Over The Edge poets visit Lorient for workshop and reading

The Galway-Lorient Twinning Committee, in association with Over The Edge, is facilitating a visit this month by three local poets to Galway’s twin city, Lorient in Brittany. During their visit to Lorient the poets Nicola Griffin, Mary Madec and Susan Millar DuMars will take part in a workshop with local poet Patrick Argenté on Friday, October 14th, 6-7.30pm at the Médiatheque Francois Mitterand, Lorient.

For further details of the workshop see here http://mediatheque.lorient.fr/repons/portal/bookmark;jsessionid=7BDB2E7545F7C95CC38A518D4B336132?Global=1&WaMain=15&howManyNews=1&withDbidNews=actu-1316511925784-10.14.100.4.xml

The following afternoon, Saturday, October 15th at 3pm, Nicola Griffin, Mary Madec and Susan Millar DuMars will give a reading of their poetry, with accompanying French translations. The reading will also take place at the Médiatheque Francois Mitterand.

For further details of the reading see here
http://mediatheque.lorient.fr/repons/portal/bookmark?Global=1&WaMain=15&howManyNews=1&withDbidNews=actu-1317138541321-10.14.100.4.xml

This Galway-Lorient poetry exchange follows a visit by Lorient-based poet, Patrick Argenté, to Galway in May 2010, during which he was a Featured Reader at that month’s Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library.

Nicola Griffin was the winner in the poetry category in the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year Competition. Her first collection of poetry will be published by Salmon Poetry in 2013.

Mary Madec’s first collection of poetry, In Other Words, was published by Salmon in 2010 and has sold so well it was recently reprinted.

Susan Millar DuMars is co-organiser of Over The Edge. She has published two collections of poetry, Big Pink Umbrella (2008) and Dreams for Breakfast (2010), both with Salmon Poetry.

ART AUCTION CHARITY FUND RAISER FOR GALWAY UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS ARTS TRUST

Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust is holding a charity auction in the Rowing Club on Friday October 21st to raise much needed funds to continue the arts programme with patients in Galway University Hospitals. Rod Goodall will host the auction and entertainment will be provided by the Molly Hicks and Totem Roll. The event begins at 8.30pm and tickets are €10

To continue this work the Arts Trust called on the many artists who have worked with the hospitals in recent years to help raise much needed funds. Artists taking part in the auction are; John Behan, Siobán Piercy, Mary Horan, Annie West, Elaine Byrne, Aideen Barry, Kieran Tobin, Eithna Joyce, Cliona Fox, Tony Gunning, Emmet Kierans, Charlotte Kelly, Ceara Conway, Paul Maye, Diane McCabe, Leah Beggs, Kamil Krawczak and Pam O’Connell.

The auction will be hosted by Rod Goodall. Rod currently on tour with Faith Healer is well known for his work with Footsbarn Theatre, Macnas, Blue Teapot Theatre and several independent productions. Music on the night will be provided by The Molly Hicks and Totem Roll.

Arts Officer, Margaret Flannery states: “We are very grateful to the artists who have given us both their time and a variety of wonderful artworks to raise funds to continue our arts programme.”

Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust is a charitable organisation that runs an extensive programme of activities in University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital. Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust aims to explore the role of the arts in the promotion of healing and wellbeing through a multi-disciplinary arts programme in order to promote greater links between the hospital and the community. The Trust promotes high quality, creative programming with artists and the arts community as a means of empowering the hospital community to express themselves creatively, improve their quality of life and bring about positive changes in the hospital environment and the wellbeing of the hospital community.

A generous loan of Modern Irish Art, initiated the arts programme in Galway University Hospitals in 2003. Artworks from the loan include the lithograph and brush prints of An Táin by Louis le Brocquy, works by Alice Maher, Samuel Walsh, Michael Cullen, Michael Mulcahy, Geraldine O’Reilly and many other prominent Irish artists. The programme has expanded to include twelve temporary exhibitions each year.

Other important programmes include Poems for Patience – displayed throughout the waiting areas, Art Angel – a programme of participatory art workshops in the Paediatric and Geriatric Departments. Artists residencies including Lorraine Tuck’s The Regional, Paul Maye’s Beyond Appearance as well as commissions, the latest being a series of murals and artworks for the Paediatric Unit.

