Blogs

The latest DCLA podcast is the second part of "Selected Shorts", a discussion with authors Eilís Ní Dhuibhne, Lia Mills, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Anne Devlin, chaired by Catherine Dunne.The conversation explores whether the short story is a naturally introspective and self-reflective genre, and questions whether the form, described by Mary Lavin's as an "owl in flight", or "a slide under the microscope", has opened up or altered under the influence of television, poetry and film. If you haven’t already, we suggest listening to part one first, where you will hear actors Rose Henderson, Susie Lamb, Katie O'Kelly and Geraldine Plunkett perform readings by these four authors.Recorded at the New Theatre on Saturday 7 April 2018.This interesting discussion examines whether the short story is a naturally introspective and self-reflective genre, and questions whether the form, described by Mary Lavin's as an "owl in flight", or "a slide under the microscope", has opened up or altered under the influence of television, poetry and film. Éilís Ní Dhuibhne is a novelist, critic and folklore scholar. Among her novels are Cailíni Beaga Ghleann na mBlath, The Dancers Dancing, and Fox, Swallow Scarecrow.Lia Mills writes novels (Another Alice, Nothing Simple, and Fallen, which was the Dublin: One City One Book title for 2016) short stories and essays. Christine Dwyer Hickey is a novelist, playwright and short story writer. Her works include the novels Tatty, Last Train from Liguria, The Cold Eye of Heaven and The Narrow Land and the short story collection Parkgate Street and other Dublin StoriesAnne Devlin is a playwright and short story writer. Her works include The Waypaver Ourselves Alone (Royal Court, 1985) and After Easter (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1993) and the radio play The Forgotten (2009).You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

In this episode of the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast Lia Mills talks to Sinéad Gleeson, Alan Hayes, Rob Doyle and Eimear Ryan about all things anthology. How do you start to compile an anthology? What do you need to think about (before and during)? Who do you include or exclude – and how do you handle the fallout? Following their discussion, Lia asks Sinéad, Rob, Eimear, Alan and Farmleigh writer-in-residence Philip St John, to read from their favourite short stories and to briefly outline why they resonate with them.You will also hear some beautiful music by Ciara Sidine accompanied by Conor Brady and Ciara’s daughters Ava and Romy.  For rights reasons you will only hear clips from Ciara’s songs, but we really recommend listening to the full songs on www.ciarasidine.comThe full panel were:Singer/songwriter Ciara Sidine (Shadow Road Shining, Unbroken Line) performs Finest Flower, Trouble Come Find Me, Watching the Dark and Little Bird Song.  As Ciara Considine, she is also a long-established literary editor with several anthologies to her credit.Conor Brady is one of Ireland’s finest guitar players. He has recorded with Terence Trent D’Arby and Toots and Maytals.Lia Mills writes novels (Another Alice, Nothing Simple, and Fallen, which was the Dublin: One City One Book title for 2016) short stories and essays. Sinéad Gleeson is the editor of The Long Gaze Back and The Glass Shore, two anthologies of stories by Irish women writers. Sinead's collection of essays Constellations was published in 2019 by Picador. Alan Hayes is publisher and editor at Arlen House – a press with a long history of supporting and promoting work by women. Rob Doyle is a novelist (Threshold, Here are the Young Men and This is the Ritual) who has also edited the anthology The Other Irish Tradition, from Dalkey Archive Press. Eimear Ryan is a writer and contributor to The Long Gaze Back and also a founding editor of the literary journal Banshee. The short stories picked by the writers can be found in the following books:(most of the links ar to the library catalogue so you can't access them now but you maight want to bookmark them for the future);The Merry Men by Robert Louis Stevenson (out of copyright, available online e.g. Project Gutenberg) The things they carried by Tim O'Brien read by Lia Mills San Francisco by Amy Hempel read by Eimear Ryan. Collected StoriesZidane's Melancholy by Jean-Philippe Toussaint read by Rob DoylePeople Like that are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk by Lorrie Moore read by Sinéad Gleeson. From The Collected Stories of Lorrie MooreAlan Hayes reads Butcher Bird by Geraldine Mills from The Weight of Feathers; The New Wife Órfhlaith Foyle from Clemency Brown dreams of gin; Staying Thin for Daddy by Deirdre Brennan; I, Caroline by Nuala O'Connor from To the World of Men, Welcome.The event was recorded at Farmleigh House on 6 April 2018You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

