On this month's episode of The Stinging Fly Podcast, Declan Meade is joined by Nuala O'Connor, to read 'Sing, Dance, Earn Your Keep', an essay by Nicole Flattery first published in the Winter 2015 issue of the magazine. Nuala O'Connor is a writer of novels, short fiction, poetry, and essays. She also publishes under the name Nuala Ní Chonchúir. Nuala's fifth novel NORA, about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, was published earlier this year by New Island, and her chapbook of...

On this month's episode of The Stinging Fly Podcast, Ian Maleney is joined by Adrian Duncan, to read a piece from the Summer 2008 issue of the Stinging Fly, an essay from the 'First Passions' series written by the Longford poet Vona Groarke. Adrian is the Berlin-based author of two novels, Love Notes from A German Building Site, which won the John McGahern Book Prize in 2019, and A Sabbatical in Leipzig. His first collection of short stories, Midfield Dynamo, was published earlier this year...

In this month's episode of the podcast, Danny Denton is joined by novelist Conor O'Callaghan to read and discuss the essay 'Suddenly A Duck', by Claire-Louise Bennett. Conor O'Callaghan was born in Newry in 1968 and grew up in Dundalk. His first novel, Nothing on Earth, was published in 2016 and was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year. His second novel, We Are Not in the World, is due to be published in February 2021. He has also published five collections of poetry, and...

This month on the Stinging Fly podcast, we're taking a little diversion from our usual format to present a lecture by the novelist Paul Lynch. Paul is the author of four internationally acclaimed novels: Beyond the Sea, The Black Snow, Red Sky In Morning, and Grace, which won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award in 2018. He was born in Limerick, raised in Donegal, and currently lives in Dublin with his wife and two children.  This lecture, entitled 'The Dream That Wakes You Up', was...

In this month's episode of the podcast, Declan Meade is joined by novelist Rónán Hession to read and discuss the story 'Eight Days', by Chinese writer Zou Jingzhi.  Rónán Hession is an award-winning musician and writer. He wrote and recorded music as Mumblin’ Deaf Ro and was nominated for a Choice Music Award for his album, Dictionary Crimes. Leonard And Hungry Paul, Rónán's first book, was published by Bluemoose Books in March 2019 and earned him  nominations for both Best Newcomer at the...

Caelainn Hogan is the author of Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for Fallen Women, published in 2019 by Penguin. She has worked as a journalist and filed stories from all over the world for publications like National Geographic, the New York Times magazine, Harper's, the New Yorker, and The Guardian. She's also written essays and reported pieces for The Dublin Review and The Stinging Fly.  For this episode of the podcast, Caelainn has chosen to read 'On Non-Fiction...

Mark O'Connell, author of To Be A Machine and Notes from an Apocalypse, joins Ian Maleney to read and discuss 'Bland God: Notes on Mark Zuckerberg', an essay from our Summer 2018 issue written by Roisin Kiberd. Mark O'Connell is a writer based in Dublin. His books, To Be a Machine: Encounters With a Post-Human Future, and Notes From An Apocalypse, are published by Granta in the UK, and Doubleday in the US. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker’s “Page-Turner” blog; his work has been...

Naoise Dolan, author of the acclaimed debut novel, Exciting Times, joins Declan Meade in studio to read and discuss the subtle gothic horror of Emma Donoghue's 'Looking for Petronilla', a story that appeared way back in Issue 11 of the magazine in Winter 2001. Naoise Dolan was born in Dublin, studied at Trinity College, and completed a master's degree in Victorian literature at Oxford. Her writing has featured in The Dublin Review and The Stinging Fly. Her debut novel Exciting Times has been...

To celebrate the publication of her debut collection, Modern Times, Cathy Sweeney reads 'The Chair', a dark and funny story from the book.  Modern Times is available to purchase from The Stinging Fly: https://stingingfly.org/product/modern-times/ Praise for Modern Times: "Cathy Sweeney's stories have already attracted a band of fanatical devotees, and this first collection is as marvellous as we could have hoped for. A unique imagination, a brilliant debut." —Kevin Barry “I loved this...

In the first episode of 2020, Declan Meade is joined by Cathy Sweeney, to read from and discuss the work of Tania Hershman.  Cathy Sweeney’s writing has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Dublin Review, Egress, Winter Papers, Banshee, and The Tangerine. Her stories have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Her debut collection of short fiction, Modern Times, will be published by Stinging Fly Press in March.  Tania Hershman is a poet, writer, teacher and editor based in the North of...

Stephen Sexton joins us on this month's episode of the Stinging Fly podcast, to read and discuss two poems by Sinéad Morrissey. Stephen Sexton's debut collection, If All The World And Love Were Young, was published in September 2019 by Penguin, and won The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection in October. Sexton’s first pamphlet, Oils (Emma Press), was a Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice; he won the UK National Poetry Competition in 2016 with 'The Curfew'; he won an Eric Gregory...

