Flash Fiction Saturday Night in the Museum

His gaze is a little unsettling. Stern and aloof, he stares unflinchingly with glittering hungry eyes. It's a gaze that follows me and did back when I was a child visiting the Armagh County Museum. I wonder what he makes of the proceedings about to unfold. Every Armagh child who has visited the museum knows that stare; knows that stuffed fox. For Mr Fox has looked out from his place in the exhibits and mesmerized children for more than forty years (by my count.)

Photograph courtesy of the Armagh County Museum

Tonight, though Mr Fox has met his match in a staring competition because right in front of his furry snout is a portrait of Seamus Heany by Colin Davidson. Splendid in a wash of warm and vibrant colours the great poet looks sombre and somewhat formidable. With tables arranged in front like an altar, it feels like we are the congregation in a temple, with Flash Fiction Armagh offering up a sacrifice of literature. I search the canvas for a tweak of a lip, a hint of approval - but his expression is unyielding. It feels like he's right here with us, but I am confident... we have a fabulous lineup and I know our readers won't disappoint the great man, nor their enthusiastic audience.

 
We begin with a poem by Mark Brownlee simply called Armagh. Like a verbal tour of our city, it touches all our hearts and binds us Armachians together in a collect pride for our city.

On a similar note, Karen Mooney uses the analogy of nature to show us how much we have to gain by growing in harmony together with A More Sustainable Future.

All the way from Pittsburg USA, via Paris, Nina Francus captures our hearts and minds, as she reads her story To Wander, Lost.

In a piece that proves speculative/science fiction is a form of literature is accessible and can be widely enjoyed, Jay Faulkner reads Always and Forever.

Kerry Buchannan, from Yorkshire via Ballynahinch, enthrals us with fantasy in her beautifully written and delivered story, A Clockwork Heart.

Elaine Toal reminds us all what it is to be hurt and human in a story that has a message we might all benefit from heeding - Shattered. 

All the way from Paris, P.V Wolseley bring art to life with her masterful writing in her stories, L'Origine du Monde Speaks and La Grande Odalisque.

Réamonn Ó Ciaráin captivates the audience as he reads the story of Chúchulainn's death in Bás Chúchulainn

All the way from lovely Leitrim, via Fermanagh, Trish Bennett brings a smile to our faces and a glow to our hearts in her humorous poem Kilty Relics.

Hailing from Paris, Omaya Nasser has the audience spellbound as she reads End of the Line.

Seán Farry entertains us in Gaeilge and raises a laugh even in those of us whose Irish is limited as he recounts stories of his teaching experiences in his poems  Cás na dteifeach – Tá dhá thaobh ar an bhád and Feidhmiú an Ranga.

Sue Divins cracks open our hearts and our tear ducts with Says Himself.

Another crossing of the Blackwater River brings us Kieran Mc Gurk with his story Blobby, a cautionary tale about getting too big for your (pink and yellow spotted) boots.

From the moment he stood up, Malachi Kelly had his all grinning at his witty reminiscences in Mother, Son and Ghost.

Anne Mc Master rounded up the evening with a beautifully written and presented tongue in cheek piece on gardening - Gardener's World.


Thank you to the staff of the Armagh County Museum for their welcome and patience. Nothing was too much bother for them and everyone was very impressed with and enjoyed their evening in the Museum.

Thanks also to everyone who submits to Flash Fiction Armagh - you are what drives us and we wish you every writing success...and soon! It's a tough old business.

To every Flash Fiction attendee: Readers - we can't do this without you, Audience - there'd be no point without you.

Wishing everyone a multitude of blessing for 2019 and beyond.

Byddi Lee


 



 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year starting with Flash Fiction Saturday Night in the Museum

I’m recycling this picture from last year mainly because it’s one of my favourite photos of Armagh and also because it’s probably the only snow we’re going to see in Armagh this Christmas and that’s fine with me because Christmas and New Years means many of us are on the roads travelling to visit loved ones and the snow makes all that difficult and dangerous. As much as I do love snow, I have an additional reason for wanting mild weather over the next few weeks – our next Flash Fiction event has drawn writers not just from as far away as Tyrone and Newry, but Flash Fiction Armagh goes international in 2019 with 3 brilliant writers coming all the way from Paris, France especially to read at Flash Fiction Saturday Night at the Museum!

We are excited to announce our line up for this event taking place in the Armagh County Museum on Saturday, 5th January 2019 at 7 pm. It’s a truly international crew this time with writers laying claim to a total of (at least) 6 nationalities and 2 continents! Flash Fiction Armagh presents:


Omaya Nasser  End of the Line
Mark Brownlee Armagh
Kieran McGurk Blobby
Seán Farry Cás na dteifeach – Tá dhá thaobh ar an bhád and Feidhmiú  an Ranga
Sue Divin  Says Himself
Elaine Toal Revisiting
Karen Mooney A More Sustainable Future
Malachi Kelly Mother Son and Ghost
Trish Bennet Kilty Relics
Jay Faulkner Always and Forever
P.V. Wolseley L’ Origine du Monde Speaks and La Grande Odalisque
Nina Francus To Wander, lost
Anne Mc Master Gardeners World
Réamonn Ó Ciaráin   Bás Chúchulainn

Have a peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year, and here’s hoping that 2019 brings us all a world with more tolerance and love, and don’t forget to join in the Revolution of Tenderness where you can. Click here to read a little Flash Fiction Trilogy I wrote a couple of years back…

Byddi Lee

A Great Night at the Flash Fiction in Georgian Armagh

I hear it all around me. There's a fizzle in the air, people calling greetings, reunion hugs, first meeting handshakes and mutual shoulder clapping for those readers expressing how nervous they are. A new to Flash Fiction Armagh person arrives in and I send her in the direction of the bunch mostly made up mostly from Women Aloud NI members who have all coalesced around one table.