Other activities include music recitals, drama workshops and publication of the memories of patients in the Geriatric units. The programme is linked to the cultural life of Galway city through exhibitions and partnerships during Galway Arts Festival, the Tulca Festival of Visual Art and the Cúirt International Festival of Literature. Over 300 individual arts and health events have been programmed since 2003 in Galway’s public hospitals.

Tickets are available from Galway University Hospitals Arts Office and for further information please contact Arts Officer, Margaret Flannery at 091 544979 or Margaret.Flannery@hse.ie  

North Beach Poetry Nights: Neil McCarthy PLUS The Connacht Heat of the All Ireland Slam 2011

Neil McCarthy

Monday October 17th at 9 pm

North Beach Poetry Nights

presents

The Connacht Heat of the All Ireland Slam 2011

in The Crane Bar

with guest Poet - Neil McCarthy (straight from Vienna!)

Poets wishing to enter the October Slam should have 2 max. 3 minute poems. The poem for the 2nd round must be performed without a script. So time to get memorizing now!

Two winning poets will represent Connacht in the All Ireland Slam in Derry in November.

Info: John @ 091-593290

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

All Ireland Poetry Day to be celebrated at Galway University Hospitals on Thursday October 6th

Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust will be taking part in the Arts and Health Coordinators Ireland National Poetry Project, A Moment in Time on Thursday 6 October as part of All Ireland Poetry Day 2011. Staff and patients of University Hospital and Merlin Park University Hospital will be receiving a short anthology of poems, selected by Poet Mark Roper. The anthology will be presented as a menu on the breakfast tray for patients and will be available on tables in the staff canteens and in the hospital restaurants and shops. The poems approach the topic, A Moment in Time in various ways: some focus on the awareness of a single moment, others on a moment of realisation or choice.

Patients and staff of the hospital will also be in for a lunchtime treat when local poet Michael Gorman will give a poetry reading at 1.00pm in Conference Room 1, Nurses’ Home in University Hospital Galway. Michael Gorman was born in Sligo and educated at Summerhill College and NUI, Galway. His poetry collections include Postcards from Galway, Waiting for the Sky to fall and Up She Flew. He teaches poetry on the MA in Writing at NUI Galway. Michael Gorman is a hugely charismatic reader of his work; his readings are everything a good poetry reading should be.

The aim of the Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust is to support and enhance the patient environment in University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital. We believe that involving the arts in the healing process promotes the wellbeing of patients staff and visitors to the hospital. For further information on this project and or the arts programme in Galway University Hospitals please contact Arts Officer, Margaret Flannery at 091 544979 or Margaret.Flannery@hse.ie  

September 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' with Moyra Donaldson, Aileen Armstrong & Davnet Heery PLUS the announcement of the winners of our 2011 New Writer of The Year competition.

Moyra Donaldson

The September Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, September 29th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Aileen Armstrong, Davnet Heery & Moyra Donaldson. The evening will also see the announcement of the winners of this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of the Year. The competition judge is Elaine Feeney.

Aileen Armstrong’s writing has appeared in the Stinging Fly, Three Times Daily, Some Blind Alleys, and Cuadrivio (in Spanish translation). In 2009, she graduated from the M.A. in Writing programme at NUIG, and in 2010, she received a literature bursary award from the Arts Council of Ireland. She lives in Co. Galway, and is currently working on a collection of short stories.

A long-time resident of Cois Fharraige, Connemara, Davnet Heery enjoys solitary walks along the shore and on the bog, day-dreaming. Recently graduated from the MA in Writing at NUIG she has had a giddy summer reading at literary festivals countrywide for the launch of the class anthology Bicycles with Umbrellas. Primarily a poet (she has been grant aided by Galway Co.Co. to work towards a collection Camellia) she also enjoys writing plays. Her short story The Little Girl in Pink was short-listed for The Francis Mc Manus award, 2011.

Moyra Donaldson was born and brought up in Co Down and has been described as one of the country’s most distinctive and accomplished writers: a poet whose voice is full of integrity and mystery. Her first full collection of poems Snakeskin Stilettos was published in 1998, followed by Beneath the Ice in 2001, both from Lagan Press. She has received four awards from the Arts Council NI, most recently, the Artist Career Enhancement Award. Moyra’s poems have featured on radio and television, including the Channel 4 production, Poems to Fall in Love With. Horse’s Nest, was published by Lagan Press in 2006 and described in Poetry Ireland Review as ‘one of the most enjoyable poetry books of the last few years.’ Her most recent collection, Miracle Fruit, was published by Lagan Press in November 2010.

