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Short Story Anthologies

I’ve been very privileged to be asked to contribute to several landmark anthologies – the short stories in them are all related to the Cat Connolly books and are extra stories about the characters.

Looking At The Stars was a limited edition anthology of Irish writing edited by Kerrie O’ Brien and Alice Kinsella to raise money for the Rough Sleeper Team of the Dublin Simon Community.

It features a mixture of poetry, prose and non-fiction from a host of incredible Irish writers but, most importantly, it will also feature writing from those currently in the services of the Dublin Simon Community. It raised over €15000 for the Dublin Simon Community.

The Broken Spiral is an anthology of short stories by Irish authors in aid of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The project is named The Broken Spiral as this is the symbol of the centre, and because it is emblematic of the winding, re-winding and often circuitous journey towards healing that those who have experienced trauma face. This symbol also serves as the shape of the collection, which, though it inevitably explores darkness and difficulty, ultimately offers solace, and a way out of the labyrinth. The Broken Spiral has raised much-needed funds for the centre, but also act as a restorative to survivors of trauma who have spoken out and survivors who remain in silence through the redemptive power of storytelling. The aim of the collection is to bring hope to the reader, and to re-establish a belief that healing can, and does, happen.

The Broken Spiral anthology launched in mid-November 2017 at the Irish Writers Centre.  Featuring writing from Pat McCabe, Mia Gallagher, June Caldwell, Louise O’Neill, Colin Barrett, Sinéad Gleeson, Roisín O’Donnell, Rosaleen McDonagh and Claire Hennessy. Sponsored by Dublin UNESCO, Bodytonic, Mutiny and the Irish Writers Centre. Edited by R.M. Clarke.

Reading the Future is a wonderful limited edition anthology of 250 Irish writers celebrating 250 years of Dublin’s oldest bookstore, Hodges Figgis. Edited by Alan Hayes it features bestsellers, award winners and two Booker shortlisted authors Donal Ryan and Sally Rooney.

My story features Anna Lockharte, a character in No Turning Back, and who I hope will feature in a future book!

 ‘The Danger and the Glory, Irish Writers on the Art of Writing’  (Arlen Press 2019) was originally conceived as a web-based project, and is the brainchild of academic Hedwig Schwall and the team at the University of Leuven. It has been supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies  and features essays by 50 Irish writers including the Anne Enright, Kevin Barry, Evelyn Conlon, Roddy Doyle, and me! It’s an intriguing read, designed to open up interesting debate around the nature of inspiration and the mystery of the writing process.