Oisín Fagan, novelist and short-story writer, chooses 'Hay', a story by David Hayden which first appeared in our Spring 2010 issue.  Oisín Fagan has had fiction published in The Stinging Fly, New Planet Cabaret and the anthology Young Irelanders. He won the inaugural Penny Dreadful Novella Prize for his novella The Heirophants. His debut collection of stories, Hostages, was published in 2016 by New Island, and his first novel, Nobber, was published this year by JM Originals. He currently...

Eimear Ryan, writer of fiction and essays, as well as the co-editor of Banshee, joins Danny Denton to read and discuss 'Danny', a story by Lucy Sweeney Byrne taken from our 2016 special issue on the Easter Rising. Eimear Ryan is from Co. Tipperary and lives in Cork. She writes about sport for the Irish Examiner and is an editor for the literary journal Banshee. Her fiction and essays have appeared in Winter Papers, Granta, The Dublin Review, The Stinging Fly, Town & Country (Faber) and...

Wendy Erskine, author of the acclaimed debut collection Sweet Home, joins Danny Denton at the Belfast Book Festival to read and talk about 'Prosinečki', a story by Adrian Duncan taken from our Summer 2018 issue of the magazine. Wendy Erskine’s work has been published in The Stinging Fly, Winter Papers, and on BBC Radio 4. Her work has been collected in Stinging Fly Stories, Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland (New Island Books), and Being Various: New Irish Short Stories...

Nicole Flattery, author of the newly-published debut collection, Show Them A Good Time, joins Danny Denton in the studio to talk about 'Andy Warhol', a story by Keith Ridgway taken from the Winter 2011 issue of the magazine, and recently collected in the Stinging Fly Stories anthology. Nicole Flattery's stories have been published in The Irish Times, The Dublin Review, The White Review, Winter Papers, The Letters Page and The Stinging Fly. She is a recipient of a Next Generation Artists’...

Melatu Uche Okorie, author of the much-heralded story collection This Hostel Life, joins Sally Rooney in the studio to discuss two pieces of flash fiction: 'Cute', by Ian Shine, and 'FA Cup Winners On Open Top Bus Tour of My Village', by Jonathan Edwards.

Sally Rooney is joined in the studio this month by Anne Griffin, best-selling author of When All Is Said, recently published by Sceptre. Anne reads 'Scaffolding', a story by Oisin Fagan, from our Spring 2015 issue.

In the November edition of the podcast, Sally Rooney is joined in the studio by Jessica Traynor. They read and discuss Wendy Erskine's story, 'To All Their Dues', first published by the Stinging Fly in Summer 2016 and included in Erskine's recently-published debut collection, Sweet Home. Jessica Traynor was born in Dublin in 1984. Her poems have been published widely, and her debut collection, Liffey Swim (Dedalus Press, 2014), was shortlisted for the Strong/Shine Award. She won the Listowel...

Emilie Pine, bestselling author of the essay collection 'Notes to Self', joins Sally Rooney in studio to talk about Julian Gough's essay, 'How To Edit Your Own Lousy Writing'.

Evelyn Conlon reads from her story, 'The Park', about the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland in 1979, and discusses its relevance ahead of Pope Francis' upcoming visit.

Martina Evans joins Declan Meade in the studio to read Sinéad Morrissey's story, 'The Day I Brought Water'. Martina Evans is an Irish poet, novelist and teacher. She grew up in County Cork in a country pub, shop and petrol station and is the youngest of ten children. She is the author of eleven books of prose and poetry. Her latest poetry collection, 'Now We Can Talk Openly About Men', was published by Carcanet in May 2018. Sinéad Morrissey is a Northern Irish poet. In January 2014 she won...

In this month's episode, Sally Rooney is joined in studio by Mia Gallagher to read and discuss 'Ten Days, Counting Slowly', a short story by Jennifer Brady. 'Ten Days, Counting Slowly' was first published in our Summer 2008 issue, and is included in our new anthology, 'Stinging Fly Stories'.

Sally Rooney is joined by Sarah Gilmartin for a very special edition of the podcast this month. They discuss five stories selected from the new 'Stinging Fly Stories' anthology, a collection of 40 stories by 40 writers which celebrates 20 years of the Stinging Fly magazine. Excerpts from the stories are read by Karl Parkinson, Nora Pyne, Lucy Sweeney Byrne, Leona Lee Cully, and Oisin Fagan. 'Stinging Fly Stories' is available to buy in bookshops now, or you can order it directly from the...

Colm Keegan joins Sally Rooney to read and discuss 'The Cavalcade', a dark and ambiguous story by Sean O'Reilly.