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 always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748

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

NEWSFLASH Shortlist for 2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

2011 OVER THE EDGE NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR

THE SHORTLIST

Philip Abbink, Galway, Ireland

Lisa Allen, Galway, Ireland

Bernie Ashe, Galway, Ireland

Stephanie Brennan, Galway, Ireland

Stephen Byrne, Galway, Ireland

Marie Cadden, Galway, Ireland

June Caldwell, Dublin, Ireland

Kimberly Campanello, Dublin, Ireland

Jane Clarke, Wicklow, Ireland

Damian Cunniffe, Galway, Ireland

Madeleine D'Arcy, Cork, Ireland

Philippa Gibbons, Galway, Ireland

Mary Healy, Kilkenny, Ireland

Sandra Jensen, Cork, Ireland

Jean Kavanagh, Clare, Ireland

Tom Lavelle, Galway, Ireland

Barbara Leahy, Cork, Ireland

Rosaleen McDonagh, Dublin, Ireland

Danielle McLoughlin, Cork, Ireland

Sighle Meehan, Galway, Ireland

Lauren Norton, California, USA

Kerrie O’Brien, Dublin, Ireland

Noel O’Regan, Kerry, Ireland

Niall Ó’ Sioradáin, Dublin, Ireland

Evelyn Parsons, Galway, Ireland

Bridget Rowland, Mayo, Ireland

Marybeth Rua-Larsen, Massachusetts, USA

Eimear Ryan, Tipperary, Ireland

Natalie Ryan, Dublin, Ireland

Rejini Samuel, Galway, Ireland

Seamus Scanlon, New York, USA

Maresa Sheehan, Carlow, Ireland

Steve Wade, Dublin, Ireland

John Walsh, Galway, Ireland

Heidi Wickam, Sligo, Ireland

The competition is kindly sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, McGinn’s Bar,

Niall Ó’Brolcháin, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames

& Mike Cubbard.

The winners will be announced

at the September Over The Edge: Open Reading

in Galway City Library

on Thursday, September, 29th, 6.30-8pm

The competition judge is Elaine Feeney

Galway launch of 'Boyne Berries' magazine at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop

Boyne Berries magazine was launched in spring 2007 by the Boyne Writers Group and it has been published twice yearly since. Boyne Berries includes prose and poetry from Boyne Writers Group members but also receives submissions from elsewhere in Ireland and from all over the world. It has published poems and stories from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and India in its nine issues so far. The group is especially pleased to have given many writers their first publication opportunity.

Boyne Berries’ simple spare style and trademark covers have become well-known among Irish writers but this ten has a different look and feel. Boyne Berries 10, is a special celebratory issue in a larger format with pictures and graphics as well as the usual prose, poems and drama. The cover has a striking colour image of Trim Castle floodlit at night by Greg Hastings whose images have been featured on the previous nine covers.

The titles of some of the other pieces give some idea of the variety of subject matter in the magazine: 'Leaving Nagasaki'; 'In Times of Deep Recession'; 'An American Mother’s Day in Ireland'; 'Thirteen Superstitions'; 'Allotment Allure'.

To mark this the tenth issue there will be a special Galway launch from 6pm on Friday 30 September in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Middle Street, Galway. Kevin Higgins will perform the official launch there and will read his contribution. Other contributors from the Galway area in this issue include Alan McMonagle, Liam Duffy, Rachel Coventry, Méabh McDonnell and Mari Maxwell.

The Boyne Writers Group was founded in March 2006 and meets twice monthly in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim, Co. Meath. Its members are drawn from south Meath and surrounding counties and write poetry, prose and drama. Many have been published and have won awards in literary competitions. They have organised regular readings in Trim, a satire competition and poetry readings in connection with Trim Swift Festival and have organised events for All Ireland Poetry Day.

