Molly Keane Creative Writing Award 2024

Waterford City and County Council’s Arts Office is inviting entries for the Molly Keane Creative Writing Award 2024.  This national annual creative writing award, celebrating the rich literary life of the late Molly Keane, has been running since 1998.

Molly’s writing career started at a young age to ‘supplement her dress allowance’, and at the age of 18, the first of her numerous novels and plays were published under the pseudonym M.J. Farrell.

Molly married into the Keane family of West Waterford but her husband, Bobby, died at the age of 36 in 1946.  Molly moved to Ardmore, Co. Waterford, where she lived until her death in 1996.

Molly ceased writing until 1981 when ‘Good Behaviour’ was published under her real name.  It became a publishing sensation and was well received as a masterpiece of black comedy for which she was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

Waterford City and County Council Arts Office, by kind permission of the Keane family, is inviting entries for a previously unpublished short story for this year’s award.

There is a cash prize of €250 plus a writing course under the auspices of the Molly Keane Writers Retreat, Ardmore to the value of €300 for the winner. Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 14th June 2024 at 12 noon and there is no entry fee.

Full guidelines and the online submission details are available at https://submit.link/2CB