Short Story Masterclass… with Joseph O’Connor

photo by Dan Nguyen

Short Story Masterclass
with Joseph O’Connor

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An exclusive THRESHOLDS collaboration with the
INTERNATIONAL SMALL WONDER SHORT STORY FESTIVAL,
recorded at Charleston Farm, East Sussex.

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In the second of our Short Story Masterclass podcasts, Steve Wasserman talks to award-winning author Joseph O’Connor about super-charging language, the taxi meter in readers’ heads, and how to know when your writing isn’t as good as it should be.

Joseph O’Connor has never been short of accolades. In 1989 he published his first short stories and, in the same year, was awarded the Sunday Tribune/Hennessy First Fiction and New Irish Writer of the Year awards. Since then, Joseph has written and published a wealth of nonfiction and novels, including bestseller Star of the Sea, which was internationally acclaimed – winning the Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year, amongst others. His novel Ghost Light was chosen as Dublin’s ‘One City One Book’ novel for 2011 and, in 2012, he was voted ‘Irish Writer of the Decade’, by Hot Press magazine readers.

Joseph’s latest collection of short stories, Where Have You Been?, was published in October 2012 by Harvill Secker.

Listen to the
Short Story Masterclass
with Joseph O’Connor

(30 minutes)

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You can read ‘Two Little Clouds’ on Joseph O’Connor’s website,
and Joseph O’Connor’s Top 10 Tips on writing.ie
Joseph O’Connor’s wonderful essay Strange Creatures
is also available to read on THRESHOLDS.

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Steve Wasserman is a psychotherapist, writer, & the ears into which you might Read Me Something You Love (a podcast + blog). He also does By-Heart poetry courses and events in strange, and out-of-the-way places. Twitterable as @RMSYL.

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With warm thanks to the organisers of the
International Small Wonder Short Story Festival.