Thu 25 May, 6pm
Join Writing on the Wall and hear from Liverpool-based writer and poet Greg Quiery as he reads from his latest work in progress.
Author Jack Byrne to mark the launch of his captivating new novel Before the Storm and to discuss the Irish/Liverpool influences on his writing.
Tickets: £5.50
Greg Quiery is a Liverpool-based writer and poet. He is known for his evocative and poignant works that capture the spirit and essence of life in Liverpool and beyond. With a unique style that blends realism and lyricism, Greg’s writing often explores themes of identity, community, and social justice. He has published several collections of poetry, including Oglet and Stray Dog Following, which have received critical acclaim. Greg is also a regular performer at literary events and festivals across the UK.
Greg will read from a work in progress, a novel which tells the story of two Irish people – Cissie Duff and James Tyrell – who come to Liverpool from Ireland in 1862, one as a house servant, the other as a fugitive. The situation of Irish migrants to Liverpool in this period is documented in Greg’s book In Hardship and Hope, a history of the Liverpool Irish. Where The Grass Is Greener is a fictionalised account of one aspect of that migration. Greg will read extracts from the book and will welcome discussion on how it deals with the subject matter, and any questions arising.
Jack Byrne’s latest novel, Before the Storm, the third of a trilogy, follows the story of Vinny, a history professor, who escapes his old neighbourhood and life, distancing himself from bitter memories. But a secret he, Sammo, and Macca vowed to keep, shackles him to a day in childhood, the theft of a pocket watch, and an old man’s death. Before the Storm follows two narratives, Thatcher’s Britain of 1981 and 2016.
Jacks three books, Under the Bridge, Across the Water, and the new book Before the Storm are murder mysteries that cross between Liverpool and Ireland. Charting one hundred years of resistance on both sides of the Irish Sea. Strikes, dockland gangs, and police corruption fill the pages, while Vinny and his partner Anne fight against the odds to uncover the truth.
Jack was born and raised in Speke Liverpool, although his parents first lived ‘Under the Bridge’ in Garston. Jack Byrne’s dad left Wicklow, like tens of thousands of other social and economic migrants after WW2. He moved to Liverpool where he met Jack’s mum. As a seaman Jack’s Grandad, also from Wicklow, was already shipping out from ‘Under the Bridge’.
Join Jack in marking the launch of Before the Storm where he’ll be discussing the Irish/Liverpool influences on his writing and reading exerts from his captivating new novel.