This simple stainless steel teapot was a gift from Joyce McCartan to Hillary Rodham Clinton on her visit to south Belfast in 1995. Joyce had set up a women’s drop-in centre following the murder of her teenage son. Set in the Lamplighter, a traditional fish and chip shop, it was a place where women from both sides of the religious divide could talk of their experiences during The Troubles and share ...
As a teenager living in Northern Ireland at the height of the conflict, I spent my days desperately wishing for peace. By the time I finished university, and with the violence showing no signs of ending, I left. A cop out, some might say when others stayed.
Perhaps that’s why I made the main character in my book a young peace campaigner, determined to change things for the better. My alter ...
Taking writing classes. I knew there was a process to writing a book. If I thought it would miraculously reveal itself to me as I went along, I was wrong. I need a basic framework because that's the sort of person I am. The classes have introduced me to tried and tested techniques, helped me discover my writer’s voice and provided early, all-important feedback.
Reading ...