Creative Writing at Galway Technical Institute this Autumn- BEGINNERS & INTERMEDIATE

N.B. TAKING BOOKINGS FROM THE MORNING OF TUESDAY SEPT. 13TH ONWARDS

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7-9.30pm. (8 weeks) It commences on Monday, September 26th, 2011. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120. 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 7-9.30pm (8 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, September 27th, 2011. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120. 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, e-mail info@gti.ie or see http://www.gti.ie

Poetry Workshops at Galway Arts Centre with Kevin Higgins STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

Starting in September, 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’, was published in 2008 by Salmon Poetry and his poetry is discussed in The Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry. His third collection ‘Frightening New Furniture’ was published last year by Salmon and his work also appears in the generation defining anthology Identity Parade –New British and Irish Poets (Ed. Roddy Lumsden, Bloodaxe, 2010). A collection of Kevin’s essays and reviews will be published by Salmon Poetry early next year. His next collection of poetry ‘The Ghost in The Lobby’ will be published in early 2013, also by Salmon.

Kevin is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success. One of his workshop participants at Galway Arts Centre won the prestigious Hennessy Award for New Irish Poetry, another the Cúirt New Writing Prize, and yet another the Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam, while several have published collections of their poems. Kevin is also co-organiser of the successful Over The Edge reading series which specialises in promoting new writers.

Each workshop will run for ten weeks, commencing the week of September 19th. They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm (first class September 20th); on Thursday afternoons, 2-4pm (first class September 22nd) and on Friday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class September 23rd).

The Tuesday evening and Friday 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 €110, with an €100 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  

GMIT presents Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars

This autumn GMIT is offering a course in Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars. The course takes place at GMIT Dublin Road Campus one evening per week (Wednesday) for 7 weeks from 7–9p.m. It commences on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011.Advance booking is essential. The course fee is €95.

During the seven weeks Susan Millar DuMars will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. The class will work on techniques for forming ideas and getting started; engaging the reader’s senses; using figures of speech effectively; being alert to the importance of the sound of words, the rhythm of writing; how to manage the truth in a fictitious piece; the different forms of poetry; awareness of character and point of view in fiction; editing and polishing work. Whether the student seeks publication, self-expression, a rewarding hobby (or possibly all three), this course is a wonderful place to start.

For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091 742145 or see http://www.gmit.ie/lifelong-learning/lifelong-learning-programmes/humanities/creative-writing-beginners_1.html

Course Tutor:
Susan Millar DuMars' debut poetry collection, Big Pink Umbrella, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2008. Her next collection, Dreams for Breakfast, appeared in April 2010. Her work features in Landing Places, Dedalus’ 2010 anthology of immigrant poetry written in Ireland; and also in The Best Of Irish Poetry 2010. A fiction writer as well, she published a collection of short stories, American Girls, with Lapwing in 2007. She published a book of short stories in 2010: Lights in the Distance, published by Doire Press. She has been the recipient of an Arts Council Literature Bursary. She lives in Galway, where she and her husband have run the Over the Edge readings series since 2003.

Galway launch of 'Ireland Is Changing Mother' by Rita Ann Higgins

The Galway Arts Centre would like to invite you to attend the Galway launch

of Ireland Is Changing Mother (Bloodaxe Books)

by Galway poet Rita Ann Higgins

Friday September 16th, 6pm, The Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street.

The collection will be officially launched by comedian Tommy Tiernan.

Wine reception provided, all are welcome.

Launch of 'And' the debut short story collection by Jim Mullarkey

North Beach Poetry Nights Returns After The Summer Break

North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam returns

on Monday 19th September

in the Crane Bar at 9 pm

with guest Poet - Séamus Fox (Belfast),

the 2009 All Ireland Slam Champion

and songs from Mark James.

Séamus Fox was born in Belfast and grew up in Craigavon, Co Armagh. By the time he was 16 or 17 he was writing his own raps. Later in his twenties he read the poetry of Plath, Bukowski, Sexton and Carver and just as with rap he thought “I could do this!”  Around 2006 he began writing with a vigour he had never before known. In early 2007 he began to perform at poetry nights in Belfast where he met a wide range of artistic type people and this spurred him to write even more. He performs regularly at poetry nights and comedy nights around the city and doesn’t try to write any more. Performance is a very free and comfortable discipline for him. In October 2009 he won the All Ireland Slam title in Galway and on August 13th 2010 his first book “As Seen Through Staggered Eyes” was published by Wild Wind Books. He has been a regular performer at too many nights to mention for the last 3 or 4 years. He writes spoken word, written word, comedy, rap and short stories. He is currently working intently on his second collection of poems which should be finished in the next 2 to 3 months.

Poets wishing to enter the September Slam should have 2 max. 3 minute poems.

The poem for the 2nd round must be performed without a script.

So time to get memorizing now!

