Paul McVeigh began as a playwright with shows performed at the Edinburgh Festival and London’s West End. His short stories have appeared on BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5, on Sky Arts TV and in Faber's Being Various: New Irish Short Stories, The Irish Times, The London Magazine and The Stinging Fly. His debut novel The Good Son won The Polari First Novel Prize and his work has been translated into seven languages. He is twice winner of The McCrea Literary Award. Paul has edited the Southword Journal, the Belfast Stories anthology, Queer Love, The 32: Anthology of Irish Working Class Writing. He is associate director of Word Factory "the UK’s national organisation for excellence in the short story", The Guardian, and he is co-founder and Director of the London Short Story Festival. Paul has judged many international literary competitions including The Dylan Thomas Prize, The Edge Hill Short Story Prize and The Sean O'Faolin Short Story Prize. 

Most recently, Paul’s play ‘Big Man’ was produced by the Lyric Theatre, as part of Belfast International Festival, and his ten part short story series aired on BBC Radio 4 2023.

He was acting Head of Literature for Arts Council of Northern Ireland 2021/22.

Photo credit: John Minihan