WE ARE pleased to announce the publication of the sixth annual anthology of Original Writing from Ireland’s Own. This stylish and well-produced book includes nearly 40 winning and recommended short stories and memoirs from last year’s annual writing competitions.

There is a warm and encouraging foreword from award winning Wexford playwright and novelist, Billy Roche, whose series ‘Clean Break’, has been a big success on RTE Television this autumn. “Writing is no talking matter,” is his catchy advice; “stop the talking and start writing!”

The stories deal with many aspects of Irish life, past and present. The perennial themes of bereavement, emigration; the tangled intrigues of romance, the constant dangerous battle to wrest a living from the seas and recollections of childhood and schooldays are again prominent.

Here too are memories of some beloved characters, eg., the day Boris Yeltsin failed to get off the plane to meet the Taoiseach at Shannon, along with tales based on the War of Independence and of poaching and smuggling. The whole mix is leavened with a good dash of humour.

The annual writing competitions and the anthologies are produced by Ireland’s Own with the sponsorship and support of Original Writing, the Dublin-based self-publishing company. It is all an important part of the magazine’s long-standing aim of encouraging and promoting writers and writing.

Included in this year’s book are overall Writing Competition winners – Tina Sweeney, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford (open short story); Kathryn Burke, Clontarf, Dublin (beginners’ short story) and Mae Leonard, Naas, Co. Kildare (memoir section).

There are 36 other never before published stories and memoirs by the following: Jennifer May, Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin; Vincent J. Doherty, Palmers Green, London; Anne Walsh Donnelly, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; Tony McGettigan,  Dun Emer Drive, Dublin; Fergus Caulfield, Canvey Island, Essex and Anne McCormack, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.
Nora Brennan, Castlecomer Road, Kilkenny; Richard Lysaght, Walkinstown, Dublin; Kevin Lewis, Clonard, Wexford town; Brian Donaghy, Pennyburn Court, Derry; Mary Conliffe, Robertstown, Co. Kildare; Anthony Rooney, Kimmage, Dublin and Brendan Gallagher, Cloonacool, Co. Sligo.
Joe Spearin, Clonlara, Co. Clare; Elaine Cawley Weintraub, Ballina, Co. Mayo, and West Tisbury, Massachussetts; Patricia Carr, Fanad, Co. Donegal; Linda Guerin, St Patrick’s Road, Limerick; Kenneth Knight, Artane, Dublin; Eileen Caplice, Mallow, Co. Cork and Paul McGregor, Long Island, New York.
Paul Griffin, St.Helen’s, Merseyside; Eileen Casey, Old Bawn, Dublin; Skye Dawson, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim; Paul McLaughlin, Marmount Gardens, Belfast; Mary Shiel, Drumcondra, Dublin; Jacinta Lowndes, Swords, Co. Dublin; Richard Cahill, Clogheen, Co. Tipperary; Dr. James Finnegan, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Ben Ritchie, Downpatrick, Co. Down; Martin Malone, Athy, Co.Kildare; Margaret O’Doherty, Co. Donegal; Margaret Cameron, Old Hollywood Road, Belfast; Jean Tubridy, Tramore, Co. Waterford, and Oliver McBride, Downings, Co. Donegal.

An ideal gift for christmas or anytime!

Original Writing from Ireland’s Own 2015 is available to order in bookshops at €11.95. It is €15, £12 Stg and $US20 (incl p&p) directly from Original Writing, Spade Enterprise Centre, North King St, Dublin 7. Tel: 01-617 4834. Email: front.office@peoplenews.ie

Available to callers at the local offices of the People Newspapers in counties Wexford and Wicklow, The Kerryman, The Sligo Champion and the Drogheda Independent for the special cash and carry price of €10.