Three-year-old Holly Cahill from Kilcullen, Co Kildare, at the launch of Short Stories for a Long Night. Image courtesy Marc O'Sullivan
More than 800 tweet-sized tales generated by social media users last winter have been collected in book form to raise money for Focus Ireland.
Last year, Bord na Móna asked users on Twitter and Facebook to submit fireside tales as part of its #shortstorylongnight campaign. The response was overwhelming, with hundreds sharing very short stories in less than 140 characters.
“Said to my 4yr old son, close the door to stop the draft coming in. Poor thing was looking around for the giraffe all day,” tweeted Linda Caulfield, while others like @bgnolan were more poetic: “Heather-scented, glowing embers, yellow, red, orange and ochre, radiating last summer’s heat on a cold winter’s day.”
The eclectic mix of stories has now been gathered – together with a selection of sketches, illustrations and graphics by Red Dog and photographs by Jeanette Lowe – to form Short Stories for a Long Night.
The book is available now from Eason’s book stores both on and offline, as well as on the Focus Ireland and Bord na Móna websites, at a price of €9.99, with at least €4 from the sale of each book going to Focus Ireland.
