The Sigla Blog

Rose Tremain has been announced this evening as the winner of this year’s Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel, The Road Home. I haven’t read it, but then but I’ve read two of Tremain’s other books and found them really tedious. There were three debut novelists - Sadie Jones, Heather O’Neill and Patricia Wood […]

Earlier this year, just a day after Julie Burchill wrote about portrayals of strong women in film, I watched All About Eve for the very first time.
It’s an masterpiece starring Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a talented, aging actress who knows she’s past her prime. She takes a starstruck fan (Eve - played by […]

This week, I have something in common with possibly every heterosexual man in the land – I couldn’t care less about the release of the Sex and the City film. Sounding off to friends has drawn lots of “What?! You don’t like Sex and the City?”, as if I had just confessed to not liking […]

Since this brief post, I have been meaning to write something about Nuala O’Faolain’s recent passing. I’m a bit late, but here’s a recent column about her. Belfast- based writer June Caldwell, who knew the writer, wrote a very personal piece in the The Guardian last week, which is well worth reading.
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This day last […]

While writing an article about the many legged music and culture machine that is Ladyfest Cork, I discovered several fantastic bands were on the line-up. Some I already know and am fond of - Janey Mac, Party Weirdo, Queen Kong, You’re Only Massive - but two in particular have really grabbed me, both all […]

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 […]

That’s Anne Enright’s Tao of writing, as revealed in an interview in today’s Guardian Review. I’m currently reading Taking Pictures, Enright’s new collection of short stories. Unlike so many literary writers - writers who are supreme stylists - Enright always finds room for humour. In the interview she says her ideal reader is one who […]

Hilarious stuff from Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, partly inspired by:
a) today is International Women’s Day. Celebrate it.
b) the kind of spam mail that pops in Shane’s letterbox. Did you know that empowerment can be yours for an IWD discounted rate of €125?
c) many conversations about women, men, motherhood, mothers, feminism, blogging etc I had with […]

Should there be a women-only music award? Read Anthea McTiernan’s article in today’s Ticket and join the debate on Jim’s blog.
My comments posted over yonder:
“In literary terms it’s been done with the Orange Prize, and while I think there is much merit in women-only spaces/events, I don’t know if a lot of women are comfortable […]

“Why are there no great female painters?”

Apparently all will be revealed in this Sunday’s Observer. Now, while I don’t expect the critics the paper polled to mention Mainie Jellett, Norah McGuinness or most of these women, surely Frida Kahlo would be considered a great female painter?
Experts will providing answers to that and questions like “What […]

Starting tomorrow (Monday 25th), tune into Women’s Hour Drama on BBC Radio 4 to hear the radio version of Black Narcissus. I’ve never read the novel, but Powell and Pressburger’s film version is hugely affecting. It’s a psychological, eerie film about an order of nuns in the Himalayas being thwarted by desire, lack […]

Every time there’s a mention of the film Teeth, I can’t wait to see it. If you haven’t heard about it, New York Magazine sums it up as the story of “Dawn, a high-school student with a fanged, carnivorous vagina that exacts bloody revenge on all males who dare go near it.” Now the magazine […]