Just a few spots left on this fiction writing course for beginners that I’m hosting in Winchester! ⬇️⬇️

People of #Winchester! I will be teaching a 6 week Fiction Writing course for absolute beginners in The Arc in Oct - read all about it and book your spot here!: helencullen.com/store/fictio...

Delighted to share that the Nero New Writers Prize in assoc. with Brunel Uni is now OPEN for entries from unpublished writers in Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children's Fiction. For full details visit nerobookawards.com/new-writers-... Good luck!

The next free Brunel Uni publishing webinar is Thurs 10th - Submitting your Work to Literary Journals with Lisa McInerney from The Stinging Fly, Josie Mitchell from @grantamag.bsky.social and Jamie Cameron from The London Magazine - please register here to join us: www.eventbrite.com/e/submitting...

Huge thanks to Sam Copeland of RCW Literary Agency, Emma Bal of Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency and Laurie Robertson from PFD Literary Agency for an amazing Meet the Agents panel for Brunel University yesterday - and to everyone who came!

On Thurs 10th, we have our 3rd Brunel Uni free publishing webinar: find out everything there is to know about submitting to literary journals. Join us to hear from Lisa McInerney (Stinging Fly), Sana Goyal @wasafirimag.bsky.social and Jamie Cameron @thelondonmagazine.bsky.social Register here⬇️

If you are submitting to literary agents, or would like to understand more what they do/how it all works, join us Tuesday 8th for the next free Brunel Uni's publishing webinar, Meet the Agents with folks from RCW, PFD and Madeleine Milburn agencies. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-the-a...

Last Chance Siren: Our Meet the Editors webinar is this eve @7pm. Register for free to hear about publishing from amazing editors, Joelle Owusu of #MerkyBooks, @samjordison.bsky.social of @galleybeggars.bsky.social and Katie Bowden from @4thestatebooks.bsky.social: www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-the-e...

On 25.06 ,we have our first free Brunel Uni online publishing webinar with editors Joelle Owusu from #MerkyBooks, @samjordison.bsky.social from @galleybeggars.bsky.social and Katie Bowden from @4thestatebooks.bsky.social Register here to demystify publishing: www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-the-e...

I will be giving a Short Story workshop on August 6th thanks to super organiser / writer / brilliant lecturer @wordsofhelen.bsky.social via Brunel University Sign up below 👇 All Welcome

Exciting Announcement: Brunel Uni is hosting a series of free online creative writing workshops and publishing industry webinars this summer. Please check out this link to read more and register: www.eventbrite.com/cc/brunel-un...

Loved interviewing James Dean Bradfield from #ManicStreetPreachers for today’s Sunday Times Magazine - I could have filled the whole magazine with his wit, wonder and wisdom but this must suffice! Talk about being a band for our times! www.thetimes.com/culture/musi...

I’m so looking forward to seeing my superhuman pal, @elainefeeney.bsky.social light up the @irishculturalcentr.bsky.social in London this Friday, May 23rd. This is such a special book - come join us and hear all about it from the magician herself!

I reviewed two very thought- provoking books for @irishtimes.com - first up Audition by Katie Kitamura: www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Blue Road - The Enda O’Brien story has made it to the UK. I saw it on Saturday and it is just incredible. Edna broke down doors at considerable personal cost so writers like me could walk through. Forever in her debt. Please go see it if you can. Comhairgdeas @sineadoshea.bsky.social 💙💙💙

We are very pleased that our UK release of Blue Road - The Edna O'Brien Story will expand to the following screens from April 25th. (tmrw) Really appreciate the word of mouth. Tickets here: www.modernfilms.com/blueroad

London Literati - @elainefeeney.bsky.social is launching her heart-stopping new novel in the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith on May 23rd! Come join us! @irishculturalcentr.bsky.social irishculturalcentre.co.uk/event/elaine...

So so delighted to receive the forthcoming new novel from superstar @elainefeeney.bsky.social - will be starting immediately if not sooner as my soul could use a tonic and there is surely no better one to deliver it! Out in May from Harvill Secker to light up for your life!

Join us on Friday 28th March as we welcome Fíona Scarlett to the shop to chat about her latest novel, May All Your Skies Be Blue, with fellow author @wordsofhelen.bsky.social. Tickets can be bought in the shop or online: mostly-books.co.uk/event/fiona-... @faberbooks.bsky.social #booksky

It was so interesting, but much harder than anticipated, to cast my votes as part of the panel to select the Top 100 Irish fiction works of the 21st century for @irishtimes.com Delighted to see Anna Burns and Milkman come out on top! : www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Very excited to share that at Brunel University of London we are further partnering with the Nero Book Awards to launch a new writing prize for unpublished writers - we will loads more news to share soon so keep a look out: nerobookawards.com/nero-new-wri...

A lovely part of my job at Brunel University of London is organising Brunel's Big Read! As proud partners of the Nero Book Awards, we were delighted to introduce Brunel's Big Read last year to celebrate the Nero winners. The whole campus votes to choose one category winner to become our Big Read!

