Creative Writing Classes & Poetry Workshops starting in January

In January Susan Millar DuMars & Kevin Higgins will be facilitating a wide range of creative writing classes & poetry workshops for all levels. Full details below.

Galway Technical Institute presents range of creative writing classes

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7.00-9.30pm. (8 weeks) It commences on Monday, 14th January, 2008. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €110. Kevin Higgins will provide writing exercises for, and give gentle critical feedback to, those interested in trying their hand at writing poems, stories or memoir.

Intermediate Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars takes place one evening per week (Tuesday) from 7.00-9.30pm. (8 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, 15th January, 2007. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €110. This class is suitable for those who’ve participated in creative writing classes before or begun to have work published in magazines. Flexible exercises and work-shopping of assignments, together with the study of the works of published writers, will help each class member to find their own writing voice.

To book a place in either class contact GTI, Father Griffin Road, Galway Telephone 091-581342 or see http://www.gti.ie/

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Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Presents Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars

The course takes place one evening per week (Wednesday) for 8 weeks from 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. It commences on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120.00. During the eight weeks Susan Millar DuMars will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091 753161 or see http://www.gmit.ie/
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Poetry workshops for beginners & advanced with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

In January Galway Arts Centre is offering aspiring poets a choice of three poetry workshops, all facilitated by poet Kevin Higgins, whose best-selling first collection, ‘The Boy With No Face’, published by Salmon Poetry, was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish poet. Kevin’s second collection of poems, Time Gentlemen, Please, will be published in the new year by Salmon Poetry. Kevin is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success.

Each workshop will run for ten week, commencing the week of January 21st.They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm; Wednesday afternoons, 2-3.30pm; and on Thursday afternoons, 2-3.30pm.

The Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon workshops are open to both complete beginners as well as those who’ve been writing for some time. The Thursday afternoon workshop is an Advanced Poetry Workshop, suitable for those who’ve participated in poetry workshops before or had poems published in magazines. The cost to participants is €100, with an €90 concession rate.

Places must be paid for in advance. To reserve a place contact Victoria at reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, phone 091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie
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Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars at Galway Arts Centre

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 ten weeks, commencing on Monday January 21st, 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.

Places cost €100 and must be paid for in advance. There is a concession price. For booking please contact Vicky at reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street. Phone Vicky on 091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie

World Poetry Slam Champion at Town Hall Theatre, Galway TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 9pm

North Beach Poetry Nights finishes 2007 with a bang

THIS THURSDAY North Beach Poetry Nights at Richardson’s, Eyre Square

Featured poet: Billy Ramsell

Upstairs at Richardsons on the Square.
Thursday 20 Dec. at 9. 15 pm (Adm. 5 Euro)

with

Billy Ramsell (Cork)

Billy Ramsell was short-listed for a Hennessy award in 2005.
In May 2007 his first collection, Complicated Pleasures, waspublished by the Dedalus Press.
and

The last North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam for 2007.
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THIS FRIDAY Lunchtime with Billy Ramsell at Galway City Museum

Billy Ramsell will also be the guest reader at the Lunchtime Reading
in Galway City Museum

on Friday 21 December at 1 pm.
Admission 5 Euro

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

info: john walsh @ 593290
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AND ON SATURDAY EVENING
Probably the VERY last poetry event IN IRELAND for 2007.


North Beach Poetry Nights

Upstairs at Richardsons on the Square.
Saturday 22 December at 9 pm
Admission 7 Euro

THE FIRST EVER NORTH BEACH POETRY NIGHTS' GRAND SLAM !!!!
TWELVE of the VERY BEST PERFORMANCE POETS in IRELAND
- winners of Slams, Grand Slams, Cúirt Grand Slams, All-Ireland Slams, BBC Slams -
go before a top panel of Judges:

Trish Casey
Lucy English
Neil McCarthy
Billy Ramsell

in a 2 Round Slam
to find a WINNER for the North Beach Poetry Nights' Publication Prize.

Don't miss it!

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.
Info: John Walsh 091- 593290

Final 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' of 2007 with Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan

Anne-Marie Fyfe

The final ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ of 2007 takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, December 13th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan.

Anne-Marie Fyfe was born in Cushendall, County Antrim. She lives in London and is Chairperson of the UK Poetry Society (2006-2009). She organises both the Coffee-House-Poetry reading series at London’s Troubadour and the John Hewitt Spring Festival in the Antrim Glens. Her third collection of poems The Ghost Twin was published by Peterloo in 2005. She won the Academi Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 2004.

Aidan Hynes has published short fiction in a wide variety of magazines, anthologies & newspapers, including Ireland In Exile, Summer In The Story, The Irish Times, Whispers & Shouts magazine, The Connaught Tribune, The Tuam Herald & Delo (Slovenia's national daily). Aidan was a recent runner up in Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. He has a Masters in Creative Writing from Trinity College, Dublin. A native of Co. Mayo, Aidan lives and works in Dublin.

