The Frances Browne Literary Festival

We send all best wishes to our sister event in the Twin Towns, the Frances Browne Literary Festival as they launch their writing competitions. They deserve great credit for their unique approach in holding writing competitions in Irish, English, and Ulster-Scots.

For details, application forms, etc. drop over to their web-site

One of these years, we'll have to have a get-together to discuss the great mystery of Donegal Literature - how did Frances and William not know each other? Both poets born in Donegal and died in England over very similar life spans (give or take a decade). William was friendly with Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was known to be a major influence on Frances. All three of them were frequently published in The Atheneum. Yet, not only do they not seem to have met, I can see no indication that they were even aware of each other. Curious!

Anyway, we look forward to the imminent announcement of the full 2025 programme for the festival which runs in Ballybofey and Stranorlar, 9-12 October.

Congratulations, Tom and Monica!

And the good news keeps coming. Two great friends of the Allingham Festival, Tom Sigafoos and Monica Corish have both made it to the Fiction Longlist for the Carousel Awards for Irish Independent Authors, 2025, under the patronage of Paul Lynch.

Tom's Pool of Darkness: Raymond Chandler in Ireland, imagines a 1948 encounter between crime novelist Chandler and philosopher Wittgenstein in a remote corner of County Galway. As the two notoriously-reclusive men develop an unlikely friendship, they stumble into a conspiracy that involves former Nazis, the US House Un-American Activities Committee, and a cat belonging to the widow of William Butler Yeats. Novelist, Theo Dorgan describes the book as "... a gem and a joy" and we don't disagree.

We've already written about Monica's novel, “LeafLight Moon – a novel of prehistoric Ireland” which will be launched at this year's Allingham Festival on Sunday, November 9th. Final results of the CAP Awards will be announced in October so we're hoping for major celebrations.

Congratulations, Donal

We are delighted to learn of Donal Ryan's wonderful success in winning the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, 2025, for his novel "Heart, Be at Peace". Fans of Donal's work will recognise the setting from his debut novel, "The Spinning Heart", but this takes place 10 years later as this small community "... faces contemporary challenges including social media, drugs, and illegal industries." Donal is slated to join us in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon on Saturday, November 8th, for a session of Q & A and readings from his extensive works. We look forward to welcoming you there.

Paddy - The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong

We’ve been hearing great reports from Sligo of one of our big events for 2025. This is is a one-man show, written and directed by Mary-Elaine Tynan and starring Don Wycherley. Fifty years on from his wrongful conviction as one of the Guildford Four, Paddy Armstrong is facing into his twilight years and wrestling with a thousand turbulent memories. At the age of 74, he relives the journey that forever altered his destiny. The show was recently seen in the Hawk's Well and is currently touring the country to enormous acclaim but won’t be back in this area again until it arrives in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon on Saturday, November 8th. If you missed it in Sligo (or even if you saw it and are dying for second helpings), get the date in your diary, now!

Competitions 2025

The 2025 Allingham Poetry and Flash Fiction Competitions are open for entries! First-place winners will each receive a prize of €300.

Poet and publisher Kate Newmann will judge this year’s Poetry Competition entries. The winning poet will also receive the Francis Harvey Poetry Award.

Acclaimed author Nuala O’Connor will judge the Flash Fiction entries. The winner of the Flash Fiction Competition will also be awarded the Keane Family Fiction Prize.

The Competitions are open to writers who are 18 or older by 5 November 2025. International entries are welcome! Previous winning entries have been crafted by writers in Canada, Australia and Dubai.

The 2025 Allingham Festival will run from 5-9 November in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. Winning entries will be read and the Poetry and Flash Fiction Awards will be presented at the Literary Lunch on Saturday, 8 November.