Serenity Press are offering authors the opportunity to showcase their work at a Writers’ Retreat to be held on 8th October 2019 at Crom Castle. Positioning your book for success by embracing amazing opportunities in an influential environment is a key to success. This is why the Serenity Press Retreats founder Karen Mc Dermott was passionate about hosting a Meet n Greet author event at Crom Castle, Northern Ireland during their annual writer’s retreat. The...

Irish Book Week have announced their 2019 ambassadors: broadcaster and founder of Ireland’s biggest book club Rick O’Shea, and authors Niall Breslin, Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght.  Established last year, Irish Book Week is a collaboration between Bookselling Ireland and Publishing Ireland, which invites people to celebrate Irish books and bookshops between October 26th – November 2nd. Rick O’Shea: “I love spending my time these days promoting books and Irish authors just for fun; it’s...

The new editor of the highly-regarded journal of poetry, Poetry Ireland Review, has been announced. Colette Bryce will take on the mantle of editor from the current editor, Eavan Boland, in early 2020. Both poets were in attendance for the announcement which took place yesterday evening (3 September) at the launch of Poetry Ireland Review Issue 128 at Poetry Ireland in Parnell Square, Dublin. Colette Bryce is a poet from Derry and has published four...

The fourth annual Write Time Festival organised by Fingal Libraries celebrates the written and spoken word in Fingal. Libraries will host free workshops and talks throughout the month of September to spark the imagination and inspire creativity. Fingal County Librarian Betty Boardman said, “Fingal Libraries’ Write Time Festival offers an engaging and varied programme to aspiring writers of all ages and to anybody interested in the craft of writing. This is the fourth year of...

Submissions deadline: 2nd September 2019 ‘first page’ is a Berlin-based, non-profit, free-to-take, quarterly, English-language literary magazine that publishes only the opening paragraphs of fiction works. It acts as a teaser and takes on the form of traditional newspaper with each issue showcasing five writers and their promising first pages. The magazine was established simply to highlight and honor the writers’ dedication to sculpting a refined first page at the same time question the literary value...

As Scottish Book Trust marks its 21st anniversary, the independent national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has launched a new fundraising campaign to provide crucial support to vulnerable families and help fight the effects of living in poverty through reading and books. From improving employability, social skills and family bonding to reducing stress and anxiety, developing language skills and doing better at school, the benefits of reading, even for a short time each...

Competition deadline: 1st October 2019 The Wollongong Writers Festival Short Story Prize is calling for previously unpublished short stories of up to 2500 words related to the theme, ‘All Lit Up’. The top prize is $1000 AUD and publication in Mascara Literary Review. A highly commended entry will receive $250 AUD and publication in Mascara Literary Review. The judges are Australian authors Effie Carr and Helena Fox. Submissions close October 1, 2019. Entry fee is $15...

Competition deadlines: 19th and 23rd August 2019 Red Line Book Festival is calling on creative writers to submit their work for its 2019 poetry and short story competitions. Now in its seventh year, the Red Line Book Festival Poetry Competition attracts hundreds of entries from all across the island of Ireland annually. The 2018 winner was Linda McKenna for her poem Unsettled. The winning poet will win a cash prize of €300, as well as an invitation to read their...

Bookselling Ireland have announced the first Introduction to Bookselling course, where potential new booksellers can find out more about day-to-day bookshop life, as well as the practicalities of how to create a strong business, understanding bookshop finances, and how to gain customer loyalty. Led by a group of award winning booksellers, Patrick Neale from UK based Jaffé & Neale Bookshop and Café, along with guest speakers Janet Hawkins from The Blessington Bookstore and Dawn Behan...

Competition deadline: 1st November 2019 Prizes 1st Place: $1000 + publication on the website and in print Issue 15 of Into the Void 2nd Place: $200 + publication on the website and in print Issue 15 of Into the Void 3rd Place: $100 + publication on the website and in print Issue 15 of Into the Void Timeline August 1st: Submissions open November 1st: Submissions close December 1st: Shortlist announced December 14th: Winners announced Terms...