Val Nolan was born in Limerick. His poems have most recently been published in the anthology Che Guevara in Verse, (London) and in Mobius (New York). His work has also appeared in Southword, Revival, ROPES, Criterion, and he contributed to the Document writer/artist collaboration at Cúirt 2007. He has read for Poetry Ireland’s prestigious Introductions series and is a regular book reviewer for The Sunday Business Post, The Stinging Fly and Poetry Ireland Review. He teaches Creative Writing at NUI, Galway.

As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always particularly welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

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

Over The Edge & North Beach Poetry Nights receive Arts Council funding for 2008

Over The Edge was pleased to be notified that our Arts Council grant for 2008 is up on what we received in 2007. We have an exciting programme lined up for 2008 which includes our fifth anniversary reading in January at which Pat Boran will be one of the Featured Readers. Other readers lined up so far for 2008 include Dennis O’Driscoll, Colette Bryce, Roddy Lumsden, Rita Ann Higgins & Michael S. Begnal.

We are also delighted that North Beach Poetry Nights, organised by John Walsh, with whom we always work very closely, will also for the first time receive Arts Council funding in 2008 under the Small Festival's Scheme.

The final 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' of 2007 takes place on Thursday, December 13th, 6.30-8pm, in Galway City Library. The Featured Readers are Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan. As usual there will be an open-mic afterwards. All welcome.

The 2007 North Beach Nights Poetry Grand Slam takes place on Saturday December 22nd, 9pm in Richardson's, Eyre Square.

January Creative Writing Classes with Dave Lordan in Bray

Poet Dave Lordan will be facilitating three different creative writing classes after Christmas in Bray, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. The Classes kick off at the end of January and each will be of ten week duration, classes of two hours each. The classes are in association with the adult education departments of St Killian's Secondary School and the Bray Institute of Further Education. The classes will cost participants €100.

Find below a course outline. If you or anyone you know is interested contact Dave Lordan through myspace, or at dlordan@hotmail.com.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR TEN WEEK CREATIVE WRITING COURSE

* THE OVERALL AIM OF THE COURSE IS TO GIVE STUDENTS THE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR OWN WRITING VISON, ALONG WITH THE METHODS TO CARRY THAT VISION OUT.

* THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON LOOKING AT AND IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ OWN WORK

* STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN REALISTICALLY ACHIEVABLE GOALS AND SHORT, BUT USEFUL, CREATIVE WRITING EXCERCISES TO COMPLETE EACH WEEK.

* AT THE END STUDENTS WILL HAVE THEIR OWN SMALL AND WELL-WORKED CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO.

* THE COURSE CAN BE TWEAKED TO SUIT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND ABILITIES.

WEEKS 1-4 BASICS OF WRITINGINTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING- WHY WRITE. Using quotations and short texts from experienced and successful Creative Writers we allow each individual student to come to establish and express their own particular motivations for writing.

WHAT TO WRITE- A LOOK AT GENRE AND SUB-GENRE. The decision to begin writing creatively is the first step in a huge and sometimes bewildering journey. One of the first questions we will need to provide an answer for is what should we write? Films? Poetry? Horror? Aphorisms? Comic strips? Invent a completely new genre to suit ourselves? The answer depends on personal circumstances, as well as ON the individual talents, goals and insights of the students. This session will look at students bringing to bear their talents and insights on the particular genre/s of writing most suitable to them.

HOW TO WRITE-INSPIRATION AND ROUTINE.The focus is on finding the space, time and method, in the light of each students individual personality, goals and circumstances to write. Keeping notebooks. Regular writing sessions. Personal deadlines. Short, medium and long term goals.

READING AND WRITING-LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS.A look at the work and techniques of some of the great masters of past and present. The supreme importance of wide and constant reading to improving one's own writing. The focus here is on the infinite variety of writing masks and voices, with the aim of building up each student's belief in their own individual vision and powers of expression.

WEEKS 5-8 INTO ACTIONBUILDING A CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIOIn this central part of the course we will take turns to provide group feedback and constructive criticism on each other's work. The aim is to build up student's ability to be objective in analysing and bettering their material. Over the course of the four weeks the students will build up a small portfolio of work in at least two genres. The students will realise through this that consistent work and genuine criticism improves their writing. They will also have the basics of a portfolio needed to apply to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Creative Writing.

WEEKS 9-10 KEEPING GOINGSTICKING AT IT 1- EDITING AND PERSEVERANCE.How to be ruthless in applying the editor's pen to your own work. Drafting, redrafting and proofreading. How to bring work to a satisfactory completion. This session will also look at Writing as a life-long journey and at how to make a long term space for writing in your life.

STICKING AT IT 2- OUTLETS FOR YOUR WRITING.This session looks at how to find an appreciative and responsive audience for your writing. Publishing and self-publishing. Magazines and online journals. Creative writing groups. Publishers and agents. Teaching students finally that the most important audience for their writing is themselves.