This month Over the Edge is taking the novel step of organising a reading in Galway’s twin city of Lorient in Brittany, France. The reading will feature poetry by Galway writers Mary Madec and John Walsh as well as Over the Edge organisers Kevin Higgins and Susan Millar DuMars. The Lorient event will also include a bilingual open mic session open to all Lorient poets. Mary Madec recently had a hugely successful launch at the Town Hall Theatre of her debut poetry collection, In Other Words, which is published by Salmon Poetry. John Walsh is the organiser of North Beach Poetry Nights and his new collection of poetry, Chopping Wood with T.S. Eliot, is published very soon by Salmon Poetry.
Later in the month, the May Over the Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library will feature Lorient poet Patrick Argenté. Monsieur Argenté is a retired teacher and social worker who lives in Lorient, Brittany and is the author of four poetry collections. The most recent of these, Ernestine ou Julie, was published in 2010 by Manoirante. Monsieur Argenté’s bilingual reading is in honor of the 35th anniversary of the twinning of Galway City with Lorient.
“We’re proud to work with the Galway-Lorient twinning committee, and hope these two events are the beginning of a tradition of literary exchange between our two cities,” commented Susan Millar DuMars, co-organiser of Over The Edge.