a journalist killed yesterday by the IDF left behind two sets of instructions: that her colleagues not cry at her funeral, and asked her 11-year-old son to make her proud. Murdering journalists. Bombing hospitals. Causing a manmade famine. Slaughtering children. This horror has to end.

I hope the folks involved here can rescue this David Wojnarowicz mural. hyperallergic.com/1034063/a-40...

vertiginous writing from @sineadgleeson.bsky.social from 2021 that I discovered this morning in search of clarice, in imitation of (the) crônicas writing the body--for and from the sea of flesh a must-read for readers of clarice lispector granta.com/clarice-lisp...

Climbing out of the book bunker for a Jennifer Johnston event with Claire Kilroy & Christine Dywer Hickey, 06/09. Curated by @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social at @paviliontheatre.bsky.social, featuring Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Dermot Bolger, Frank McGuinness, Carlo Gebler. www.eventbrite.com/e/readers-da...

This essay about Ana Mendieta airs tonight at 7.30pm on @rteradio1.bsky.social, or you can listen back afterwards here: www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Remembering Sinéad O’Connor on her 2nd anniversary, and words from a new song, Milestones, she sang the last time I saw her play live. It ends with the lines: “One day we’ll sit with our maker Discuss over biscuits and soda Which one of you and me was braver Which one of us was a true soldier?”

This has been an excellent series by Paula McGrath. Great to essays and non-fiction included too. archive.ph/EpxbT

As Bookbanks new Ambassador I’d like to spread the word about this brilliant charity giving books with food at food banks. Please share and support if you’re able :) www.bookbanks.co.uk

I sent this to a friend earlier, who needed it, and maybe you do too. “Listen I love you joy is coming” — Kim Addonizio

What a shot of sheer joy Riot is. Part comedy, aerial show, political pulpit, circus… and a mankini. Full of heart, energy and craft. Ends tomorrow - well done @pantibliss.bsky.social @thisispopbaby.bsky.social @emmetkirwan.bsky.social Lords of Strut, Omar Cortes Gonzalez, The Sirens, Up & Over It.

I’ve written a radio essay about Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, which will be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 on July 27th at 19.30pm. It’s part of A Giant at my Shoulder, where guests champion a writer or artist who has had a huge impact on their work. momentsofrecognition.substack.com/p/on-touchst...

8.30pm tonight Marino Church: @marthabayne.bsky.social @miekeeerkens.bsky.social & Allyson McCabe, three essayists who contributed to "Nothing Compares To You: What Sinéad O'Connor Means To Us" will be in conversation with music journalist @eoghantpoe.bsky.social www.westcorkmusic.ie/events/2025/...

Éilís Ní Dhuibhne is a brilliant writer, thinker, activist, Irish language champion and a wonderful person. An excellent appointment as the next Laureate for Irish Fiction. youtu.be/a-3Utp8tdDw @artscouncilireland.bsky.social

Tonight, join us at Hodges Figgis at 6pm to launch Nothing Compares To You: What Sinéad O’Connor means to Us. @unamullally.bsky.social @marthabayne.bsky.social

As excavation begins at the Tuam Site, thinking of all those affected directly and indirectly Resharing this article I wrote some time ago www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... The Institutions’ past and resources on teaching it is now also included on the National Curriculum

GET UP AND WORK IMMEDIATELY Happy birthday, David Hockney. Words I keeping going back (and that turn up in Hagstone).

An intimate and evocative celebration of the life and legacy of music and political icon Sinéad O’Connor, featuring writers including Neko Case, Sinéad Gleeson, Rayne Fisher-Quann, Porochista Khakpour, and more. Coming 31st July and available to pre-order now 🎤 www.bookstation.ie/product/noth...

Next Tuesday July 15th at @hodgesfiggis.bsky.social, co-editor @marthabayne.bsky.social, Alysson McCabe and Mieke Eerkens and I will chat to @unamullally.bsky.social about Sinéad’s impact and our essays (mine is on Mandinka). All welcome, 6pm. www.hodgesfiggis.ie/events @sonyahuber.bsky.social

This anthology on Sinéad O’Connor’s music is published this month. Lots of great writing, an intro by Neko Case and two Irish events to celebrate its launch, including one at @wcorklitfest.bsky.social on July 17th www.westcorkmusic.ie/events/2025/... @sonyahuber.bsky.social @marthabayne.bsky.social

Honoured to be shortlisted for this prize. Last week at The Dock, I spoke about how much John McGahern’s work means to me. Am in great company with Ferdia Lennon, Alan Murrin and Anna Anna Fitzgerald. Thanks to the judges and @irishinstitute.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Off here for now, but here’s a photo from today’s writing: Virginia Woolf’s bedroom at Monk’s House, from a 2023 visit. The fireplace features a painting by her sister Vanessa Bell of Godrevy Lighthouse in Cornwall, where they visited as children, and said to be an inspiration for To The Lighthouse.

A quote from Rory Hearne’s Gaffs, from @mrkocnnll.bsky.social’s column: “This is a viscerally pernicious inequality. Those without access to homes can literally touch and see derelict buildings abandoned because the owners have an excess of wealth and property.” www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Extraordinary five-hour performance by Amanda Coogan at @ulstermuseum.org, responding to the work of Joseph Beuys.

How to Live An Artful Live by Katy Hessell (of the Great Women Artists podcast) features creative advice from 366 artists and writers, including Zadie Smith, Marina Abramovic, Deborah Levy, me, Leonora Carrington, Hilton Als, Yayoi Kusama, Louise Bourgeois Pre-order www.penguin.co.uk/books/471552...

Looking forward to Greyhound by @joannapocock.bsky.social, about revisiting the US by bus, 17 years apart, in two very different Americas. A book that also looks at environment, capitalism and her own life. Out August with @fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social

Anyone who has written about physical pain (me) knows how hard it is to capture. Maggie Nelson does it brilliantly in Pathemata: Or, The Story of My Mouth, which is never singular, and takes in love, mortality, parenting, the pandemic. My @theguardian.com review: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...