Merriman winner opens up in Glór

The Merriman Short Story Competition in memory of the late Maeve Binchy has been won by Cork writer, Danielle McLaughlin.

The writer read her winning short story, In Through the Skin, to the audience at Glór Theatre last Friday night, at the opening session of the Ennis Book Club Festival.

The competition, organised by Cumann Merriman, in association with the Ennis Book Club Festival and Clare County Library, was set up to mark Maeve Binchy’s long connection with the Merriman Summer School, of which she was a regular member.

A number of years ago, she wrote and recorded a special short story entitled A Week in Summer, which was set at the Merriman Summer School and she wished to honour the school by donating the royalties from its publication.

The competition was open to writers writing in Irish or English, born or resident in Ireland, and was judged by writers Anne Enright, Éilis Ní Dhuibhne and Alan Titley, who were unaware of the names of the writers whose work they were judging.

They awarded the prize to a young writer who had already received several accolades for her short fiction, including The Writing Spirit Award for Fiction 2010, the From the Well Short Story Competition 2012 and the William Trevor/Elizabeth Bowen International Short Story Competition 2012.

Accepting the prize cheque for €1,000, Danielle, who lives in Donoughmore in Cork, said, “Maeve was renowned for her generosity and for her encouragement of emerging Irish writers. I am delighted and honoured to be yet another recipient of this legendary generosity and encouragement.”

Gordon Snell, Maeve Binchy’s husband, who always came with her to the Merriman Summer Schools in Clare, sent Danielle a special message of congratulations, saying how Maeve was always delighted to see new Irish writers come on the scene and did everything she could to help and encourage them.

Doireann Ní Bhriain, from the Cumann Merriman committee, presented the award to the writer.