Things are getting creative for writer Colin Leonard: he wants to publish his collection of short stories with a US publisher soon.
The man from Meath completed a 12-week certificate in creative writing at Carlow College and has been writing for several years. His debut novel was published last year. Colin’s most recent success as an author resulted from an open call for short story collections by individual authors by the US publisher Off Limits Press.
“First, I had to send a pitch with the themes and styles of my work, as well as a short description of the stories. That made them so curious that they requested the full manuscript,” he said.
For his submission, Colin compiled a mix of previously published and unpublished stories, including two pieces he wrote as part of his portfolio while studying for the Certificate in Creative Writing.
The author says it was a dream come true and his Thursday evenings at Carlow College were “an absolute pleasure” and he was inspired by the “insightful and exciting” teaching.
“For someone who wants to take writing seriously, there is nothing more inspiring than spending three hours in a room discussing and learning the craft and sharing your work with others,” he said.
is scheduled to be published in 2025. For anyone interested in creative writing, the next class at Carlow College begins in September.
