Author Interview: Paul McVeigh

 

There is no doubt in my mind that growing up in 1970s Belfast shaped the person I subsequently became. I remember the casual acceptance of body pat downs and bag searches by armed security personnel before being allowed to browse the aisles in Marks and Spencer; lying down on the seat of the 38 bus when I spotted the brick throwing teenagers by the gasworks on the lower Ormeau Road; standing behind a cordon on the city streets watching the wee robot role towards an illegallly parked van and wondering what its controlled explosion would trigger.

It wasn’t until I went up to the university that I visited the Ardoyne, where Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, The Good Son, is set. I found it a welcoming place, and drank tea with men I later learned were active members of the IRA. None of this phased me. What made me want to leave Belfast was the perpetuation of the bigotry amongst some of my peers. It is possible to accept views from the older generation, who young people rarely credit with much wit, but to see the same views being adopted by those I had regarded as capable of cogent thought was more than I could take.

In The Good Son we are introduced to Mickey Donnelly, an eleven year old boy whose everyday concerns about his Ma, fitting in, friends, and the prospect of a scary new school are more on his mind than the bombs, British army raids and shootings that happen all around. I recognised that boy and I cared about him. I wanted him to have the chances in life that he deserved, despite the damaged world which the adults tasked with his care were perpetuating.

I loved the book and the world that it brought to life through the eyes of a child (you can read my review here). I was therefore delighted when the author agreed to answer a few of my questions, to give us an insight into his work.

Please welcome to neverimitate, Paul McVeigh.

Where do you typically write?

I write in my bedroom. A little desk at the window. This is about to change. Fingers crossed I’ll have a writing room next week. I’ve never been able to write in cafes or trains, they’re too noisy and I’m too nosy.

Tell us about your writing process.

I have gestation periods where I work on ideas in my head for a long time. Then it’s all about making the time and getting on with putting it on the computer. Editing and rewriting is when you make an idea into a story.

Tell us about your publishing experience.

I had some stories published in journals and anthologies. Now my novel is out there.

In what ways do you promote your work?

Readings at festivals and events – when lucky enough to be invited. On social media. By doing this!

What are some of your current projects?

At the Cork Short Story Festival this week. I get to chair an event with one of my favourite writers Claire Keegan. Then I go to a short story festival in Wroclaw, Poland. I’m working on a idea but it’s not quite right yet. And I keep getting distracted by life, things like paying the bills and spending time with people I love.

Where can my readers find you?

Twitter: Paul McVeigh (@paul_mc_veigh)

The Good Son blog: The Good Son | Paul McVeigh

Blog for writers: Paul McVeigh

Facebook: Paul McVeigh | Facebook

Born in Belfast, Paul McVeigh began his writing career as a playwright. He moved to London where he wrote comedy shows, which were performed at the Edinburgh Festival and in London’s West End. His writing career moved into print, writing short stories that have been published in literary journals and anthologies, read on BBC Radio 5 and commissioned by BBC Radio 4.

He is the founding Director of London Short Story Festival and Associate Director at Word Factory, the UK’s leading short story salon. ‘The Good Son’ is his first novel, about a young boy growing up in Belfast during The Troubles, and has been called ‘a work of genius’ by Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler. The Good Son is currently shortlisted for The Guardian’s ‘Not The Booker’ Prize’.

Paul’s blog for writers which posts on submission opportunities for journals and competitions gets 40,000 hits a month internationally.

 

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