Local author to launch latest book 'What We Did on Our Holidays'

Alzheimer’s, addiction, and the intergenerational legacy of the Conflict are among the themes of the short stories in writer and journalist Felicity McCall’s latest publication, What We Did on Our Holidays.

Published by Derry's Colmcille Press, the collection is arguably the author's most personal work to date.

While Ms McCall concedes that some, including the title story, draw directly on her own experience, all were inspired by actual events and are, she says, emotionally honest.

After 20 years as a news journalist and a further two decades in the creative arts as a writer, producer, facilitator and occasional actor, Ms McCall has held a Royal Literary Fellowship for the past three years.

It was this recognition, she says, plus encouragement and support from fellow writers that inspired her latest work.

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James Simpson is the author of “Smokes and Birds” (2021) and also “True Colours” (2024) and has recently been described as a vibrant new literary voice and as a compelling new voice in Irish short story writing

She added: "I’ve found my sixties to be a time for reflection, of coming to terms with how life has worked out. Of experiencing bereavement first hand, and the effects of serious illness.

"Also, for my generation, for whom the Conflict defined our adolescence and early adulthood, a time of coming to terms with its legacy on our and more importantly, on subsequent generations.

"It is also a decade of unexpected inner contentment, of a strengthened sense of self, of the overwhelming joy of seeing new life. It’s a time when, as in the last story in the collection, we can revisit our younger self and say, ‘It’s going to be OK. Together, we did it.'"

What We Did on Our Holidays by Felicity McCall will be launched at the Central Library, Derry, on Saturday November 15 at 2 pm and everyone is welcome.