Next Month 17th October: Neil McCarthy (currently in Vienna)

Info: John@ 091-593290

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

On The Farm presents Mixed Grazing

On the Farm presents,

in association with Dunnes Stores —

Mixed Grazing:

Music with Mike and Sue Fahy,

Fiction with Colm Brady,

Comedy with Eleanor Tiernan,

Poetry with Susan Lindsay

and theatre with Anthony Daly.

Saturday Oct 1st, 12pm.

Ballinderreen, Co. Galway.

Event not weather permitting

and it’s Free!

M.C Mags Treanor

Info: 087 9139698

Facebook: On the Farm

Poetry Reading at The Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar

On Thursday, Sept 29th at 8pm, 3 poets, Terry McDonagh, (Mayo), Rab Wilson, (Scotland) and Andrew Forster, (England) read at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, County Mayo.

September Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering with Richard Halperin, Jane Clarke, C.P. Stewart & The Skylight Poets

C.P. Stewart

The September Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering presents readings by poets from Ireland, the UK and France. Visiting poets Richard Halperin, Jane Clarke and C.P. Stewart will read their work. Also reading on the night will be members of the legendary Galway-based poetry workshop, The Skylight Poets, who will showcase their exciting new anthology, Mosaic, which has already garnered praise from renowned poets Moya Cannon and Mary O’Malley. The event will take place at The Kitchen @ The Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway on Friday, September 9th, 8pm. All are welcome.

Richard W. Halperin holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the City University of New York. Until 2005 he was chief of teacher education for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris, which entailed travel and work in Asia, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. For UNESCO, he edited the downloadable book Reading and Writing Poetry: The Recommendations of Noted Poets from Many Lands on the Teaching of Poetry in Secondary Schools, available in English, French and Spanish versions. He will read from his poetry collection, Anniversary, which was published last year by Salmon Poetry.

Originally from a farm in Roscommon, Jane Clarke, now lives in Wicklow and is a member of Airfield Writers. She has had poems published in Cyphers, Crannóg, Revival, The Shop, The Stony Thursday Book, Southword and has won a number of prizes, including the Listowel Writers’ Week Prize (2007). In 2009 she was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series. She is currently studying for an MPhil in Writing with the University of Glamorgan, Wales. Jane is short-listed for this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition.

C.P. Stewart lives with his family in North Yorkshire. Formerly singer/songwriter with the cult band Laughing Gravy, his poetry has been widely published in Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and the United States. For two years he was the Poetry Editor of Sotto Voce Arts and Literary magazine (U.S.). A chapbook of his poetry, Taking it In was published by Koo Poetry Press in 2009. His New and Selected Poems, Considering the Lilies, was published earlier this year by the Galway-based publisher Wordsonthestreet.

Skylight Poets is the collective name for an unlikely bunch of writers who have gathered on Thursday afternoons in a sparsely furnished room with four skylights at the top of Galway Arts Centre in Dominick Street Galway. Under the guidance of poet and workshop director Kevin Higgins the first anthology from this motley group Lady Gregory’s Townhouse was published in 2009. This was followed in 2010 by the highly praised Behind the Masks and this year sees the publication of the Skylight Poets’ third anthology Mosaic. Edited by Sarah Clancy, Des Kavanagh, Deirdre Kearney and Kevin O’Shea, Mosaic has already garnered praise from renowned poets Moya Cannon and Mary O'Malley.

There is no entrance fee. The Kitchen @ The Museum has a wine licence. For further information contact 087-6431748.

