In Conversation: Denise Blake, Brian McGilloway and Una Mannion

Continuing the Festival’s popular In Conversation literary series, poet Denise Blake talks to best-selling crime writer Brian McGilloway and award-winning novelist, Una Mannion.

Brian McGilloway is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve crime novels, including the DS Lucy Black thrillers and the Inspector Ben Devlin mystery series. His latest novel, The Empty Room, was a Sunday Times bestseller while his previous, The Last Crossing, won Highly Commended in Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year in 2021.

Una Mannion was born in Philadelphia and now lives in Sligo. Her debut novel, A Crooked Tree, made the Irish bestsellers list, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards and won the Kate O’Brien Prize. Her second novel, Tell Me What I Am, was shortlisted for the Encore Awards and was the winner of the prestigious Gold Dagger at the CWA Dagger Awards.

Denise Blake is the Donegal Bay and Blue Stacks Festival’s Literary Curator. She is a poet and creative writing facilitator and a regular contributor to RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Miscellany series. Denise has published three collections of poetry to-date, including How to Sing Without Getting Dizzy and Take a Deep Breath, with Summer Palace Press and Invocation, with Revival Press.