‘Does it matter as much to a famous writer to be included on a shortlist as it would to a debut novelist?
Three of my novels: Peeling Oranges (‘A book to lose oneself in. I highly recommend it’ — Gabriel Byrne) For Love of Anna (‘A literary page-turner,’ Catherine Cooney) and Finding Penelope (‘A novel that will give deep literary pleasure’ —…
Spanish novelist Javier Marías turns down €20,000 government prize www.guardian.co.uk Author of The Infatuations says he does not want public money, but stance is criticised by previous winner
My holidays In this section » Go Deals Head to the slopes, and London Go Niche Take off Dizzying Donegal Go Gadgets Writer James Lawless What was your best holiday? A cultural exchange scholarship to Vigo, Galicia many years ago. I…
‘If teaching creative writing were impossible, 21st-century literature as we know it would not exist.’ John Barber. Who agrees or disagrees with this statement. Could it be possible that some of these schools are churning out homogeneous writing where everything…
“Whereas that little file embedded in a piece of plastic isn’t pretty to look at. You can’t lend it. You can’t sell it. And you can’t bequeath it to your children.’ Waterstones boss James Daunt on the Kindle. Three of…
‘ This collection is very much of our time as the suburban sprawl spreads further into the Irish countryside. Lawless considers the rural and the urban and where the two intersect. Although he divides the poems into ‘rus’ and ‘in…
James Lawless’ new novel Finding Penelope will be launched in Hodges Figgis, 58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 on Tuesday, October 30 at 6.30pm. ‘A novel that will give deep literary pleasure.’ Carlo Gébler. There will be a wine reception…
I’m reading tomorrow from Rus in Urbe at 9.30 pm together with New York poet Tammy Nuzzo Morgan (with a name like that, you can’t go wrong) and professor Brian Arkins of NUIG, as part of the Gerard Manley Hopkins…
PUBLISHING DAY SEMINAR AT THE IRISH WRITERS’ CENTRE, JULY 7TH This one day seminar started with Ciara Doorley, editorial director of Hachette Ireland emphasising the importance of hook in a story and of getting others to read your work before…