NOLLAIG NA mBAN & THE DEAD iPAD APP

Happy Nollaig na mBan/Women's Christmas/Feast of the Epiphany to all the readers of this blog.

Joyce's masterpiece short story 'The Dead' was set on this day in Dublin, so I shall be reading it again later when I am finished with my edits on Novel 3 (going well!).

But here's something fun (even though I don't own an i-anything) - there is a new app of the story available for free for iPad. The app launched today to mark the centenary of the publication of Joyce's collection Dubliners. The new app from UCD Humanities Institute includes the full story read by actor Barry McGovern plus period images and podcast commentaries and is available free from the Apple App Store.

The app also includes:

• Podcasts which contextualise the story by commentators such as Catriona Crowe, Mary Daly, Anne Fogarty and Gerardine Meaney about Joyce, Dubliners, and the Dublin of the time.

• Rare and unseen images of Dublin in 1914.

• Architectural images and drawings describing the house and the architecture of the era.

• A video performance of The Lass of Aughrim filmed in the house on Usher's Island.

My husband informs me that you can download a virtual iPad so I may get to see this yet. Meanwhile, Apple fans, enjoy!

'NEW TRICKS WITH MATCHES' - LIT COMPS

Fiction judge, Mary Morrissy

There are two very fine judges for the UCD MA in Creative Writing Anthology Contest: Paul Perry for poetry and Mary Morrissy for fiction. I bought Mary's short story collection A Lazy Eye when I was just starting to write short stories myself and loved it. Mary will be in Arkansas at the International Short Story Conference, which I am also taking part in, so I am looking forward to spending some time with her there.

Here is the info on these two comps:

The annual UCD MA in Creative Writing Anthology Contest is currently accepting submissions. Categories include the short story and poetry, one winner will be chosen from each. The competition is open to ALL writers. Work must be previously unpublished. Entry is online only and the prize is publication.

Closing date: 30th of April 2012

Each winning entry, along with the entrant's short biography will be published in the Class of 2012 anthology New Tricks with Matches which will be distributed at Dublin-area literary events, local bookshops, as well as online. 'There are no requirements as to subject matter, only originality,' the competition organisers say.

Queries: newtrickswithmatches@gmail.com

Short story competition:

Max 2000 words
Entry fee: €7 or two for €10
Unlimited number of entries allowed

Poetry competition:

Max 40 lines
Entry fee: €7 or two for €10
Unlimited number of entries allowed

For more see here.