Dublin horror writer Seán Ó Connor launched his first published work, a novella called The Mongrel, at Dublin's Hodges Figgis last night (October 23rd), to what can only be described as an avid audience, who paid rapt attention, not just to Seán's sample reading, but to the glowing tributes from two fellow horror writers.
As Seán's editor, I hung around the fringes of the gathering before the event began, listening to the interaction as people warmed up with a glass of wine, and I was delighted to hear so many positive comments. A good start. And it got better.
It was lovely to meet Seán for the first time. He's a personable young man, with a sparkle in his eye when it comes to the subject of writing. I also met and chatted with his friend, graphic artist and writer, Barry Keegan, author of the graphic novel The Bog Road, which is for sale from most, if not all, good bookshops. Here's Barry Blog: https://barrykeegan.com/the-bog-road/
With Barry Keegan
The first speaker of the night was Jonathan Barry, author and renowned illustrator, who whilst giving a dazzling review of Seán's novella, was under strict orders from the author of the night not to throw any spoilers out. He did very well, leaving it up to those in attendance to find out for themselves by buying a signed copy of the book later. Here's the link to Jonathan's horror novel, The Devil's Hoof: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devils-Hoof-Gothic-Tale-ebook/dp/B077X424WN/ref=sr_1_4?s=amazon-devices&ie=UTF8&qid=1540406114&sr=8-4&keywords=Jonathan+Barry
Jonathan Barry
Jonathan then introduced horror writer Matt Hayward, who provided an insightful background to how the genre has evolved over the past forty years or so. It's obvious that Matt is a fan of Sean's, which is great to see considering this writer comes with a solid reputation. He has novels, short-story collections, and an anthology of stories from an international collection of established horror writers. Fantastic to have a writer of his worth not just in attendance, but lauding Seán's novella. Plaudits that are well deserved in my opinion, biased though I might be. Here's the link to Matt's books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matt-Hayward/e/B00JDVHB8Q/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1540406380&sr=1-2
Matt Hayward
With the audience thoroughly warmed up, Seán was called to the podium, where he managed his nerves very well and whetted the collective appetite with a reading from The Mongel that left everyone impressed, with several complimenting his acting ability. He certainly brought the chosen scene to life.
Next up came the queue to buy his novella, with Seán giving everyone his full attention as he signed each copy, standing for photos and enjoying the craic. An excellent event, and all the better with his family, friends, and lovers of the horror genre in attendance, making for a memorable beginning to the career of an Irish writer you'll do well to keep an eye on. Even better, follow this link and buy his debut novella: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mongrel-Se%C3%A1n-OConnor/dp/1789015456/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540408024&sr=1-1&keywords=Sean+O+Connor+-+The+Mongrel
Seán and family
author with proud editor
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