Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival

There's a great line up for this festival.

Wednesday 17th September

Opening Reception and launch of Stingingfly Press anthology. Refreshments and readings.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Free.
Yiyun Li- Reading and Interview
Beijing-born Yiyun Li, 2005 winner of the inaugural Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, makes her first appearance in Cork.
Venue:Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5.

Thursday 18th September

What does an editor want? - Reading and Discussion
Jon Boilard, Vincent McDonnell & Nuala Ní Chonchúir, three fiction editors of Southword and former judges of the Sean O’Faolain Short Story Competition each will read a story of their own, then discuss the experience of assessing manuscript submissions, talk about what they were looking for and how the editorial experience has shaped how they now view their own work.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free

Ian Wild & Clare Wigfall - A Reading
A reading by two young exiled British short story writers, County Cork-based Ian Wild who has also written for radio and the stage and published a collection of poems and Berlin-based Clare Wigfall who has just won the BBC National Short Story Prize.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5

William Wall & Adam Marek - A Reading
A reading by distinguished Cork-based novelist and man of letters William Wall, joined on this occasion by young British short story writer Adam Marek who has just published his first collection.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5

Friday 19th September

Flash Fiction Workshop
Southword fiction editor Nuala Ní Chonchúir presents a how-to session on Flash Fiction - the micro short fiction form sometimes called short-shorts or sudden fiction.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am - 12pm.
Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals. Phone 021-4312955 to book.
Southword Showcase - A Reading
Southword is establishing itself as a journal which publishes great short fiction by complete unknowns as well as international stars such as Colm Toibín, Haruki Murakami and James Lasdun. On this occasion we would like to feature three writers who have featured in Southword and have not yet published a book of short fiction in English. Julian Campredon, Tania Hershman and Denise O’Keefe.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free.
Rachel Trezise & Mary O’Donnell - A Reading
Young Welsh iconoclast Rachel Trezise reads with Co. Kildare-based poet, novelist and broadcaster Mary O’Donnell.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Free for Culture Night!

Mary Leland & Wena Poon - A Reading
Cork-based novelist Mary Leland shares the stage with San Francisco-based Wena Poon, originally from Singapore reading from her first collection of stories.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Free for Culture Night!

Saturday 20th September

Starting Short Stories - A Workshop
An introduction to writing Short Stories given by Jon Boilard, former fiction editor of Southword and winner of the Sean O’Faolain Short Story Prize.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am -12pm. Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals.
Phone 021-4312955 to book.
Don’t Drone On - a Workshop on Reading the Short Story Aloud
The days when you could get a on a stage and read aloud a poem or story in a soporific monotone are passed. Simon Robson gives you pointers on how to improve your performance and develop a reputation where festival and reading curators can’t resist including you on their programmes.
Venue: Munster Literature Centre, Douglas Street. Time: 10am -12pm. Fee: €40. Participation limited to eight individuals.
Phone 021-4312955 to book.
Who has won the Sean O’Faolain Prize?
The announcement and reading of the winning short story of the €1500 2008 Sean O’Faolain Short Story Prize.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre ,Tobin Street. Time: 12.30pm. Admission: Free.
The State of the Art - a Discussion Chaired by Rosalind Porter Senior Editor at Granta and including the participation of Stinging Fly editor Declan Meade, Jen Hamilton-Emery, commissioning editor at Salt, Seamus Hosey RTE Radio producer and organiser of the Francis McManus Awards and Lucy Luck, literary agent.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 2.30pm. Admission: Free.
Salt no Vinegar Please: Carys Davies & Vanessa Gebbie - A Reading
Readings by two of the eight Salt authors longlisted for the Frank O’Connor Award this year. Salt is now the world’s most prolific publisher of short story collections and we are delighted to be able to showcase both the publisher and their authors Carys Davies and Vanessa Gebbie.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 4.30pm. Admission: Free.

Alison McLeod and Simon Robson - A Reading
British-based Canadian novelist Alison McLeod and actor, playwright and fiction writer Simon Robson read from their very different flavoured works.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 7pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5
Julie Orringer and Bernard MacLaverty - A Reading
Erstwhile San Francisco resident Julie Orringer reads from her massively admired debut collection, followed by one of the Irish giants of the short story form Bernard MacLaverty.
Venue: Triskel Arts Centre, Tobin Street. Time: 9pm. Admission: Suggested donation €5

Sunday 21st September

Presentation of the 2008 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award
Jhumpa Lahiri, this year’s O’Connor laureate will read from her winning book and conduct a public interview with Irish Times Literary Critic Eileen Battersby.
Venue: Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall. Time: 7.30pm. Admission: Free. Refreshments will be served.