Longlists for Wexford Literary Festival are announced
Wexford Literary Festival taking place in Enniscorthy from November 2 to 4 has announced longlists of successful entrants its three annual writing competitionsthe Colm Toibín International Short Story Award, the Anthony Cronin International Poetry Award and the Billy Roche Short Play Award, with the shortlists due to be revealed on October 1.
The following are the longlisted works in the Toibín short story prize- The Price of Everything by A.Joseph Black; Guild Edged by Valerie Bowes; Neighbourhood Watch by Neil Bristow; The Valley of the Bells by Peter Burns; Freedom Submerged by Ciara Casey; Being There by Jude Cook; Pictures at an Exhibition by Mary Cotter; Click by Annalisa Crawford; Piecing the Truth by Sarah Dawson; Wedding Speech by Tom Fallon by Kit de Waal; Pleasure by Owen Dwyer; The Bird by David Gray-Clough; Georgette Greenier by Fergal Greene; Paco Rabanne and Silvermints by Conor Griffin; Tell Me by Michael Harnett; Scratched Enamel Heart by Amanda Huggins; Moth by Jupiter Jones; A Fair Exchange by Alice Jolly; Paddy’s by Robert Kibble; Upon A Tree by James Lawless; Moon River by Paul Lenehan; Gorever After by Mary Lennon; Travelling to a Funeral in County Wicklow by Michael Lynch; Blessed are the Merciful by Lourdes Mackey; The Stranger at the Funeral by Kevin McDermott; Milk is Made of Cobwebs by Hannah McNiven; The Drive by Anna-Marie Maher; Where Are Those Who Went Before Me by Una Manion; That’ll Teach Yous by Katherine Mezzacappa; A Good Trunk by Cian Morey; Nod by Stephen O’ Reilly; Crazy Balkan by David Ralph; Out of Minds by Christopher Records and Dodo’s Portrait by Adrienne Vaughan.
On the longlist for the Anthony Cronin award are - Elegy for the Longest Year gy Carlos Andres Gomez; Gurkensalat by Mary Brosnan; Paddy’s Day 2018 by Mary Brosnan; Rain on us All by Siobhan Campbell; 103 Secret Shell by Ciara Casey; Moon Child by Michael Colman; Grandmothers Lane by Brid Connolly; The Cost of Snow by Eva Creely; Anorexia by Natalie Crick; Chengeling by Natalie Crick; Garden Witch by Natalie Crick; Tipperary Girl by Stephen Denehan; The Red Clothes Line by Wiltrud Dull; Snow and Absolution by Mark Fiddes; Flying Pigs by Margaret Galvin; Celebrant by Aideen Henry; Suppertime by Dominic James; Summer of 76 by Noel King; Chasing Fruit Flies Around the House by Alice Kinsella; Dumbell of the Heart by Alice Kinsella; Pantheon, Pendelum by Alice Kinsella; On Heaven by James Leader; Driftwood by Karen McDonnell; Wash Day by Joan Morrissey; Boys of Summer by Eilish Mulholland; Mushrooms by Eilish Mulholland; Encounter by Cian Murphy; Half Life by Ruth Quinlan; In the Kitchen by Michelle Ryan; Weaving by Jean Tuomey; Images of One Not At Home by Peter Viggers and The Visit Home by Dolores Walsh.
The longlist for the Billy Roche award consists of the following short plays – He Said, You Said by David Butler; The Boat Brain by Carmel Codd Leen; A Sargent and a Gentleman by Declan Dempsey; Vines by Gregory Funding; The Colour of His Eyes by Sean Gibbons; The Play: Being Schindler’s List by John J. Kelly; What’s Up by Kevin Kelly; Perspectives by Anne-Marie Kennedy; Prinkling by David Keenan; Razor by Robert Kibble; A Vote for Michael Lowrey by Paul Maher; First Impressions by Marie O’Halloran; Forgive Me Father by Megan O’Malley;
Twenty Years Later by Dominic Palmer; Angels in the Park by Paul Perry; The Birthday Boy by Roy Proctor; Wait, What? by Tom Reddy; Dead in the Shed by Sharon Thompson and The Glass of Water by Doc Watson.
The four shortlisted plays will be performed by Enniscorthy Drama Group at an awards ceremony in the Presentation Arts Centre on Friday, November 2 with admission free to the event.
Submissions will close on October 12 for the festival’s Children’s Book Trailer competiton which invites primary and secondary schoolgoers from 10 to 18 years to read a book and depict its story and characters in a book trailer or advertisement with the use of still images, video, writing or voice over.
The winner of the Eileen Gray Window Display Award will be announced at the general awards ceremony in the Atheneum on November 4. Participating shopkeepers must create a literary themed window display for the festival. Last year’s winner was Kilcannon with an Alice in Wonderland display.
Tickets at €10 each are on sale for a Readers and Writers Day on Saturday, November 3, featuring speakers on various topics including Adele Parks, Paul Williams, Andrew Cartmel, Jane Casey, Sinead Gleeson, June Caldwell, Hazel Gaynor, Catherine Ryan Howard, Paul Perry, Carmel Harrington, Shane Dunphy, Dr. Sarah Cleary and Caroline Busher.
Tickets are also available for a ‘Candlelit Evening with Teacup Gin’ featuring Author Liz Nugent in conversation with fellow author Carmel Harrington in Enniscorthy Castle on Saturday, November 3.
The Wexford Literary Festival is sponsored and supported by Wexford County Council, Enniscorthy Municipal District, Byrnes Bookstores, Enniscorthy Drama Group, TD Paul Kehoe, TD James Browne, the Gaslamp Gallery and Wildes Restaurant.