Thank you Mr.Postman!

So I was huddling in a sunny patch and drinking tea yesterday morning when suddenly this giant pile of post was deposited in front of me by my Father Figure. Its been literally weeks since anything in the little metal box had my name on it, and I'm starting to get suspicious that our postman monitors my life and only distributes my post to me when he feels things need shaking up. Is there any other explanation as to why my Sarah Lawrence acceptance letter mysteriously appeared at 9 in the evening? 

Anyway, he must have known I'd been kind of down last week, so waited until my grumpy official post was balanced with some good news. This pile included my Financial Aid package from Sarah Lawrence,  a hospital appointment, a tv license threat and....a letter that said I have been shortlisted for a Hennessy First Fiction Award! 

I'm so happy and honoured.

In an article called 'Hennessy X.O awards first step on road to literary glory' they say many successful Irish writers have won it or been shortlisted early in their career, including Joseph O'Connor and Colm McCann, winner of last years US National Book Award.

There's a ceremony in April where there will be agents and publishers mingling with us hopefuls, which is terrifying and awesome. 

I'm definitely going to be  wearing all my good luck charms until then (and avoiding walking under ladders). I'm also trying to get back to writing more, which is hard when one is procrastinating wildly, so I'm doing a course this weekend at the Writers Centre. I hope I can make it because I'm feeling kind of fluey, but:

paracetemol! yay! shortlists! yay! 

YAY!