Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars

This May Galway Arts Centre presents a daytime class for all those beginner writers out there, facilitated by Susan Millar DuMars. Susan Millar DuMars writes both poetry and fiction. A collection of her stories, ‘American Girls’, was published by Lapwing Press in April; her first collection of poetry, ‘The Wellspring Wife’, is forthcoming in 2008 from Salmon Poetry. Susan is a renowned creative writing teacher, and with her husband Kevin Higgins co-organises the Over The Edge readings in Galway City Library.

The class runs for eight weeks, commencing on Monday January 22nd, 2-3.30pm. It will be a gentle introduction to fiction, poetry and autobiographical writing. Through in-class exercises, homework assignments and work-shopping of pieces, participants will be encouraged to discover and refine their own voices and material. An atmosphere of mutual support and fun will be encouraged. The cost to participants is €98, with a concession rate of €88.

Booking is essential as places are limited. For booking please contact Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street. Phone 091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie

Miceál Kearney wins Poetry Grand Slam at Cúirt International Festival of Literature

Miceál Kearney from Ballindereen in County Galway won the 2007 Poetry Grand Slam at The Cúirt International Festival of Literature on Saturday. In joint second place where Gary King & Katie Lawless. Miceál will now go to read at the Green Mill in Chicago, where the poetry slam was born, and at the Vilenica Festival in Slovenia.

Miceál was a Featured Reader at Over The Edge in Galway City Library last September. He will read his winning poem at the special Over The Edge/Salmon Poetry reading at Sheridan's Wine Bar on Friday May 11th, 8pm.

Miceál is on the far right of the photograph. Also pictured are Denise Heneghan, Stephen Murray & Brendan Murphy.

Mags Treanor launches website

Galway-based writer Mags Treanor has launched what promises to be a very lively website at http://www.magstreanor.com

Launch of 'Sean Agus Nua: Éagsúlacht', a CD of World Music from Galway

CD LAUNCH: MAY 10th, VICTORIA HOTEL
‘Sean Agus Nua: Éagsúlacht’
(an album that features 65 musicians from over 20 diverse ethnic groups in an electrifying celebration of the region's cultural diversity)

The much-awaited launch of ‘Sean Agus Nua: Éagsúlacht’, the CD that showcases the diversity and quality of World Music now to be found in Galway, takes place on May 10th in the Victoria Hotel.

This 16-track CD features a wide array of music from the four corners of the globe, performed mainly by Galway-based ethnic musicians who are well-known locally and, in certain cases, internationally. There are, in addition, some well-kept secrets to be uncovered within this CD, recorded at Shay’s Studio, Loughrea.

Musicians performing on the night include:

NATTY WAILER: REGGAE FROM JAMAICA
BASLOWA: CONGOLESE RUMBA
VESUWAVE: FUNKY ETHNIC ROCK (LATIN STYLE)
ANDILE MESHACK AND FRIENDS: SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIP DANCE

THE RYE: IRISH TRAD-BASED ROCK
followed by World Music DJ. Late Bar.
CDs on sale inside launch at reduced rate.
Tickets: 14 euro. Available from Zhivago Records, Redlight Records, and Sheridans Bar on the Docks.
Doors open: 7pm.

Over The Edge in 2007 Cúirt Annual

There is a feature on Over The Edge in the 2007 Cúirt Annual
which has just gone online
at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/over.html

It includes work by Neil McCarthy, Siobhan Shine,
Tom Duddy, Noel Duffy & Aoife Casby:
the five writers chosen to take part
in this year's Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading
this Thursday, April 26th 11am
Town Hall Theatre, Galway.

Entry is free all welcome.

Poet Moyra Donaldson wins 2007 Cúirt New Writing Prize

Moyra Donaldson reading at an Over The Edge event at Sheridan's Wine Bar this March.




Moyra Donaldon has won the 2007 Cúirt New Writing Prize
for her poem 'Nature Notes', which you can read at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/west4716.html

Moyra will be reading at the Cúirt Debut reading
alongside Mia Gallagher & Mojca Kumerdej
on Saturday, April 28th at 10am
in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway

Cúirt Festival 'Over The Edge' showcase

On Thursday April 26th at 11am in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway
The Cuirt International Festival of Literature presents
the Over The Edge showcase reading

featuring: Aoife Casby, Noel Duffy, Tom Duddy, Neil McCarthy and Siobhan Shine

Aoife Casby lives in Carraroe. Her poetry and fiction have been published in The Sunday Tribune, The Cork Literary Review, The Divas anthology (Arlen House) and The Cuirt Annual. In 2006 she completed an MA in Writing at NUI Galway, and was highly commended in the Start Poetry Chapbook competition. Aoife has been chosen to take part in this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions Readings.

Noel Duffy’s poetry has been published widely in Ireland and elsewhere. He was the winner of the START Chapbook Prize in 2003 for his collection, The Silence After, and more recently the Firewords Poetry Award. He holds an MA in Writing from NUI, Galway, and currently lives in Dublin.

