The nineteen stories in this book concern the trials of modern man in an Ireland of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century.  Each first-person narrator is grappling with something: host family father falling in love with the au pair, cross-dressing husband unleashing his grief and his vices after the funeral of his beloved wife, Men’s Shed participant falling in love with another male attendee. The Key Signature is a superb debut collection of stories from a fine poet and actor.

Noel King was born and lives in Tralee, County Kerry. His poetry collections are published by Salmon: Prophesying the Past (2010), The Stern Wave (2013) and Sons (2015). He has edited more than fifty books of work by others (Doghouse Books, 2004-2013) and was poetry editor of Revival Literary Journal (Limerick Writers’ Centre) in 2012/13. He also enjoys acting and singing in amateur plays and musical theatre, and in the odd film. He was once a Bunratty Castle entertainer. The Key Signature & Other Stories is his debut collection of fiction.

Come and see Noel read from The Key Signature at one of these venues

Monday 5 June – Launch of The Key Signature & Others Stories (Liberties Press) – Siamsa Tire Theatre & Arts Centre, Town Park, Tralee. 6pm

Tuesday 6 June – On the Nail, Shannon Rowing Club, Sarsfield Bridge, Limerick hosted by Limerick Writers’ Centre. 8pm

Wednesday 7 June – Seanchai Centre, Listowel. 7.30pm

Thursday 8 June – Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Galway. 6.30pm

Friday 9 June – The White House Bar, Fermoy, County Cork.

Saturday 10 June – Four ‘pop-up’ readings with Mae Leonard in Naas, County Kildare: McAuley Place, 2pm; Naas Library, 2.30pm; The Moat Club Cafe , 3pm; Swan’s on the Green, 4pm

Sunday 11 June – National Concert Hall, ‘The Sprit of Kerry’ night

Wednesday 14 June – David Butler’s Serrocco series reading in Baggot Street, Dublin.

Thursday 15 June – Cork city, hosted by Matthew Moynihan

Friday 16 June – Louis Mulcahy Pottery, Ballyferriter, County Kerry