In Autumn/Winter 2021, students at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's had the opportunity to develop their short stories, for consideration by BBC editors, for production and broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds. 

Storytellers: New Writers, Short Stories, begins on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds on Saturday 5 February at 12.30pm with eight original works written by Creative Writing students at Queen’s University Belfast. 

In the first programme in the four-part series, listeners can hear ‘The Book of Jesse’ by Emma Devlin, read by Thomas Finnegan, in which a nervous man heads to meet his ex-partner and has a chance encounter with “Mr Planet.”

The second story ‘Negligée Pink’ is by Sharon Dempsey and read by Clare McMahon. Here, a schoolgirl finds herself enticed by the allure of her neighbour.

The second programme features ‘The Stigmata’ by Peter Jordan, read by Cillian Lenaghan. In ‘The Stigmata’, Declan Walsh wakes with no memory of the night before and rather distinctive markings on the palm of each hand. This is followed by ‘The Seven Hills' by Joseph Scott, read by Rose Henderson, which tells of Sally who has made up her mind to enter The Seven Hill race and beat Kevin once and for all!

The third programme in the series begins with Dara McWade’s ‘The Director of Corporate Finance’, read by Niamh McGrady, in which Sarah is forced to chaperone an unruly colleague after the Christmas party.

This is followed by ‘Rather be Parochial’ by Andrew Comiskey. Read by Ross White, this story tells of a young man who discovers that everything he has been searching for, might be closer than he thinks.

The fourth and final programme in the season begins with ‘Pandamonium’, written and performed by Luke Macpherson. This story asks what would happen if pandas throughout the world decided to unite, build cities and militarise? This is followed by the last story in the season,  ‘On Pearls and the Swine Who Wear Them’ by Natt Bartell and read by Michael Patrick. Here, Callum knows he is in love with Nehemiah but each day brings its own fear.

Storytellers: New Writers, Short Stories is produced by Gemma McMullan for BBC Radio Ulster.