Publishing mentorship for writers at An Táin Arts Centre in Dundalk

An Táin Arts Centre has announced the three selected writers of the recent publishing mentorship announced as part of Nicola Cassidy’s 2022 writer-in-residency.

A call was put out at Christmas 2022 for applicants to put forward their fiction and non-fiction projects for the mentorship with Nicola, which includes in person and online meetings, feedback, correspondence and guidance towards seeking literary representation or getting published.

Speaking about the mentorship, Nicola said: “We had lots of applications, all very varied and it was really quite hard to pick three. Many of the applications were of a very high standard, both in their literary writing, themes and storylines.

“In the end, we chose three mentees that showed a particular talent and flair and who I felt I could really support with practical advice or guidance.”

The three mentees are, Joanne Ryan from Drogheda, who is working on a novel about a magical set of cards, Wendy Gilsenan from Dundalk, a foster carer who has written about her real-life experiences and Betty Clarke from Drogheda, who is working on an uplifting romance novel set in Montana, USA.

Speaking about her writing, Wendy Gilsenan said:“As a foster parent for over twenty years I wanted to capture my experience of being a foster parent and offer practical information for parents, foster and adoptive parents, early years practitioners and social workers.

Nicola Cassidy has herself published four historical fiction novels to date, and as well as being a screenwriter, she works as a ghostwriter and as a freelance development editor. She said she is looking forward to supporting these three up and coming local writers.

“I’ve already started work with these three brilliant writers and it’s exciting to see what might happen with their books,” said Nicola. We’re looking forward to sending their work out into the world, so readers (and publishers!) watch this space!”

To learn more about Nicola’s work visit www.nicolacassidy.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter at nicola_cassidy_.