Leading Australian poet to read at Over The Edge

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland

The October Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, September, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Miceál Kearney, Robyn Rowland & John Throne.

Miceál Kearney was born in 1980. He works on the family farm in County Galway. His poems have appeared in his parish newsletter and in The Shop; his poem ‘Ink Stains’ was included in the Heritage Week photography exhibition. Miceál’s work has been described in The Galway Advertiser as “unbelievable”. A finalist in this year’s Cúirt Grand Slam, Miceál is a three times winner of the North Beach Nights poetry slam, and also recently won the monthly Baffle competition in Loughrea.

Robyn Rowland lives in Melbourne and is a leading Australian poet. Her fifth collection of poems, Silence and its Tongues, was launched recently. She has read her poetry at a glittering variety of literary festivals worldwide. Previously Professor of Social Inquiry at Deakin University, Robyn is a well-known critic of reproductive technology. She published Living Laboratories: Women and Reproductive Technology in 1992; and in the1996 Honours List was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for her contribution to women’s health and higher education.

John Throne is a writer and political activist, now living in Chicago. He was a member of the Bogside Defence Committee in Derry in 1969, and spent the next 25 years of his life as an organizer for the socialist movement internationally. John has written extensively on political issues. But The Donegal Woman is his first book. It tells the story of his grandmother, hired out as a child to a farmer who raped her and made her pregnant. The novelist Jennifer Johnston has said: “The story is relentless in its savagery…but he also has a wonderful lyrical quality to his writing.”

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.


Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council, Poetry Ireland and The Arts Council

http://www.poetryireland.ie

Babylon Burning: 9/11 five years on

Nearly 90 poets from around the world have contributed to Babylon Burning: 9/11 five years on, an anthology of poems on the Twin Towers atrocity and its consequences. But we are aiming for more than pious hand-wringing: the anthology will be free, but there is a request to donate to the Red Cross, which works tirelessly to help people caught up in disasters and conflicts, wherever and whoever they are.

Enjoy Babylon Burning, then please give something to the Red Cross.
Please feel free to host it on your site, or email it to friends and colleagues and ask them to consider donating. Like nthposition's other anthologies, it's copyleft, so pass it on, spread the word and raise some money...

A paperback version of the anthology will also be available, with all profits going to the Red Cross.

http://www.nthposition.com

Michael D. Higgins reads at North Beach Nights poetry slam

North Beach Poetry Nights is pleased to present as Guest Poet Michael D. Higgins On Thursday September 14th at 9pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway with guest MC: Dave Lordan

Michael D. Higgins is a Labour TD for Galway West and has twice been Mayor of Galway. From 1993 to 1997 he was Minister for Arts, Cultures & The Gaeltacht. He is currently Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for The Labour Party. He has published three poetry collections, The Betrayal, published by Salmon, The Season of Fire, published by Brandon, both illustrated by Mick Mulcahy, and An Arid Season published in 2004 by New Island Books. He has read his poems on a number of radio and television programmes. He was a featured reader at Over The Edge in September 2004 and also read at the Baffle Festival last year.

Michael D has always been a strong supporter of inovation in the arts, and this reading is a first for the poetry slam movement internationally. It is the first time anywhere in the world that a former Government minister has taken part in a poetry slam.

The North Beach Nights Slam is open to everyone. Newcomers are welcome.

Please bring two max. three minute performance pieces and be there early to get your name down. The prize for the winner is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar.

Admission: 4 Euro C

oming events: October 19th: Guest Poet: Louis de Paor Guest MC: Neil McCarthy

November 23rd: Guest Poet: Chloe Poems Guest

MC: Trish Casey December 21st North Beach Solstice Night

And remember! The Galway Arts Centre Ruby Room Slam returns at the King's Head on Tuesday 26th September at 7pm. Don't miss it!

North Beach Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council. info: John 091 593290

Poetry Performance Showcase Reading

Over The Edge presents a reading to showcase some of the best performers on Galway’s poetry scene. It will take place at Sheridan’s Wine Bar (above Sheridan's Cheesemongers) 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, September 8th at 8pm. The poets taking part are Elaine Feeney, Stephen Murray, Trish Casey & Tim Emlyn Jones.

Elaine Feeney was born in Galway in 1979. She teaches English at St. Patrick’s College, Tuam. She has performed and read her poetry at various readings and festivals, including the Cuirt International Literature Festival Poetry Slam. According to 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner, Dave Lordan: “Her performances are notable for their fearless confrontation with the controversial truth of women’s lives in the new Ireland”

Trish Casey is a performance writer and voice/performance coach from the harbour town of Cobh in Co. Cork . She won the 2004 Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam and coached both the 2005 and 2006 winners. Her work appears in the second Divas anthology (Arlen House) and in the Leaving Cert geography textbook Today’s World. Over the past few years Trish has established herself as one of Ireland’s leading performance poets.

Stephen Murray was born in Dublin in 1974. He was educated in Richmond, Surrey and was three times award winner in the WH Smith and Observer Young Writer of the Year Award. In April 2005, he won the Cúirt International Festival of Literature Poetry Grand Slam. In October Stephen embarks on a European tour during which he will perform in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Tim Emlyn Jones is a Welsh artist and writer. His early poetry originated within performance art and he has appeared in several anthologies, including Grandchildren of Albion, and Routes Through English, the latter being a reader for the GCSE secondary school examination in the UK. Tim is now an art professor who runs the Burren College of Art in Co Clare. His interest in art education began as a student revolutionary at the Hornsey College of Art sit-in in 1968.

All welcome. For further details contact 087-6431748.


Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council