Hello. Here are your Editors -yes, you see that right, we have no chief!
Here all editors are created equal. After all, we’re all frazzled here … it helps!
So without further ado, introductions. Who exactly is manning this firecracker?
Jennifer McMahon
Jennifer McMahon is represented by Brian Langan at Storyline Literary Agency. She was the overall winner of the 2024 All-Ireland Scholarships Creative Writing Award (Public), a winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair, has been shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Short Story of the Year (2023), the Bridport Short Story Prize and many other notable awards, and was nominated for Best Of The Net 2024. She was a second-place winner of the Oxford Prize (winter 2023), and her work appears in Crannog, HOWL, Irish Independent (New Irish Writing), Oxford Prize Anthology (2022 and 2023), Fractured Lit, Heimat Review (issues 2 and 6), Empyrean, Books Ireland Magazine, Loft Books (issues IV and V), the Retreat West 'Swan Song' Anthology, and in many other places.
Jennifer loves to read stories and novels by Donal Ryan, Nuala O'Connor, Kevin Barry, David Butler and John Boyne. For inspiration from past writers, she looks to Chekhov and Faulkner, and is a fan of Graham Greene and Kingsley Amis. She's so busy writing, she doesn't have much time for television, but is partial to superhero movies from the Marvel Comics Universe (because the writing and plots are admirably tight), the works of Christopher Nolan and Dennis Vielleneuve, and Kenneth Branagh's representation of Hercule Poirot. And if a film stars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio, she's totally down with it!
Find Jennifer on Twitter at @AuthorJmcm and on the web at LinkTree.
Laura Cooney
Laura Cooney is from Edinburgh with an M.A in English Language and Literature from Glasgow University. Her first poetry chapbook Motherbunnet, published by Backroom Poetry in 2023, sold out of its limited print run and her next, entitled, No Trauma/No Drama (also with Backroom Poetry) is due for release in August 2024.
Laura’s work has been published most recently in Northern Gravy (issue 11) Loft (issue V) Punk Noir (‘Betrayal’ issue) The Voidspace Zine (various pop-ups) Roi Faineant Press (Cubiclemate 68) The Winged Moon (‘Ancient’ issue) and in many more places.
Laura is proud of her, as yet unbroken, 26 month acceptance streak and has certainly earned her motto, “She had no time, but did it anyway,” by also writing for children. Though, that is, as they say … another story.
She is seeking representation.
Laura loves to read stories and novels by Maggie O’Farrell, Claire Keegan, Margaret Atwood and Jenni Fagin and Graeme Macrae Burnet or for inspiration from past writers, she looks to Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury, Ian (Iain) Banks and Dickens. Laura is a fan of a wide range of poetry from Edwin Morgan, Norman MacCaig, William Carlos Williams and T.S Elliot to contemporary poets such as Brian Bilston, Imogen Stirling, Hollie McNish, Amanda Huggins and Sue Finch. In children’s writing she could write a whole other bio.
In terms of televison and film Laura prefers detective, law enforcement, mystery and medical shows as well as fantasy, sci fi and cheesy 90s action films. She has a penchant for cult classics; such as The Breakfast, Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Clerks. Laura has wide tastes when it comes to theatre and the arts and she spends a lot of time watching Tennessee Williams or Harold Pinter plays AND remakes. Laura also loves vaudeville and musical theatre, if any of this helps you at all. While we're here, her favourite colour is Purple!
Find Laura on Twitter and Instagram: @lozzawriting and www.lozzawriting.com