"Just tell them you're here by yourself and they'll welcome you," I say, but to be fair, such is our audience that you could sit down at any table and you'd be knee deep in conversation in two seconds flat.

I see her safely absorbed into the craic before she even makes it to the table I'd pointed out. I give folk little more time to be social. The bistro staff are working flat-out to get everyone organised but luckily no-one is stamping feet and singing, "Why are we waiting?" We're in a happy place.

I breathe a sigh of relief that we've filled the room and only need a couple of extra chairs brought in - a perfect crowd for a perfect night.

Watching the room fill up before the event.

One final check that there are no late lingerers still downstairs, then I give Réamonn Ó Ciarán the thumbs up and we're off. The stories wow us - each and every one. But don't take my word for it, watch for yourselves. Each one speaks for itself...

Christopher Moore's story Solitude is superbly written and keeps us hooked right to the end.

First time Flash Fictioner, Rachel Toner takes the floor and wows the audience with Inferno.

No-one can believe this is Patricia Hanlon's first time reading her work, when she enthrals us with her extract from Kirty's  Vow, leaving us all asking, "Where/when can we buy this book." 

Terry Hickland entertains us from his beautifully written forthcoming novel, The Piano Boat.

We share in Maureen Boyle's heartache as she read her short story Box Room, and admire the sweater the story references her knitting.

From deepest darkest Tyrone, Kieran Mc Gurk reads Zaragoza and the room hanging on his every word and accents (some of which I reckon are not from Tyrone!)

I bring us into the intermission with  A Thick Foundation. 

After the break Réaltán Ní Leannáin expertly brings us through her excerpt from her novel set in Malta and written in Irish, Cití na gCártaí, cleverly bridging the language barrier so everyone can enjoy both the story and the language it is written in.

Cathy Carson makes us all sit up and take notice with her amazing performance of Wake Up Call from memory - a new and higher setting of the bar in Flash Fiction Armagh!

Mahogany is Peter Hollywood's thrilling story about a knife fight and keeps us all on the edge of our seats.

Gaynor Kane gives us a wry smile as she recounts a strange decision by the Highway Patrol in Oregan in Jonah and the Whale. 

A stunning theatrical performance by Rose Tumilty of Hunter's Moon O'er Airgialla steps us back in history and lore.

Eddie Mc Clenaghan's fresh take on a teched-up Santa brings the smiles to our faces with The Night Before Christmas Was Cool.

Christmas Disaster by Doreen Mc Bride has us all laughing, ending the evening on a high was is still being discussed "up the town" on Saturday when I bump into audience members at the Georgian Festival. 

It's fair to say that the Flash Fiction events are going from strength to strength and that's due to the fabulous teamwork of the writers who submit such excellent work, the audience who support them and the wonderful venues we've been lucky enough to have host us.

If watching these videos has given you some inspiration, submission's are open until 5th December 2018 for the Flash Fiction Saturday Night in the Museum taking place on 5th January 2019 in Armagh County Museum. So get those stories in asap!

Byddi Lee

Armagh Literary Scene Presents...

I seriously cannot believe my good fortune - there's just so much going on in the literary scene in Armagh that I find myself swinging from one event to the next!

Last Friday night, I was proud to be included in a contingent from Women Aloud NI who were invited as special guests to the always wonderful Open Mic Night in the Abbey Lane Theatre. I'm a huge fan of this establishment and always have a grand old evening there but it was with a double pride that I presented it to my sistas from Women Aloud NI and vice versa. Each group wowed the other and rightly so. The readings were deep, rich, lewd and entertaining in equal measure and doubled down by the musical acts and poetry from regulars, it added up to a brilliant night. It filled me up with that "ah, my wee Armagh" glow that warms my heart so often these days.

The John O Connor Festival begins on the 1st November and I'm excited about volunteering, attending and reading at the festival.

To see what's on, have a look at the programme.

And last but certainly by no means least, Flash Fiction in Georgian Armagh is pleased to announce it's line up for the event taking place on 22nd November 2018 at 7pm upstairs in Mulberry Bistro during Armagh's amazing Georgian Festival. And what a lineup!

In no particular order, congratulations to,

Kerry Buchanan	Only a Clockwok Heart
Réaltán Ní Leannáin	Excerpt from Cití na gCártaí to be published in 2019 with Cois Life Press
Christopher Moore	Solitude
Maureen Boyle	Box Room
Eddie McClenaghan	The Night Before Christmas Was Cool
Rosemary Tumilty	Hunter’s Moon O’er Airgialla
Peter Hollywood	Mahogany
Doreen Mc Bride	Christmas Disaster
Kieran McGurk	Zaragoza
Terry Hickland	extract from the forthcoming novel The Piano Boat
Gaynor Kane	Jonah and the Whale
Cathy Carson	Wake Up Call
Patricia Hanlon	Extract from Kirsty's Vow
Rachel Toner	Inferno
Byddi Lee	A Thick Foundation

For more information on events during the Georgian Festival please check out their website.

Byddi Lee