Write So! with The Stinging Fly

Bring your laptop, notepad and creativity to this immersive writing experience with The Stinging Fly.

Whether you’re writing fiction, poetry or essays, this session will give you time and space to write in a fun, supportive environment. Through writing prompts and group discussion, you’ll explore different approaches to generating ideas and getting words on the page. 

Complete beginners are very welcome as is anyone looking for the inspiration to get started on a new writing project.

Come with an open mind, ready to write and discuss your process with others.

The Stinging Fly team will be joined by Louise Nealon and Stephen Sexton

If you plan to book a spot, in order to help preparation for the session please could you share a little information about yourself/your work by answering the questions in this form? It’s not an essential part of the process, but your input would be really appreciated.  (If you have booked more than x1 ticket, grateful if you can pass on the link!).

Ticket holders for this workshop will also have access to the event, The Stories We Tell with Kathryn Scanlan and Wendy Erskine, chaired by Declan Meade from The Stinging Fly – click here for more information. 

This special event at Belfast Book Festival is led by facilitators from The Stinging Fly. 

The Stinging Fly has been working since 1997 to seek out, nurture, publish and promote the very best new Irish and international writing. As well as publishing two issues of the magazine each year, it runs an extensive writer development programme that includes workshops, seminars and an annual summer school.

Louise Nealon is a writer from County Kildare. Her debut novel, Snowflake, won Newcomer of the Year at the An Post Book Awards and was the One Dublin One Book choice for 2024. Her second novel, Everything that is Beautiful, is due to be published in 2026.

Stephen Sexton’s first book, If All the World and Love Were Young, was the winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2019 and the Shine / Strong Award for Best First Collection. He was awarded the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2020. Cheryl’s Destinies was published in 2021, and was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection.