Owen O'Neill is a prolific writer and a tireless performer of his own work - dramatically accomplished, emotionally charged and very, very funny.

He's got a darker side too, but what underscores his work is a deeply poetic spirit which shines through in Licking the Matchbox, his latest collection of poems and stories.

O'Neill's text has a driving narrative energy so fierce it almost smells of burning flesh.

The Scotsman

O'Neill is a beautiful writer, intelligent and imaginative.

The New Yorker

The writing is so meticulous, spare and msucular, I was instantly captivated.

The Spectator