Posted on by

Review: The Climbers by Keith Gray

The Climbers
Keith Gray
Barrington Stoke, August 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781781129999

It took several days to figure out what my issue was with The Climbers. I enjoyed it, so much so that I finished it in a single sitting. But I couldn’t shake a sense of dissatisfaction with the novel until I realised my mistake: The Climbers is a short story, or something very close, and that’s the best way to approach it.

The book is set in England and follows a group of young people who enjoy falling out of trees and watching other young people fall out of trees. They really love trees. Sully, our dubious hero, is the greatest tree climber (faller) in the village until Nottingham arrives, scarred and sharp-tongued and awfully good at climbing trees.

The book is fundamentally about mistaking trivial things, like being better at climbing things than other boys, for important things, like being a good friend. It’s also about growing up and growing away from a difficult family situation. It’s smart, and sometimes it’s funny. It’s unafraid to portray its protagonists as flawed humans, real people with dark thoughts and desires.

What a shame that the last act is so rushed. It’s true that it’s closer to a short story, but even a short story must stick the landing. Still — try it on for size, especially if you like trees. Here, they have names and personalities as distinct as any of the characters. Sometimes more so.

Luke Power

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Pre-order Issue 6 to win a selection of YA books by Irish authors

Paper Lanterns Issue 6 giveaway

Paper Lanterns Issue 6 is published on Wednesday 15th September. Thanks to lovely author Sue Divin and the wonderful people in Little Island Books and Currach Books, we have an exciting giveaway to celebrate its launch!

Just pre-order a copy of Paper Lanterns Issue 6 and the following YA titles could be yours:
Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan (Little Island Books)
The beautiful new paperback edition of this multiple award-winning, dark, feminist and hypnotic retelling of a popular Irish legend.

Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin (Macmillan)
A poignant exploration of the relationship between two 18-year-olds in Derry during the summer of 2016, signed by the author.

Baby Teeth by Meg Grehan (Little Island Books)
A unique verse novel of queer love, lust, and vampires, from the award-winning author of The Deepest Breath and The Space Between.

Banshee Rising by Riley Cain (Currach Books)
A spirited tour through haunted Ireland that features figures from mythology and an assortment of spooky characters, as they prepare for a battle that threatens our world.

Everyone who pre-orders a copy of Paper Lanterns Issue 6 will automatically be entered into a draw to win all of these fantastic YA books by Irish authors.

The first 20 pre-orders will also receive a free bookplate signed by an Irish YA author, thanks to Little Island Books.  

Pre-order your copy of Issue 6 now to be in with a chance of winning – closes midnight Tuesday 14th September.

Posted on by

Issue 6 Cover Reveal and Contributor Announcement – Pre-Order Now!

Issue 6 – Pre Order Now

We are so delighted to share our cover for Issue 6! ‘The Ship’ by Nanthini Rajarethinam. Cover design by Eleanor Brayden

We are also thrilled to announce our contributors for Issue 6, coming out this September! We are honoured to share the work of these talented writers, artists and readers.

You can pre-order your copy today.

Posted on by

Announcing the 2021 Winners of the Paper Lanterns and Tertulia Teen Short Story Competition

Announcing the Winners of the Paper Lanterns and Tertulia Teen Short Story Competition

Paper Lanterns Literary Journal and Tertulia Books are delighted to announce the winners of their 2021 short story competition for Irish teens. Young writers from all over Ireland competed for prizes of €250, sponsored by Tertulia in association with Spot-Lit EU. Acclaimed author Deirdre Sullivan was the guest judge, and there were two categories, 13-15 years and 16-18 years. Éabha Coghlan (13) from Dublin was the junior winner for her story ‘Waves’. Eavan O’Keefe (17) from Kildare took the senior prize for ‘Our Footsteps in the Sand’. 

The competition’s theme, ‘waves’, inspired entries of an extremely high standard. Grace Kelley, co-founder and co-editor of Paper Lanterns said, ‘We received excellent stories and enjoyed reading all of them. It’s exciting to have so many talented young writers living on this island and it was difficult to select a shortlist. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner in each category, but we would like to thank all who entered and encourage everyone to keep writing.’

With so many strong stories, bestselling YA author Deirdre Sullivan said choosing the winners ‘wasn’t an easy decision.’ According to Sullivan, Éabha Coghlan’s ‘interesting character study’ and skill for ‘observation and dialogue’ were particularly striking. Sullivan was impressed by Eavan O’Keefe’s ‘use of poetic language and imagery to communicate emotion’ and how their work ‘appeals to the heart and the senses.’ Both stories will be published in Paper Lanterns Issue 6, which releases on 15th September and can be pre-ordered here.

Posted on by

Art Submissions – Open All Year!

Paper Lanterns - Art Submissions Open! Paint, Digital, Charcoal, Photography, Mixed Media Open internationally to artists aged 13+ including adults
Paper Lanterns – Art Submissions Open!
Paint, Digital, Charcoal, Photography, Mixed Media
Open internationally to artists aged 13+ including adults

Don’t forget, our art submissions are open all year round! All artwork will be considered for cover art too!

Send us your photography, paintings, sketches, collages, digital illustrations, and mixed media. Open internationally to artists aged 13+ and adults! Artists will receive a fee for their work.

