The Sigla Blog

The third Irish Book Awards were held last night, and there were some very worthy winners. Anne Enright picked up Novel of the Year for The Gathering and I was delighted to see Julia Kelly win Best Newcomer for her book With My Lazy Eye. Dermot Ferriter picked up three gongs for his book, Judging […]

Two related things:
- Don’t forget about the next Dreadful Thoughts meeting this Monday, April 21st. To take part, just read Edith Wharton’s story ‘Kerfol’ (online version in previous link) and join us for a discussion over at Fústar at 9pm.
- One author I’m sure we’ll get around to discussing is Sheridan Le Fanu. Tonight on […]

The Orange Prize shortlist has been announced today and Anne Enright isn’t on it. Seriously, The Gathering wins last year’s Booker Prize and there isn’t room for it on this shortlist of six books? Have to admit I’m very surprised. The shortlist includes three debut novelists - Sadie Jones, Heather O’Neill and Patricia Wood - […]

If you can’t actually get around to reading all your old hardback books, here are a couple of suggestions. Via Curbly, a video tutorial on how to make this bag:

Or, via a Design Files interview with Australian book sculptor Nicolas Jones (more images via the link, something a bit trickier.

143 years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was watching a performance of Our American Cousin, when John Wilkes Booth shot him in the head. Lincoln’s prophetic dream about his own assassination is well documented (he dreamt he saw a funeral, and when he asked a soldier who was dead, was told that it was the president […]

Fústar has been been keeping the hellfires of Dreadful Thoughts burning. I had to miss last Monday’s discussion - a double helping of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Poe and Saki’s ‘Sredni Vashtar’ - but you can still offer your thoughts on either story here.
Mulley’s Fluffy badges now have an evil twin in the […]

Having been terribly disappointed by the last couple of Salman Rushdie books, I can tentatively say that I’m enjoying The Enchantress of Florence. Midnight’s Children - winner of the Booker of Bookers - is one of my favourite books of all time. I also loved The Satanic Verses and Haroun and The Sea of Stories, […]

Congratulations to Pat McCabe, who is one of eight shortlisted authors for the 2008 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. It’s the world’s largest financial literary prize (for a single work of fiction in English), with the winner scooping €100,000. The prize is voted for by libraries across the globe and it’s no mean feat making the […]

Last week, The New York Times

What: The Dreadful Thoughts story club - read Algernon Blackwood’s ‘The Willows’ (available online here:) and join in the discussion.
Who: Anyone with a interest in ghost/supernatural/horror short stories
When: 8pm tonight, Thursday March 20th.
Where: Online, over at Fústar

Anne Enright is one of 18 writers to make this year’s longlist for the Orange Prize for Fiction for The Gathering. She has a very good chance of winning, and is up against other heavyweights like Deborah Moggach, Linda Grant (who won the prize a few years back) and Rose Tremain.
Longlist:
Anita Amirrezvani - The Blood […]

The next Dreadful Thoughts meeting will take place this Thursday, March 20th at 8pm. The story up for discussion is ‘The Willows’ by Algernon Blackwood.
Fústar has more details and links to where you can find the story online. Just gather over at his site at the designated time and date above. Lots of interesting points […]