This site is a road map to the world of creative writing at UCC. The School of English offers creative writing at undergraduate, Masters and PhD level. See what we do – check out our blog written by students, see the major names in literature who visit our campus, and explore the numerous courses we offer that redefine and broaden what it is to be a 21st century creative writer.
News and Events
Jenni's publishing adventure
Heartiest congratulations to Jenni de Bie, creative writing MA graduate (2015/16), whose first novel is forthcoming from Dreaming Big Publications in the US. (http://www.dreamingbigpublications.com/). The Adventures of Dogg Girl and Sidekick - front cover featured above - is a cross-genre, mature young adult/Superheroes novel though it also flirts with sci-fi and urban fantasy, according to the author.
It tells the story of tough college student Karissa Dogg who grows up on the rough edge of Commonland, a city protected by the superhero and sidekick duo, Adamant and Aspect. Born in a neighborhood where heroes never turn up, Karissa would rather spar at the gym and drink with her friends than hang out on the fringes of the supers' lives. However a chance event draws her deeper into their shadow world. . .
Jenni is a native Texan who came to Cork to pursue her MA and decided to stay on. She's currently pursuing a PhD specializing in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at UCC under the supervision of Dr Graham Allen, School of English. Wearing her academic's hat, she will be lecturing on Mary Shelley at Frankenreads, a special event at UCC (October 30 - November 2) to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein - see https://frankenreadscork2018.wordpress.com/.
You can find out more about Jenni's novel and her other writing on her blog - https://jenniferdebie.com/the-adventures-of-dogg-girl-and-sidekick/.
This is the second novel to come out of the MA. ( In August, fellow classmate, Tadhg Coakley, published his debut novel, The First Sunday in September. )
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Break a leg, Darren!
Creative writing MA student Darren Hall is one of ten local and international playwrights to take part in Cork Arts Theatre annual 10 x 10 minute play event. Now in its ninth year, it has become one of the most popular events in CAT's calendar.
Darren's play "(Con)flagrant Disregard" features a couple of unsavoury characters who are sent by The Boss to "have a talk" with a third character. Unfortunately when they arrive he's asleep so they decide to wait for him to wake up.
The 10 x 10 event opens tonight (Tuesday, October 16) and runs till Saturday, October 20, nightly at 8pm. See http://corkartstheatre.com/event/10x10-minute-play-event/ for details.
Fellow at large
Carys Davies. . . on the move. Photograph: John Minahan
The 2018 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Fellow, Carys Davies, has a busy week ahead. Along with teaching a short fiction module on the MA, Carys will be appearing at three writing festivals in the next week.
This coming Saturday, October 13, she reads at the Cheltenham Festival http://wwwcheltenhamfestivals.com - while on Sunday, October 14, she will be sharing a platform with Sarah Moss at the Manchester Literary Festival - http://www.manchesterfestival.co.uk.
Next Wednesday, October 17, and a little closer to home, she will be appearing at the Belfast International Arts Festival. For full details go to https://belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/event/carys-davies/.
This writing life
Don't forget - John Banville reads at UCC tomorrow, Tuesday, October 9, in WW 6 @ 7pm. He'll also be talking to our MA fiction workshop students about his writing life in the afternoon.
Banville is the author of more than 20 novels, both under his own name and his crime-writing pseudonym Benjamin Black. He is also a memoirist and screenwriter and has adapted several of Heinrich Von Kleist's plays for the stage. He won the Booker Prize with his 2005 novel, The Sea. His most recent novel Mrs Osmond is a speculative continuation of the Henry James novel, Portrait of a Lady.