Launch of the Fish Anthology 2026

In July, I attended the launch of the Fish Anthology 2026, as part of the West Cork Literary Festival. The anthology is a celebration of the work of the ten prizewinners in each of the five competition categories: Short Story, Flash Fiction, Haiku, Memoir, and Poetry. It was a joyful event, and I was among 16 writers doing a reading. Some of the writers had flown over from the USA. The early evening event was formally launched by the writer Seamus Scanlon, a previous Fish winner, and introduced by Clem Cairns, who masterminds the Fish competition and edits the prize anthology. I read from my short story, ‘The Music Room’, which was awarded an Honorary Mention.

Reading from my short story, ‘The Music Room’, in the Fish Anthology 2026

Apart from the fun of doing a reading, there was also the chance to meet some of the other prizewinners, and to be part of the West Cork Literary Festival. This is held annually in Bantry, West Cork, with events spanning a number of venues, including The Maritime Hotel, Bantry Bookshop (see below right), and the truly beautiful, 18th century Bantry House (see below left). It’s a glorious part of Ireland, and en route we were able to visit Kinsale, which holds an annual literary festival in October, and Mizen Head, Ireland’s most southwesterly point. Ireland has such a rich literary heritage, and truly celebrates literature. Everywhere I looked, there were people sitting in coffee shops, immersed in reading books. So it was an honour to be part of all that for a few days. Thank you, Fish, for the chance to join the Fish Anthology 2026 event!