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Journalist publishes "dangerous"
debut book
25.07.12
A DEBUT collection of
short stories by a local journalist has been
described as a book that will "haunt you, comfort
you and leave you wanting more".
Freya McClements sees the launch tomorrow of her
eagerly-awaited 'The Dangerous Edge of
Things' marking the arrival of a fresh, new voice in
Irish writing.
Freya is a journalist with BBC Radio Foyle and a
literary reviewer with the 'Irish Times'. A former
reporter with the 'Derry Journal', she grew up in
Castlerock, Co Derry and now lives in Derry City.
She has been writing all her life and is a member
and former chairperson of Derry Scriptwriters’
Group. She captained the team from Magdalen College,
Oxford, which won University Challenge in 2004.
Her debut short story collection, published by
Guildhall Press, taps into people's interest in the
dangerous edge of life. |
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Local journalist, Freya McClements,
who sees the publication of her debut book this
week. Photo: Martin McKeown. |
Each of her characters
are trying to make their way in a world in which
love or lust has pushed them to the very edge of
society – and sometimes beyond.
From the mother engaged in an illicit affair to the
husband who harbours a dark secret or the exotic new
boyfriend who appears too good to be true, each must
adjust to the new reality, or face the consequences.
"I’ve always wanted to write, so there’s a real
sense of achievement in seeing my name on a front
cover," Freya told Inishowen News.
"The stories are set in Derry, Dublin, London and
Oxford, and have different characters in each one,
but what ties each of them together is the
‘dangerous edge’ of the title.
"My characters are ordinary people who find
themselves in unusual situations, and then have to
decide what to do – and some of the endings aren’t
necessarily what readers might expect.
"I was extremely lucky to have the support of the
Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and also from
Guildhall Press, who have been guiding me through
the process of my first publication with a kindly
and supportive hand," she added.
Writer and journalist Felicity McCall described
Freya’s collection as ‘a new and vibrant voice in
the world of creative writing in Ireland’. 'The
Dangerous Edge of Things' will be launched by Felicity at the Central
Library, Foyle Street, Derry on Thursday, July 26,
at 7pm.
"These stories will stay with you, haunt you,
comfort you... leave you wanting more," said
Felicity.
'The Dangerous Edge of Things' is available from
bookshops, Amazon and at
www.ghpress.com |
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