The Four Faced Liar is a Cork-based, internationally facing literature and art journal, established in 2022 by four writers who had met through the Munster Literature Centre mentorship scheme. We set out to create a multifaceted journal that would add a new flavour to Ireland’s thriving literary scene, something inspired by Cork and featuring new and established Cork writers and artists, but that would also provide a platform for emerging voices around Ireland and the world. Our mission was and is to publish an exciting and diverse array of words and images and – even though we have yet to secure Arts Council funding – to pay all those we publish: this has been a bottom line for us from the get-go.
Thanks to an active crowdfunding campaign, grants from Cork City Council, and the generosity of two anonymous patrons – as well as to the tireless voluntary graft of the four editors (Stephen Brophy, Sinéad Griffin, Patch Holloway and Rosie Morris) – The Four Faced Liar has recently published its third issue, which is to be formally launched in Waterstones, Cork, on Tuesday 14th January 2025, from 6.30PM. All are very welcome to join us for a glass of wine and some readings, and – we hope – to buy a copy of the journal. Copies are also available, priced €12, from our website: https://www.the4facedliar.com/product-page/the-four-faced-liar-issue-3. (There are also a few copies of Issue 02 available. Issue 01 is sold out.)
Issue 03 of The Four Faced Liar is, we feel, our best yet. We opened for submissions for this issue in August – receiving over 1,400 pieces – and once again we were stunned by the breadth and quality of the work that came our way. Issue 03 presents a kaleidoscope of work that speaks not only of the caprices of the individual human heart, but also of the state of the world and the weight of history; work that makes us think, appreciate, cry and (occasionally!) laugh; work that showcases the artistry of language and the virtuosity of art. It is a testament to the human condition that no matter what is happening within and around us, we continue to express ourselves through our creativity, using our imaginations to understand the world we live in and to shape new possibilities and otherworlds.
As the The Four Faced Liar is proudly rooted in Cork, we are thrilled to feature in Issue 03 an interview with genre-defying writer and artist Sara Baume, recently selected as one of Granta magazine’s ten most influential young novelists of the decade, and a new short story from the multi-award-winning author Billy O’Callaghan. Though celebrated nationally and internationally, neither writer has moved far from their Cork origins: their work is inspired by and brings to life the city and county’s landscapes and communities. We are also delighted to feature two unpublished poems by the renowned Dublin-based poet Seán Hewitt. Our cover art is commissioned as always from a Cork artist. This time around, we feature the brilliant Oonagh Hurley. The cover alone has received a very enthusiastic reception on social media and elsewhere. We immediately loved Oonagh’s “Ladies’ Pond”. The other pieces of art and photography in Issue 3, chosen from many fabulous submissions, explore amongst other things delicate ecosystems, post-colonial landscapes, the suppression of the senses, and the environments in which we live.
Alongside more established writers and artists, Issue 03 features an array of emerging voices. The writing we have chosen for this issue explores the intricacies of human relationships: the pain, the joy, the unsettling places of the mind. It traces the vagaries of the body and the will to thrive against the odds. It looks at what has been buried, either literally or metaphorically, and how the things that resurface can change our thinking and our minds, and those of future generations. And it provides moments of hope. Always, there is hope.
One of the more gratifying aspects of putting this journal together is that we continue to attract submissions from such an array of people and places – a reassuring sign of the reach and diversity of the global arts community. Alongside work from (for example) Nigeria, Vietnam, France, and America, Issue 03 also features some brilliant work from our own shores. Eamonn Duffin’s short story “Holly” is a touching, beautifully written story about a resourceful family doing what they can to make the most of their Christmas. Joanne McCarthy’s brilliant poem “From The Irish” laments the immense loss engendered by the Irish Famine. And “Spit/Swallow” by Liam Maguire is a striking piece of experimental flash fiction that grabbed the editors’ attention from the opening paragraph.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who answered our submissions call. Whether or not we included their piece, we were privileged to receive it. Many pieces came close to publication. Only a few can make the final cut.
We bid a fond farewell this time around to founding editor Lucy Holme. Lucy worked tirelessly to bring Issues 01 and 02 to fruition, and she will always be part of our story. We have been delighted to welcome Sinéad Griffin onto our editorial team in Lucy’s place. We published a poem of Sinéad’s in Issue 2 and were thrilled when she accepted the invitation to join us. Sinéad brought a fresh energy to our work just when we needed it and was instrumental in pushing Issue 03 over the line. We’re more than delighted with the final product and hope all our readers will be too.
https://www.the4facedliar.com/product-page/the-four-faced-liar-issue-3.
(And don’t forget to join us in Waterstone’s Cork on 14th January if you can!)
Patrick, Rosie, Sinéad and Stephen
Read about Issue 2 of The Four Faced Liar on Writing.ie here.
