Since 1998 the Arts Office has been running this national annual Creative Writing Award to celebrate the rich literary life of the late Molly Keane. Molly lived in Ardmore, Co. Waterford until she died in 1996. She started writing at a young age to ‘supplement her dress allowance’. Her first ten novels and four plays were published under the pseudonym M.J. Farrell.

She married into the Keane family of West Waterford but sadly her husband died at the age of 36. Molly ceased writing until 1981 when ‘Good Behaviour’ was published under her real name. It became a publishing sensation and was well received as a masterpiece of black comedy for which she was short-listed for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

The Arts Office, Waterford City & County Council by kind permission of the Keane family is now inviting entries for a previously unpublished short story for this years’ award.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 25^th June at 12pm. There is a prize fund of €500 for the winner and there is no entry fee. Full guidelines and the online submission details are now live on the Waterford Submit platform see: https://submit.link/98