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

NEWSFLASH Long-list for 2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

Philip Abbink, Galway, Ireland
John Austin Connolly, Dublin, Ireland
Lisa Allen, Galway, Ireland
Bernie Ashe, Galway, Ireland
Meleesha Bardolia, Melbourne, Australia
Gene Barry, Cork, Ireland
Marie Bashford-Synnott, Dublin, Ireland
Batsheva Battu, Galway, Ireland
Stephanie Brennan, Galway, Ireland
Paul Bradley, Galway, Ireland
Bern Butler, Galway, Ireland
Erin Buttner, Galway, Ireland
Stephen Byrne, Galway, Ireland
Marie Cadden, Galway, Ireland
June Caldwell, Dublin, Ireland
Kimberly Campanello, Dublin, Ireland
Angela T. Carr, Dublin, Ireland
Martin Casey, Mayo, Ireland
Jane Clarke, Wicklow, Ireland
Rachel Coventry, Galway, Ireland
Bernie Crawford, Galway, Ireland
Damian Cunniffe, Galway, Ireland
Madeleine D'Arcy, Cork, Ireland
Rory Duffy, Westmeath, Ireland
Hilary Fennell, Dublin, Ireland
Stephanie Flaherty-Klapp, Galway, Ireland
Philippa Gibbons, Galway, Ireland
Pauline Gillen, Galway, Ireland
Mary Healy, Kilkenny, Ireland
Dearbhaile Houston, Galway, Ireland
Derek Hynes, Galway, Ireland
Anne Irwin, Galway, Ireland
Sandra Jensen, Cork, Ireland
Des Kavanagh, Galway, Ireland
Jean Kavanagh, Clare, Ireland
Stephen Kennedy, Dublin, Ireland
Tom Lavelle, Galway, Ireland
Barbara Leahy, Cork, Ireland
Laurie Leech, Galway, Ireland
Marie MacSweeney, Louth, Ireland
Gemma Marren, Mayo, Ireland
Connie Masterson, Galway, Ireland
Antoinette McCarthy, Kilkenny, Ireland
Rosaleen McDonagh, Dublin, Ireland
Andrew McEneff, Dublin, Ireland
Danielle McLoughlin, Cork, Ireland
Paul McMahon, Sligo, Ireland
Anne McManus, Galway, Ireland
Sighle Meehan, Galway, Ireland
Lauren Norton, California, USA
Kerrie O’Brien, Dublin, Ireland
Brian O’Connell, Galway, Ireland
David O'Dwyer, Dublin, Ireland
Noel O’Regan, Kerry, Ireland
Michael O'Siochain, Cork, Ireland
Niall Ó’ Sioradáin, Dublin, Ireland
Kevin O'Shea, Galway, Ireland
James O'Toole, Galway, Ireland
Evelyn Parsons, Galway, Ireland
Laura Peters, London, UK
Fiona Place, Galway, Ireland
Bridget Rowland, Mayo, Ireland
Marybeth Rua-Larsen, Massachusetts, USA
Breda Wall Ryan, Wicklow, Ireland
Eimear Ryan, Tipperary, Ireland
Natalie Ryan, Dublin, Ireland
Rejini Samuel, Galway, Ireland
Seamus Scanlon, New York, USA
Maresa Sheehan, Carlow, Ireland
Alan Timmons, Wicklow, Ireland
Steve Wade, Dublin, Ireland
Alice Walsh, Dublin, Ireland
John Walsh, Galway, Ireland
Nicole Walsh, Sligo, Ireland
Heidi Wickam, Sligo, Ireland

The competition is kindly sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, McGinn’s Bar, Niall Ó’Brolcháin, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames & Mike Cubbard.

The shortlist will be announced

at the August Over The Edge:Open Reading

in Galway City Library

this coming Thursday, August, 25th, 6.30-8pm.

The competition judge is Elaine Feeney.

Fiction Long-list – a few words about the process by Susan Millar DuMars

(N.B. 40 of the writers on the above long-list are long-listed for fiction, the other 35 for poetry.)

There were 197 stories entered. Only 40 could be long-listed. So more than three quarters of the stories had to lose out.

Stories were read by me and three other very experienced writers with no names attached. Any entries with which I was familiar I gave to the three volunteers for their verdict.

Each entrant was allowed one story on the long-list. That way the greatest number of people could benefit from being long-listed.

The Result
Many fine writers didn’t make it this time; including many with Masters Degrees, many who have read for Over the Edge, many for whom I’d have great professional respect. This was startling to realise, and my heart broke for those who didn’t get through. At the same time, it proves the fairness of the process.
In the end, here is what we looked for:
• Stories with a strong, unusual, likeable narrative voice.
• Simple stories; those with elaborate, gimmicky plot twists generally did not make it through.
• Stories with memorable images we could not get out of our heads.
• Stories that used their 3000 words well. That is, the piece didn’t read like a vignette, an exercise or an extract but a fleshed out story with clear beginning, middle, end.
• Stories that felt true. Not that they had to be true, of course. But the author must have taken the time to walk in her characters’ shoes.

It was a very tough job; the standard of entries was very high. My sincere congratulations to the forty authors who made it to the fiction long-list.

Daytime Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars at Galway Arts Centre STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

This September Galway Arts Centre presents a daytime class for all those beginner and continuing creative writing students out there, both facilitated by Susan Millar DuMars. Susan Millar DuMars writes both poetry and fiction. A collection of her stories, Lights In The Distance, was published last December by Doire Press; she has published two collection of poetry, Big Pink Umbrella (2008) and Dreams For Breakfast both with Salmon Poetry. She is also co-organiser of the Over The Edge reading series which specifically promotes new writers.

The class is suitable for both beginning and continuing creative writing students, working in either poetry or fiction. Students will spend their week responding to writing exercises designed to inspire, rather than inhibit. In class, they will receive gentle feedback on their work from their classmates and from the teacher. The class takes place on Monday afternoons, 2-3.30pm, commencing on Monday September 19th.

The cost to participants is 110 Euro with a 100 Euro concession price. 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

Launch of 'Mosaic' by the Skylight Poets at Nuns' Island Theatre

On Friday September 2nd at 6.30 pm MOSAIC, the third anthology of poetry from Skylight Poets will be launched in the Nuns’ Island Theatre in Nuns’ Island Galway.

Skylight Poets is the collective name for an unlikely bunch of writers who have gathered on Thursday afternoons in a sparsely furnished room with four skylights at the top of Galway Arts Centre in Dominick Street Galway. Under the guidance of poet and director Kevin Higgins the first anthology from this motley group Lady Gregory’s Townhouse was published in 2009 to much acclaim. This was followed in 2010 by the highly praised Behind the Masks and this year sees the publication of Skylight Poets third anthology entitled Mosaic. Already it is garnering praise from renowned poets Moya Cannon and Mary O'Malley.

Each anthology is edited by a group of four different editors. The editors of Mosaic are Sarah Clancy, Des Kavanagh, Deirdre Kearney and Kevin O’Shea. The contributors vary in poetic ambition and achievement from people who have won prestigious awards in the literary world, some of whom have had their work published in journals and poetry magazines worldwide, some who have already published collections of their work to those who merely seek the company and fun of the workshops for nothing more than the pleasure of creative effort.

After the launch of Mosaic at 6.30 in Nuns’ Island Theatre on Friday September 2nd, Skylight Poets will read from their work at the Over the Edge Writers Gathering in The Kitchen at Galway Museum on September 9th and will perform again at Clifden Arts Week on September 16th.

Free parking is available at Nuns’ Island car park and a wine reception is sponsored by Thomas Woodberry’s of Middle Street Galway. All are welcome!

Gerry Hanberry's Biography of Oscar Wilde's Family Just Published by The Collins Press

Gerry Hanberry's biography of Oscar Wilde's remarkable family

is just published by The Collins Press.

Dr Adrian Frazier from NUI Galway will launch the book

in Charlie Bryne's Bookshop

on Saturday 10 September at 6.00 p.m.

All Welcome.

Creative Writing with Dave Lordan @ Bray Institute of Further Education

Beginners (mon) and Intermediate (wed) Creative Writing classes with Dave Lordan

Bray Institute of Further Education. Term begins monday the 26th of September.

7.30 to 9.30 PM. Cost 120 euro. Discount for unwaged. Enrol here http://www.bife.ie/Pages/Enrol.aspx  10 week courses.

Beginners will be given a gentle introduction to the art of creative writing through a variety of exercises designed to stimulate creativity and self confidence in your expressive ability.

Intermediate students will work in an atmosphere of collective mutual support and constructive criticism with the intention of completing a publishable portfolio of finished poetry or prose.

Writers of prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction equally welcome.

Both courses will include sessions on dialogue, narration, character, description, finding your own style and voice, the discipline of being a writer...

Read more about writer and teacher Dave Lordan here http://davelordanwriter.wordpress.com/ email Dave at dlordan@hotmail.com

Ring anytime on 087-0921117.

SPECIAL RATES VIA OVER THE EDGE FOR INISHBOFIN WRITING JAUNTS

The Inishbofin Jaunt

September Creative Writing Weekends On Inishbofin Island

2 - 5 and 9 -12 SEPT 2011

Tutors: Yvonne Cullen,(“Writes beautifully, and can pass on the skill” The Irish Times Sept 2009, “Best Creative Writing Teacher in Dublin” - Dubliner Magazine) Guest tutor on weekend two: Anthony Glavin. Suitable for beginner and developing writers

Classes, workshops, relaxed and fun group Readings and social nights, plus plenty of time to explore Inishbofin too!

