2023 The literary highlights

I don't have a full top ten list this year, so I'll just call them out, the literary highlights... as they occur to me.

I'm still writing. Most every day. First thing I do, the shed is still working for me. 

Having Covid this year - as per the last post had an unexpected silver lining of getting me into funny song writing... that and being at the Edinburgh festival which we sprung on the kids as a surprise... one of the most magical things of the year.

Got to Tyrone Guthrie in Monaghan again - so grateful to Mr Various Cushions for making that possible by holding down the fort at home to let me away. It is soul nourishment, and a pure joy to be there. 

Got to the Short Story Festival for a magical evening featuring Orlaith Foyle, Billy O'Callaghan and Alexander MacLeod.

Connecting with my many inspiring friends all year - Lubrication corner, Hurts like a pain writers, Swerve, Cork Writers, to name but a few - continues to enliven and enrich me.

There's no list of big awards or anything. I did finish writing the novel I'd been working on for the last few years and plotted and began its sequel. Began to send it out too, but only to far away places that I knew would be unlikely to answer. Tried it in the novel fair too, but no cigar there for me this time. So it might be getting close to the time where I'll have to actually approach people with it here. The fun thing is as book two gets fleshed out, I'm finding things I need to add to number one, little seeds that can go in there, to be allowed to grow up in number two. I have a vague idea of what three might be too, so there's little chance this project is gonna let me go for awhile, however like I said above - the funny song writing is giving me a chance to enjoy the lighter side of things and actually finish the odd thing.