This is a photo of Room 3 in Ballyfermot Library in Dublin, where my writing group meets.

The names on the walls are those of world-famous Ballyfermot personalities. Each time we meet these names inspire and push our pencils bionically onwards through any frozen creativity we may encounter like icebreakers through the arctic ocean.

If you’re curious, then go on, I’ll tell you; this is how our writing group operates – blurb alert! – “Unholster your pencil and write creatively on the spot to a bespoke, tinselled prompt given out on the night. Then read what you’ve written to the group for lavish praise, iridescent bouquets and international awards. Or bring prepared writing along and read that if you wish. The choice is yours.”

See Camillus John’s story, The Art of the Neck-Chop, in this month’s issue.

Camillus John was bored and braised in Dublin. He has had fiction published in The Stinging Fly, RTÉ Ten and Headstuff.org. Recently he killed the Prime Minister of Ireland in fiction in the Welsh literary magazine, The Lonely Crowd, with a piece entitled, The Assassination of Enda Kenny (After Hilary Mantel).  His novels, The Rise and Fall of Cinderella’s Left Testicle & How to be a Bicycle, have yet to find a publisher. He would also like to mention that Pat’s won the FAI cup in 2014 for the first time in 53 miserable years of not winning it.