I am delighted to report that my novel ‘Eyes of a Boy’ has been shortlisted for The 2011 Impress Novel Award. It is a great honour to have my book recognised by Impress Publishers. The Award specialises in new, original and exciting writing talent and I feel very lucky to have been included on the list (in fact I nearly choked when I saw my name on the shortlist!). I have found it difficult to find a publisher prepared to take on this novel as it falls between the two genres of literary and commercial fiction. The winner will be announced in December and the book published next year. Here’s hoping I win, and you all get to read it next year!
And I have another writing success story: one of my adult students has had a story shortlisted for the Power’s Whiskey short story competition with The Irish Times. Her story will be published in an anthology which will be sold for charity at Christmas. Go Helena!
And while I’m here, I’d also like to tell you that David Norris came to visit my children’s creative writing class in Skerries Mills last month. We were delighted to meet with him and hear about the poetry he has published. I wish him the very best of luck with his future ventures.
