Afternoon Tea with Adam O'Riordan - aAh! Magazine

News

Afternoon Tea with Adam O’Riordan

15th October 2013 By aAh! 0 440

Adam O’Riordan

Words and Pictures by Siobhan O’Toole

As I entered the foyer of The Midland Hotel, I instantly felt transported to 1900s Manchester. The grandeur and beauty of my surroundings seemed like the perfect setting for the day’s intimate and special reading from the hotel’s writer-in-residence, and lecturer of poetry at Manchester Writing School, Adam O’Riordan.

The event was organised as part of The Manchester Literature Festival and began with an introduction from Festival Director, Cathy Bolton. She thanked O’Riordan for kindly taking time away from his novel to write his short story, which was commissioned by both The Midland Hotel and The Manchester Literature Festival for this very occasion.

The story itself is called Talk About Life in Massachusetts. It is strongly reminiscent of modernist work by James Joyce and Virginia Woolf in its refusal to abide by time restrictions and its focus on the seemingly simple sights, sounds and sentiments in life that convey the supreme sensation of it. During the Q & A session which followed, Adam O’Riordan admitted to being a huge Joyce fan, taking great inspiration from his work.

Grand Edwardian Architecture

The story is told from a female perspective commenting on life in England from a hotel, not too dissimilar in description to The Midland Hotel itself. She reveals intimate moments with an ex-lover, with whom she hopes to meet at said hotel. The story subtly dips between her present, past and memory; the detail with which the writer presents this woman’s deepest thoughts is both profoundly resonating and incredibly gentle. His language, both delicate and powerful, is extremely enjoyable to hear aloud; its command renders his audience silent and contemplative.

During the Q & A session with O’Riordan, he explained how he enjoyed the freedom of the short story, and the lacking ‘restrictions of plot or time’. He also enjoyed being able to ‘write fluidly and follow the path of the characters themselves, whereas with novels and poetry, there is a pressure to hold your audience’s attention throughout, giving them the genre-typical rises and falls they expect’.

Scrumptious Afternoon Tea

When asked of his novel, which is currently in development and due for publication over the next 18-24 months, O’Riordan smiled and said, ‘it’s a chronicle of a family trip, during which the father goes missing and his son seeks to find him and discover what has happened, I’m extremely excited about it’. He also revealed that at some point in the near future he plans to write a play too, completing his goal of writing poetry, short stories, a novel and a play.

The afternoon was a great success, and after everyone had feverishly tucked into their afternoon tea and indulged in discussing the reading at length, it was time to leave. A group of sixth-form students left feeling enthused and inspired by O’Riordan’s work, one even saying it had encouraged her to focus her coursework on his poetry. I felt stirred too, yet sad to be leaving the Edwardian paradise that The Midland Hotel and Adam O’Riordan had provided me. Then again, I cannot deny that I was itching to get to my phone, my laptop and a good dose of 21st century life!

Mesmerising Short Fiction

You can buy Adam O’Riordan’s wonderful poetry collection here, and his short story will soon be published on the Manchester Literature Festival website, so be sure to check it out.

Siobhan O’Toole studies English Literature at Manchester Metropolitan and is an aspiring writer, hopeless optimist and romantic, and a complete technophobe. Follow Siobhan on Twitter @smo_07

About the author /

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply Cancel

10th August 2026
Bloodstock 2026: Saturday review – Breaking the circle pit rule

Featured image: Abbi Draper After an electrifying start to the weekend, with temperatures slowly climbing, many lather themselves in suncream, shed their band shirts and rise from their tents to trek towards the arena. Saturday has big things incoming for the humans of Bloodstock 2026. Some pace themselves for the day and hide from the early…
8th August 2026
Bloodstock 2026: Friday review – Lamb of God reminds us ‘This is an Invitation’

Featured image: Abbi Draper After a memorable Thursday opener, Bloodstock 2026 opens its gates once again onto the Hallowed Grounds of Catton Park, kicking off day two of its 25th-anniversary celebration of metal. As the sun rises on Catton Park, festivalgoers emerge from their tents to prepare for another day of mayhem. The morning brings…
7th August 2026
Bloodstock 2026: Thursday review – Headbanging, legendary sets and dinosaurs

Featured image: Steve Dempsey Bloodstock returned to Derby for its 25th anniversary this year, welcoming thousands of metal fans for an extended four-day celebration of the festival legacy and its place in the metal community. With a packed bill spanning a broad range of metal sub-genres, this is what Thursday had to offer. As the…
29th July 2026
Truck Festival 2026: Sunday review – A fitting finale to an unforgettable weekend

Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Sunday may signal the final day of Truck Festival 2026, but there’s still plenty to celebrate before the gates close for another year. From rising indie stars Keyside to the long-awaited return of Rizzle Kicks, festival favourites Circa Waves and headliners The Wombats, these are the performances that define…