THE MONGREL | BOOK LAUNCH
Dublin's most famous bookstore
Under a full moon, in Dublin City, a unique event took place.
This event was a simple book launch and although this kind of event is not uncommon in this city, it was, however, unique in the sense that it was my debut book's launch night and also the birth of an Irish werewolf novella.
The event was hosted in one of the oldest and most famous bookstores in Dublin
In attendance was a collective of creative minds such as; Writers, Artists, Musicians and a photographer with a keen eye.
For me, to launch my debut book in this particular location was a big deal.
I watched family, friends, strangers, well wishers and curious wanderers mingle and mix over a few glasses of wine and that set the mood for the evening.
Proceedings kicked off with an introduction by Jonathan Barry, Author of the Gothic horror novel, The Devil’s Hoof.
Jonathan warmed the crowd up nicely with an in depth, spoiler free, review of The Mongrel. He also delivered some high praise regarding my writing style - forcing me to hold back the blushes.
You can buy Jonathan’s novel, HERE
Jonathan Barry's Introduction
The podium was then passed to horror novelist
Matt is a friend of mine and a prolific writer with many novels, short stories and anthologies currently in print. He is rising star in the horror fiction world and I felt it was an honor to have him speak and support me on the night. And his speech didn’t disappoint, as he covered the history of horror fiction, highlighting the ups and downs over the years, current trends and the genre’s hopeful future. I loved Matt’s reminder to the crowd that one of horror’s most infamous characters, the vampire, was born right here in Dublin. Something that seems to be overlooked on the international stage.
Matt Hayward
Indeed, horror and Dublin go hand in hand, one could even say that this city is a cradle for the darker side of fiction and I am proud to call this city, home. Dublin has spawned many tales and folklore that has inspired literary heavyweights such as Bram Stoker with the Dublin/Wicklow mountains as its backdrop. And sitting on top of these dark hills, the Hellfire Club, still stands tall today, casting it's gloomy shadow - A gentle reminder of a horrid history that overlooks the city once known as the Black Pool...
It is impossible not to be inspired by such lore and with authors like Matt leading the charge at home and on the international stage, the creative future of Irish horror writing is in good hands.
Matt Hayward’s new novel, The Faithful, launched this week.
Check out all of his work HERE
At this point in the evening, I was a bag of nerves. As soon as Matt finished reading The Mongrel’s book description, I had to shake them off, step up and try to enjoy the moment - because the book deserved at least that much from its creator. If there is one I learnt from the night, it is that you must always bring a glass of water to the podium. I didn’t, and my mouth dried up something fierce - but, the show must go on - and I somehow powered through.
I found my voice and ran down through my list of acknowledgements who have aided me on this journey into fiction writing, before finishing my piece with a reading from The Mongrel.
The reception was positive, with the hardback selling out on the night.
Reading from The Mongrel
Overall, I am very happy with how the night went. One of my personal highlights was getting to finally meet my EDITOR in person. But, also getting to meet and sign books for readers/people I didn’t know personally. This gave me a huge boost and I feel privileged to be able to entertain them with my book and I am delighted that they made the effort to come along and support the launch and horror fiction in general. To me, this is a sure sign of a genuine interested in the genre on home soil and it’s something writers like myself and Matt Hayward aim to build on as well as try gain recognition for Irish horror fiction on the international stage.
Reading from The Mongrel
My Family
My Editor
Signing a copy for Barry Keegan
The Mongrel has been born and is now loose in the big bad world.
My job as the writer is now complete and it is over to the readers, who I hope will enjoy it and accept it for what it is. So, to finish, I'll leave you all howling in the shadows...