We are living in strange and uncertain times, and we are all doing our best to keep ourselves, our loved ones and everyone else safe and well by staying indoors.Maybe you have time now to try your hand at that novel or screenplay you’ve always dreamt about writing?If so, welcome to your one-stop shop for great online writing supports including courses, magazines, books and reference tools, all FREE and all available with your Dublin City Libraries card. Universal Class provides access to over 500+ online courses including 55 courses on writing. Take your pick from the following:Novel Writing 101Romance WritingWriting Women’s FictionCreative Writing 101Creative Writing for BeginnersCreative Writing WorkshopHow to Write a Short StoryHow to Write Short Stories for ChildrenHistorical Fiction WritingMystery WritingScreen Writing 101Poetry WritingOr if you want to hone your non-fiction writing skills, some of these may be of interest:Journalism 101Nonfiction Writing 101Freelance Writing 101Essay Wrting 101Travel Writing 101Journaling and Memoir WritingUniversal Class courses include tutorials, lessons, assignments, discussion boards, and feedback on work you’ve submitted. All the courses are completely online, self-paced, available 24/7, and you have 6 months to complete each one.To access online, register with your library card number and email address at http://LGMA.universalclass.com/register.htm Or would you prefer not to have to do ‘homework’? Then The Great Courses Library Collection may be more to your liking. The Great Courses Library Collection Is a series of thought-provoking half-hour video lectures. You can play, pause, and review information as often as you like. Each course is taught by experts in their field, and includes a supplementary guide book. You can access as many courses as you want to for 7 days. After 7 days, simply log in again and get another 7 day’s access. Check out some of the following topics and see if you can find something to suit your writing needs.How to Publish Your BookScreen Writing 101: Master the Art of the StoryWriting Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and TechniquesWriting Great Essays: Becoming a Great EssayistThe Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction Register for the Great Courses Library Collection at https://dublincity.rbdigitalglobal.com/ or via the RBdigital app: Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS | Kindle Fire  We also have a selection of great eMagazines for writers:The Writer : Each issue provides motivation, expert tips, and compelling author insights that turn good writing into great writing. It’ll help you become a better writer, to find markets for your work and to understand the business of writing,.Poets & Writers Magazine : Within its pages, readers  will find practical guidance for getting published and pursuing writing careers, as well as in-depth profiles of poets, fiction writers, and writers of creative nonfiction.Writer’s Digest : Each issue provides advice and insider tips on writing and selling fiction, nonfiction, poetry and scripts.Back issues of these titles are also available for you to browse.Register for RB Digital magazines at https://lgma.rbdigitalglobal.com/  or via the Rbdigital app:  Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS | Kindle Fire  You can also check out out some of the following titles on BorrowBox for help in finding an agent and getting published. and for writing hints, tips and insights.Writer’s Market 2020Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to How to Hook an AgentWriters’ & Artists’ Guidebook to Self-PublishingWriters’ & Artists’ Year Books 2017 and 2018Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Year Books 2017 and 2018Letters to a Young WriterWriting for Well-being100 Ways to Improve your WritingImprove your WritingBrave the PageHow to Write an Autobiographical NovelThe Right to WriteThe Book You Were Born to WriteSemicolonWord SmartMore Word SmartTo access BorrowBox, register with your library card at http://library.bolindadigital.com/dublin  And last but not least, are you having trouble finding the right word or the perfect turn of phrase?Then delve into a selection of Oxford University Press’s dictionaries, thesauri, and companions at http://www.oxfordreference.com/.Look to the left of the Oxford Reference screen for the prompt to ‘Sign in with your Library card’, then select 'Dublin City Libraries’ For a full listing of all our great online resources, go to http://www.dublincity.ie/library-eresourcesStay safe, stay well, and keep writing! 

 The first I heard of Dermot Healy was in June 2014. A friend of mine was asked to read through poems to be considered for selection in the Dermot Healy International Poetry Competition. The next day, it was reported on the national news that he had passed away. It had been remarked by another one of my of friends that his work never got the recognition and success it deserved, that he was a much more “interesting” writer than his peers. Interesting can sometimes mean, “you’re not going to understand this…. You thickie!”. I began reading Long Time, No See. Immediately, I got a jolt: the words on the page were formatted like poetry and none of the dialogue was in inverted commas.  I was reluctant to continue as my eyes and brain were in for a different exercise regime. However, my desire to be a know-it-all won through and I’m so glad I persevered.  This is one of the best books I have ever read. Set in an Irish coastal rural community,it starts slowly with a young man visiting his grand uncle. Nothing happens for about six pages but I was enjoying the unusual format and the peculiar habits of the locals. Then something small happens and the story has you gripped. His descriptions of the landscape are beautifully minute and familiar. The language of the characters is real and humorous. The main character is a young man dealing with a tragedy that is intermittently revealed.  It is about life, death and relationships’, each is given its weight from the cosmic to the banal and leaves you not wanting to leave these people or the place they live. Ten out of ten for Dermot Healy. I’m really sorry he is gone. I would have liked to have written to him to tell him how much I enjoyed his book. His earlier books are out of print but Dublin City Public Libraries do have copies to lend.