Nuala Ní Chonchúir (born 14 January 1970) is an Irish fiction writer and poet.
Personal life
Born in Dublin in 1970, Ní Chonchúir currently resides in County Galway. She holds a BA in Irish from Trinity College Dublin and a Masters in Translation Studies (Irish/English) from Dublin City University. She has worked as a theatre and writers' centre arts administrator, translator, bookseller and also in a university library. Ní Chonchúirteaches creative writing on a part-time basis.
In 2009, Ní Chonchúir was featured in The Irish Times''' "People to Watch in the Year Ahead".
Career Ní Chonchúir has published five novels, four collections of short fiction and three poetry collections - one in an anthology. Her short story "The Wind Across the Grass" won the RTÉ Francis MacManus Award in 2002. She collaborated with writers Deirdre Brennan and Máighréad Medbh on the volume of poetry, Divas! (2003).
Her third short story collection, Nude, was published in 2009 by Salt Publishing. She was also writer in residence that year for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature. In November, her poetry pamphlet Portrait of the Artist With a Red Car was published by Templar Poetry.Portrait of the Artist With a Red Car (Templarpoetry.co.uk)
In 2010, her first novel You was published by New island books. Her poetry collection The Juno Charm was published by Salmon Poetry the following November.The Juno Charm (salmonpoetry.com)
Her fourth short story collection, Mother America, was published in June 2012 by New Island Books. The story "Peach", from the collection, was published in Prairie Schooners Winter 2011 issue and was nominated for the 2012 Pushcart Prize.Prairie Schooner Winter 2011 She also wrote an essay for the Wales Arts Review's Bloomsday edition.
In September 2013, Tower Press (USA) published Of Dublin and Other Fictions, a chapbook collection of Ní Chonchúir's flash fiction.Of Dublin and Other Fictions (Tower Press) Her second novel, Closet of Savage Mementos was shortlisted for The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2015.The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2015
In October 2014, she was nominated for the Laureate for Irish Fiction.The Arts Council list of nominees for the Laureate for Irish Fiction.
Nuala's third novel, Miss Emily, was published by Penguin USA and Penguin Canada in July 2015, and by Sandstone Press in August of the same year. It was shortlisted for the Eason Book Club novel of the Year 2015Eason Book Club Novel of the Year 2015 and was nominated for the 2017 Dublin International Literary Award.[Dublin International Literary Award 2017Seaborne was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2025.
Reception
Selected reviews include:
"… one of Ireland's most unusual and creative minds; [her fiction is] dressed in modernity, a ritual playing of the bones of Irish storytelling." - Irish Examiner, 2009
"...The novel flows beautifully and is understated in tone... This gem is sure to win her further acclaim. Nuala Ní Chonchúir is a writer to watch." - Sue Leonard, Irish Examiner'', 2010
Bibliography
Novel
Year Title As Publisher ISBN 2010 You Nuala Ní Chonchúir New Island 2014 The Closet of Savage Mementos Nuala Ní Chonchúir New Island 2015 Miss Emily Nuala O'Connor Penguin, Sandstone 2018 Becoming Belle Nuala O'Connor Penguin, Putnam, Piatkus 2021 NORA Nuala O'Connor Harper Perennial, New Island 2024 Seaborne Nuala O'Connor New Island
Short story collections
Year Title As Publisher ISBN Notes 2004 The Wind Across the Grass Nuala Ní Chonchúir Arlen House 2005 To The World of Men, Welcome Nuala Ní Chonchúir Arlen House 2009 nude Nuala Ní Chonchúir Salt 2012 Mother America Nuala Ní Chonchúir New Island 2013 Of Dublin and Other Fictions Nuala Ní Chonchúir Tower Press Flash Fiction, Chapbook 2017 Joyride to Jupiter Nuala Ní Chonchúir New Island 2020 Birdie Nuala O'Connor Arlen House Flash Fiction 2022 A Little Unsteadily Into Light Nuala O'Connor New Island Books
Poetry collections
Year Title As Publisher ISBN Notes 2003 Molly's Daughter Nuala Ní Chonchúir Arlen House From Divas: New Irish women's writing 2007 Tattoo:Tatú Nuala Ní Chonchúir Arlen House 2009 Portrait of the Artist With a Red Car Nuala Ní Chonchúir Templar Poetry 2011 The Juno Charm Nuala Ní Chonchúir Salmon Poetry
References
External links Nuala Ní Chonchúir's Homepage Salt Publishing Author Page New Island Author Page Salmon Poetry Collection Page Tower Press Home page Penguin Books Author Page Sandstone Press Author Page