Asked for a cough bottle in the chemist - apparently this is an “Irish thing” and I should have asked for cough syrup. Wait until she hears my flu meds otherwise is flat 7up with the fizz taken out. 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

Greetings! Over the past few years I’ve been asked a few times about running online writing courses/workshops and I’m wondering if this is the year to do it! If you think you might be interested please register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

It was a lot of fun interviewing Lola Kirke and Jemima Kirke for this week’s Relative Values in the Sunday Times Magazine. These are some strong, creative, talented women! www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-r...

I was very happy to contribute to this feature for ⁦ @irishtimes.com : "Read this and weep: Books that made writers cry”.. I chose Tin Man by Sarah Winman. www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

For pals in Edinburgh, I cannot recommend this event more!

I was delighted to interview Welsh icon @bonnietyler.com for today’s @times Magazine - what a superstar! www.thetimes.com/magazines/th...

Needles by Brian Bilston

Some beautiful proofs for some fabulous sounding books coming from Phoenix Books next year - thank you so much @francescamain.bsky.social 📚📚

Some lovely book post today from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social - particularly looking forward to reading the new novel from Lisa Harding!

A big hello to all new book-loving Bluesky-ers! (If you already follow us, (i) thank you, and (ii) a re-post would be very appreciated, to let people know we're here...) (In other UK news, there's no snow here. It's very sad.)

Exciting Event: Our next Brunel University Writers Talking event is Wed 20th at 6pm: Our amazing Prof @bernardineevaristo.bsky.social will be talking to Paul Murray, winner of the Nero Book Awards, and author of The Bee Sting. Register for free to join us here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brunel-wri...

A crack that lets the light in: so thrilled, relieved and grateful to have passed my PhD Viva at UEA yesterday! Huge thanks to my inspiring supervision team, Naomi Wood & Clare Connors and to my thoughtful, brilliant examiners Una Mannion and @tiffanya.bsky.social. It feels like a miracle! 📚

Excellent work from @rickoshea.bsky.social here 📚

The Small Things Like These adaptation is extraordinary. One small thing - I was so moved to hear the voice of the late, great King of Radio, Larry Gogan in the opening sequence. Just one of many perfect details, but it got me! 💙

So thrilled to be walking on to our beautiful campus at Brunel University London for another academic year. Our courses start in Oct so if you’ve been thinking about a Creative Writing MA (or degree) it might not be too late to join us! If you’ve any questions, ask away!

My review of Christine Dwyer Hickey’s fantastic new novel for the Irish Times is live: 📚https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/review/2024/09/07/our-london-lives-a-masterful-work-full-of-skilful-nuance-and-profound-truth/

Heartbroken to read about our beloved Edna O’Brien after being offline yesterday. Enda broke down the doors at great personal cost, creating hope for Irish women like me that we could maybe follow. Her intellect, her genius, her wit, her grace, her resilience- all staggering. 💙

Online Event Klaxon: On 25.06 I will be joining @Uni_WUE for an author reading, lecture and Q &A. It is free and open to all so please do join us: www.phil.uni-wuerzburg.de/irish-studie... 📚📚

I reviewed the stunning new novel from Alba Arikha, Two Hours, for @IrishTimes books and it is astonishingly good. Already primed to be one of the books of the year and surely a huge prize contender: www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

This week I also reviewed #PrimaFacie by Suzie Miller is in today’s @irishtimes.bsky.social - such a powerful illustration of how the arts can influence policy for good and why we should invest in it. Storytelling is at the heart of humanity: www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Lá Fhéile Pádraig - I was very happy to share my choice of an Irish book that deserves to be better known for this week’s @irishtimes.bsky.social amongst some other fantastic choices! www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Calling all Creative Writing folks who work in Marketing! Brunel University is recruiting a new lecturer to teach on this very subject! Please see here for full details: careers.brunel.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

If anyone would like a little glimpse into the new novel I’ve been working on, this @BBCRadio3 Free Thinking programme spills the tea! So amazing to be in the company of great women doing important work! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

U.K. folks! I am doing research to understand if there is an impact on creative practice if practitioners also take on the role of carer. If this is you, I would appreciate so much you completing this very short survey, and for others to share. Thank you! brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/cc

Book Three: A lot done, more to do. With apologies to the trees. 📚

Absolutely thrilled to receive a proof of the new novel from @sarahcrossan.bsky.social .I absolutely loved Here Comes the Beehive and so cannot wait to dive into #HeyZoey - coming in May from Bloomsbury Books Congratulations, Sarah! 🥂

Such an honour to have such incredible colleagues at Brunel University in our Creative Writing Faculty - last night Bernardine Evaristo, Hannah Lowe, Daljit Nagra, Claire Lynch and I came together for an event on Language and Creativity! If you study with us all of this, and more, could be yours!💙📚

Every year @rickoshea.bsky.social does amazing work with his Book Club to raise funds for those who really need it - if you can contribute even a little amount, or share to spread the word, you will have done a great deed today!