Take a look at our art and photography submission guidelines here

Posted on by

Giveaway – Win a Copy of ‘The Climbers’ by Keith Gray

Giveaway! Win a copy of The Climbers by Keith Gray

Thanks to the lovely people in Barrington Stoke, we have a copy of The Climbers by Keith Gray for one lucky winner! This compelling tale of teenage rivalry captures the subtle agonies of growing up in a small town. It is published on the 8th August.

Here’s what Patrick Ness has to say about it: “Keith Gray is the real deal, a writer of intelligence, toughness, and heart. The Climbers is a moving, surprising story of competition, self-awareness, friendship, and the more you look, the deeper the damn thing gets.”

We can’t wait to read it! To be entered into our prize draw and in with a chance of winning a copy, just fill out this Google form.

Open to Ireland and the UK only. Closes midnight Monday 2nd August. Best of luck!

PS. Don’t forget to follow Paper Lanterns Literary Journal on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Make sure you don’t miss out on any more great giveaways!

Posted on by

Teen Short Story Competition in Association with Tertulia Books – Cash Prize!

We are delighted to co-host the Teen Short Story Competition with Tertulia Books in Westport, Co. Mayo.

Our theme for this competition is ‘Waves’. Put your thinking caps on and start writing!

The competition closes on August 1st, at 6 PM.

We are thrilled to have award winning YA author Deirdre Sullivan as our guest judge.

Submit your short story to: competition.paperlanterns@gmail.com

In the body of your email, please include:

  • Your name.
  • Your age.
  • Your county of residence (you must live on the island of Ireland).
  • Your school (if applicable).
  • A little bit about yourself!

Our guest judge will read and select the winning pieces (one from each age group) from the shortlist.

The winners will be published in Issue 6 of Paper Lanterns.

The winners will receive a cash prize sponsored by Tertulia in association with Spot-Lit EU.

The winners will also receive a copy of Issue 6.

Guidelines:

  • You must be a resident on the island of Ireland.
  • You must be aged between 13-18. We have two judging categories: 13-15 years and 16-18 years.
  • Your work must be an original piece.
  • Short stories must be between 1200 and 2000 words. Please do not exceed this word count.
  • All stories will be read blind. Do not include your name or contact details within the submitted document.
  • We will not consider work that is prejudiced in nature. We will not consider work that includes, but is not limited to: sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, or classist content.
  • We cannot accept work that has already been published.
  • The judge’s decision is final. Our guest judge cannot provide feedback on any submitted or shortlisted pieces.
Posted on by

Review: City of the Uncommon Thief by Lynne Bertrand

City of the Uncommon Thief
Lynne Bertrand
Dutton Books, February 2021
Hardback, £15.99
ISBN 9780525555322

I suggest you tie yourself securely to the nearest structure before embarking upon the reading of this novel, for you are about to have the ground swept from beneath you. Much of the mysterious allure of this book is supplied by the setting: a quarantined city of 1,000 sky scraping guild towers, each with their own painstakingly crafted exports. The inhabitants of the towers never have to set foot on the streets below.

Your guide for this journey, one Odd Thebes of the knitting needle guild, is a lucky one, a runner who runs, or rather flies, errands from rooftop to rooftop. Odd feels it is his purpose in life to be a bard, to tell the stories of others, and so he does for the jaw dropping and oftentimes grisly tale of his cousin, the much loved Errol Thebes.

At some moments in this story I admit to feeling a little lost in the waves of mysteries, but I implore you not to give up, for the depth of your confusion will only add to your astonishment when the answers are brought to light. Social class is a predominant theme, with working class guilders divided from the destitute foundlings, who are deemed subhuman. Jamila Foundling is an exquisitely written character, the first I have encountered with the sensorial cross-wiring condition, synesthesia. She is rich in determination and care for her kind, but not much else.

This book contains so many mind-bending plot twists that, at the very least, you will be left reeling — and at the very most, left with a severe case of whiplash. One thing is for certain: this is an uncommon tale.

Shona Gogarty, teen reviewer.

Posted on by

Review: The Spirit of the River by Declan Murphy

The Spirit of the River
Declan Murphy
Illustrated by Clodagh Power
The Lilliput Press, April 2021
Paperback, €15.00
ISBN 9781843518020

The Spirit of the River follows the writer’s experiences and awe of the captivating world around him as he follows the lives of birds and animals alike. Set in the Wicklow Mountains, Declan Murphy’s search for answers and knowledge
drives him onwards. He feels a strong connection to the animals he comes across and treats them as family.

This is a mystical and, at times, comforting novel, which explores the beauty of nature, and the loss and death that come hand in hand with it. The book follows the writer’s idea of patterns, and how he cannot help but see the patterns all living things are driven to create. Murphy also mentions the less colourful birds who almost go unnoticed, yet their lives are as busy and remarkable as their vibrant friends. The book does not present time as a key factor, and instead shares moments, past, present and future, tying the book together.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, sharing with the author his joy at finding the next nest of a kingfisher or discovering that the bird he had been tracking for weeks had found a mate. Murphy connected the book well and created a smooth flow throughout. This is a novel of lessons and journeys brought together by nature and beautiful illustrations, which I would recommend to everyone.

Lasairíona Scarff, teen reviewer.