Deirdre Shanahan
Novel
Bluemoose Books,
25 Sackville St, Hebden Bridge.
W.Yorks. HX7 7DJ
Bluemoosebooks.com
isbn 9781910422472 - hdback / 9781910422489 - ppbk
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Story Collection
Splice Books
Splice.com
isbn 9781916173033
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Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind
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Tim Pears - award-winning novelist
"Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind,’ is a story of heroes whose fate is remorseless as those in folk ballads or gypsy songs. Eva, Torin and Caitlin (like Grandad and Delia before them) are caught in webs they can hardly escape except in their dreams and fantasies, and the romance of the open road. You draw the reader in to their destinies. I felt increasingly moved by Torin and Caitlin, and as I understood their relationship I wondered how the writer could help them - and the reader. The ending is brilliant, hopeful in an entirely honest, unsentimental way. The writer took this reader on a fraught, difficult journey, surfing on the finely wrought details of the writing, and delivered us into a believable future.
​Minor characters - Pauley, Shane, Sheridan - are brilliantly drawn. Set-piece scenes - the concert when Torin attacks Shane, the party Pauley takes Torin to - are so well done, reading was like watching a film."
Charles Palliser - award-winning novelist. Readings organiser. Stoke Newington Bookshop
“I was very impressed indeed by the book. It's a very fine piece of work, very powerful and honest and beautifully written.”
The Irish Times
“Well written debut…one of the strengths of Deirdre Shanahan’s debut novel Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind is the writer’s way with place, a key part of her story …These well-written sections are to be commended…”
Cauvery Madhavan author The Tainted. Hope Road Publishing
You are going to enjoy 'Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind.' Superb writing and I still think of all the characters weeks later.
Carrying Fire and Water
Angela Readman Costa winning and short story writer. Author of Don’t Try This At Home
Timeless, vivid and sensory, these stories feel like we are actually there. Shanahan has a gift for detail that make her characters breathe. A beautiful debut.
Ruby Cowling The White Review winner and author of This Paradise Boiler House Books
Somehow both punchy and delicate, Shanahan’s stunningly intricate writing pulls us fast and deep into stories driven by the powerful undertow of human longing.
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Alan McMonagle short story writer and novelist published by Picador
Tender, elemental, achingly honest and delicately rendered; this is a collection of beautifully observed moments, connections and possibilities that bring into sharp relief things we've had and lost; things we think we have; things we will never have; things we give up; and most importantly of all, perhaps, things that may just have it within them to renew, replenish ourselves. Wonderful.
Billy O’Callaghan, author of My Coney Island Baby and The Boatman and Other Stories
Carrying Fire And Water is beautifully forged: the prose is precise and evocative, the stories full of elegance and insight. Deirdre Shanahan is a fine writer with a deep dedication to the craft, deserving of a wide and enthusiastic readership.
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OTHER WRITING
The Lonely Crowd. ed John Lavin. Anniversary issue. Issue Twelve . Dec 2020 contributed story.
London Short Story Prize Anthology 2019. Spread the Word. University of Kingston Press. contributed story
ed Eley Williams, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and Charlotte Seymour. pub June 2020
Wasafiri International Magazine. Excerpt from novel 'Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind' and commentary
Podcast from Brixton Bookjam Oct 2019. Reading in set 3 https://soundcloud.com/badzelda/sets/brixton-bookjam-oct-7th-2019
Blog Post. Birkbeck. University of London
'Plunder' Won Wasafiri International Fiction Award 2018 judged by Elleke Boehmer and Kerry Young- posted online magazine.
'The Wind Calling' published in The Best of British Short Stories 2017. ed Nicholas Royle from Salt
'Passengers' published in Best of the Short Story Vol 2. ed Kerry Barner
'9 Days- Modes of Distraction' longlist Goldsmiths University New Writing Award. judged by Blake Morrison.
'Weights' story read at The Word Factory, Waterstones Piccadilly. Curated by Cathy Galvin and Paul McVeigh
'Grievous Bodily Harm' story read at Liars League, London
'Birds of Erin' novel excerpt - showcased on The Literary Consultancy site -
'Digging' 2nd in inaugural Spread the Word Writing Award judged by Bidisha and Courttia Newland. Published in anthology -'Edgeways' from Flight Press.
'The Night Breathing' - on WritersHub Birkbeck, University of London
BIO
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I write fiction - having published several stories in the USA , UK and Ireland. I have been visiting speaker several times at The London Irish Writers Summer School. London Metropolitan University and have taught at Brunel University, St Mary’s University and held writing workshops in schools.
My work has been read at Liars League and I have read at The Word Factory, London.
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Stories in anthologies
‘The Best of British Short Stories 2017’ edited by Nicholas Royle. Salt ‘Matador’ edited by Billy O’Callaghan. ‘Dog Days’ from Fish Publishing edited by Joseph O’Connor. ‘Wooing Mr Wickham’ edited by Michele Roberts. The Short Story vol 2. The Irish Book of Short Stories Phoenix Orion. New Writing from British Council / Vintage
Stories in journals
The Massachusetts Review, The Southern Review, The Cimarron Review, Iowa Woman, Paris Atlantic, Passport.
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Awards
Wasafiri International Fiction Award 2018
Arts Council England - major bursary
Heinrich Boll Residency Ireland 2017
Joint Winner Michael Marks Award 2014
Lightship Novel Award
Spread the Word Award. London
Eric Gregory Award. Society of Authors.
Donal MacAmhlaigh / The Irish Post Award
M.A. with Merit in Creative Writing. University of London
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Other Writing
‘Recovery Position’ Rack Press. 2014.
‘In Parallel’ University of Hertfordshire Press. 2011
‘Prussian Blue’ Radio Play broadcast on RTE Ireland.
EVENTS AND INFO
2023
Brixton Bookjam. Monday March 6th. 8pm. At The Hootananny. 95 Effra Road. Brixton. SW2 1DF.
Monday March 6th with Tony White, Eamon Somers, Dennis the Poet, Badzelda and Rose Servitova
@BrixtonBookJam and brixtonbookjam.com
Berlin Writers Award 2022. January 12th .Reading at Hallesches Haus, Templehofer. Ufer 1 Berlin with Rachel Swearinggen, Matthew Perkins, Mary Franklin, Rosemarie Geary, Lukas Reimann and Hillary Millan
2022
Interview with Shauna Gilligan
https://shaunagilliganwriter.com/2022/08/18/writers-chat-54-deirdre-shanahan-on-caravan-of-the-lost-and-left-behind-bluemoose-books-hebden-bridge-2019/
London Irish Writers Summer School. June / July. London Met University
with Ian Duhig, Ethel Corduff, Brian O'Shea, Sean Donlon, John Leo Waters
https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/courses/short/irish-writers-in-london-summer-school/
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CONTACT
enquiries re Caravan of the Lost and Left Behind - contact publisher Kevin Duffy
Tel: 01422 - 842751 bluemoosebooks.com
enquries re Carrying Fire and Water - contact Splice - thisissplice@gmail.com or splice.press@gmail.com
For readings or other enquiries - dshanahan1@hotmail.com
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