Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart is delighted to welcome award-winning Belfast writer Jan Carson for an inspiring evening of storytelling, conversation and literary discovery on Saturday 1 August.
Taking place in the Flowerfield Auditorium and in partnership with North Coast Book Club Jan Carson, one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive literary voices, will discuss her latest novel, Few & Far Between.
Described by The Sunday Times as “one of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation”, Jan Carson is celebrated for her imaginative storytelling, exploring themes of place, memory, community and identity. Based in Belfast, Jan has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections, with her work translated into almost twenty languages worldwide.
Her novel The Fire Starters won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland in 2019, while The Raptures was shortlisted for both the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year. Her writing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and RTÉ. Jan is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was the 2025 Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast.
During the evening, Jan will discuss Few & Far Between, a captivating exploration of history, place and resilience set within an imagined version of Northern Ireland. The novel follows the final residents of the Lough Neagh Archipelago as they face eviction and the loss of their homes due to a devastating flood, forcing them to confront their past and question where they truly belong.
Blending haunting islands, community upheaval and buried secrets, Few & Far Between explores the stories that connect people to a place and the challenges faced when those connections are threatened.
The relaxed, cabaret-style event invites audiences to come together to share their love of books, hear directly from the author and discover more about the creative process behind one of Northern Ireland’s most exciting literary talents.
Jan Carson will also lead a Short Story Writing Masterclass at Flowerfield Arts Centre earlier that day, giving aspiring writers the chance to develop their own storytelling skills with guidance from an award-winning author.
North Coast Book Club In conversation with Jan Carson is a free event but booking is essential and spaces are limited. For more information and booking details, visit www.flowerfield.org.