Tom Duddy teaches philosophy at NUI Galway. In 2002 he published A History of Irish Thought. His poems have been published in Crannóg, Envoi, Magma, Other Poetry, Poetry Ireland Review, Smiths Knoll, The Irish Times, and The Shop. He recently published a poetry chapbook, The Small Hours, with HappenStance Press.

Neil McCarthy is originally from Cork but currently lives in Galway. His poems have appeared in numerous journals. In 2006 he did a series of readings in Graz, Prague, Nuremburg and at The Dylan Thomas Centre in Wales; and he published Voicing the Bell, a joint poetry collection with fellow Galway-based poet Stephen Murray. Neil has also been chosen to take part in this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions readings.

Siobhan Shine is originally from Dublin but now lives in Galway. She directed and co-wrote three plays with the Westside Mens’ Group. Her short play, On Beggars Bridge, received a rehearsed reading as part of the Firewords initiative by Writer-In-Residence, Ursula Rani Sarma. Her short stories have won awards in national competitions. She is a member of The Talking Stick writers group.

http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/cuirt.htm

Cúirt Grand Slam previous winners at North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights
presents Cúirt Grand Slam previous winners
Trish Casey, Kevin Higgins, Brendan Murphy and Stephen Murray
Thursday, 26th April at 9.30 pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway

MC Brendan Murphy

The North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam follows the usual format.

This special Pre-Cúirt Slam gives all the Grand Slam participants
the ideal opportunity to test their nerves (and size up the competition!)

Readers / performers / poets wishing to participate are asked to bring along two 3 minute original pieces. Newcomers are particularly welcome. Juries will be selected on the night from the audience.The prize is the honour and a bottle of wine generously donated by BK's.

Door: 4 Euro
Further info: John Walsh at 593290

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.

Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh launches Pádraic Ó Conaire books

Although his statue no longer sits in Eyre Square, Galway is still rightly proud of the writer Pádraic Ó Conaire. But two books to be launched in the city put a very different complexion on Sean-Phádraic. We know him best as a storyteller, but according to Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh, that's only half the story: he was also a revolutionary political thinker. He illustrates this side of Ó Conaire's life in his new book Réabhlóid Phádraic Uí Chonaire.

Ó Conaire condemned the social and economic system for putting profit before the people's interests, and he wanted it changed completely. Influenced by the Russian revolution from 1917 on, he was an out-and-out socialist. Ó Cathasaigh has discovered many previously ignored articles by Ó Conaire, and deals in depth with the turbulent times he lived through. As well as writing Ó Conaire's political biography, he has edited a collection of his socialist writings entitled An tAthrú Mór. Both books are published by Coiscéim, who say they will change our understanding of Pádraic Ó Conaire altogether. They will be launched by Seosamh Ó Cuaig, a county councillor with a keen interest in Ó Conaire's work, in Charlie Byrne's bookshop in Middle Street at 6 pm on Friday 20 April.

Love Poetry, Hate Racism

North Beach Poetry Nights &
Over the Edge
present

A Gala Performance Evening for
"Love Poetry, Hate Racism"
Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUIG
Friday April 20th, 8pm.

An impressive line-up of 25 poets, story-tellers and musicians take the stage to celebrate cultural diversity in Galway with performers from Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, South Africa and the USA.

Michael D. Higgins will open Galway’s contribution to Love Poetry, Hate Racism, which is taking place simultaneously in Belfast, Dublin and Galway and over 30 cities worldwide. For more see www.myspace.com/lovepoetryhateracism

Spearheaded by the Belfast Poets’ Group, the aim of the Love Poetry, Hate Racism event is to celebrate cultural diversity through the spoken word.

The organisers of Galway’s two leading poetry events North Beach Poetry Nights and Over the Edge have joined together to co-ordinate this evening in the Bank of Ireland Theatre.

“Support behind the scenes from all sides has been amazing,” John Walsh of North Beach Poetry Nights reports, “From the Arts people in the College, from the City Council, from Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and of course from all the performers. This will be a real Galway Gala Performance we will be proud of.”

Tickets at a token 5 Euro are going fast from Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and the Amnesty International Shop on Middle Street.

For further info: tel. John Walsh at 091-593290

Over the Edge and North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Galway City Council for this event.

The performers on the evening will be
Michael D.Higgins
Pete Mullineaux
Eva Bourke
Gerry Hanberry
Granam (music from Poland)
Lusanda Masombuka (songs from South Africa)
Niamh Ni Lochlainn
Bern Dunleavy
Rab Fulton
Leonor Silvestri
Miriam Dike
Neil McCarthy
Rose Tuelo Brock
Jim Mullarkey
Sharon Murphy
Miceál Kearney
Naomi Moran
Colette NiCaodha
Mary Mullen
Fiona Claire
Kevin Higgins
Elaine Feeney
Susan Millar DuMars
Gary King
John Walsh
Shannon Reeves
Marion Moynihan
Brendan Murphy