086 1701418 Email yvonnesworkshops@gmail.com  http://www.yvonnecullen.wordpress.com

THERE IS A SPECIAL 'VIA OVER THE EDGE' FEE for two Developing writers on each weekend, of €200 in place of €230, on weekend one, Developing Poetry and Personal Essay, and €240 in place of €270 on weekend two, Developing Short Fiction and Personal Essay.

CONTACT YVONNE CULLEN NOW AND TELL HER THAT YOU READ ABOUT

THE SPECIAL OFFER HERE ON THE OVER THE EDGE WEBSITE

A unique opportunity to hear four Galway fiction writers at Sheridan's Wine Bar

A unique opportunity to hear four Galway fiction writers at Sheridan's Wine Bar on Monday September 5th, 8pm. The writers will read stories that have been shortlisted in the R.T.E. Francis McManus Short Story Competition. Three of the readers, Davnet Heery The Little Girl in Pink, Aideen Henry Saibh and Geraldine Mills The Street With Looking Glass Eyes were shortlisted in 2011 and the fourth reader, Jim Mullarkey Heaven was runner up in 2002. MC for the night is Kevin Higgins. All are welcome.


DAVNET HEERY
A long-time resident of Cois Fharraige, Connemara, Davnet enjoys solitary walks along the shore and on the bog, day-dreaming. Recently graduated from the MA in Writing at NUIG she has had a giddy summer reading at literary festivals countrywide for the launch of the MA class anthology Bicycles with Umbrellas. Primarily a poet (she has been grant aided by Galway Co.Co. to work towards a collection Camellia) she also enjoys writing plays.

AIDEEN HENRY
Aideen story, Saibh, was shortlisted in 2011 for the Francis McManus Short Story Award and recorded on RTE Radio. As part of the Atlantis Collective Aideen Henry’s short stories have featured in three short story anthologies launched each year at the Cúirt International Literary Festival; The Town of Fiction (2009), Faceless Monsters (2010) and Eat the Swans (2011). Her short story, Morning Surgery, was shortlisted for the Aindreas McEntee Prize (2010). Oculoterra was selected for the inaugural Lonely Voice Series at the Irish Writer’s Centre Reading in Dublin in January 2010.

JIM MULLARKEY
Jim has been shortlisted twice in the RTE Francis McManus Competition, the last time in 2005 for Mary up in Donegal. He has been long-listed for the Raymond Carver Short Story Award and the Fish Short Story Competition. He was runner-up in the 2003 Galway Cúirt Poetry Festival. Jim read at the inaugural Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in April 2006. In recent years Jim has facilitated creative writing workshops for adults with learning difficulties. His first collection of short stories, And, will be launched by Doire Press on September 17th in Galway Museum at 1pm.

GERALDINE MILLS is an award winning poet and short story writer and has been published nationally and internationally. She has published four collections of poetry and two of short stories ‘Lick of the Lizard’, (2005) and ‘The Weight of Feathers’, 2007 (Arlen House). She was winner of the Inaugural Penguin/ RTÉ Short Story Competition, 2010. Other awards for fiction include the Moore Medallion, The OKI Award and she has been shortlisted 6 times for the Francis MacManus Competition. Geraldine was the millennium winner of the Hennessy/Tribune New Irish Writer Award for her short story ‘Lick of the Lizard’. She teaches creative writing in Ireland and the US.

2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year LONG-LIST TO BE ANNOUNCED

The announcement of the long-list for this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition will take place at a special Salmon Poetry reading at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Middle Street, Galway on Saturday, August 20th , STARTS 6.30 PM. Majella Cullinane will read from her just published collection ‘Guarding The Flame’ and there will also be readings by Over The Edge co-organisers Susan Millar DuMars & Kevin Higgins.

For more about Majella Cullinane see http://www.salmonpoetry.com/bookshop-search.php

THE LONG-LIST WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE ON THE OVER THE EDGE WEBSITE LATER THAT SAME EVENING

This year's competition has received a record number of entries; the competition judge is Elaine Feeney.

Record Entry for 2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year Competition

This year's Over The Edge New Writer of The Year Competition has received a record 371 entries; 194 fiction entries and 177 poetry entries. 

The long-list will be announced at a special event at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop on the afternoon of Saturday, August 20th. Further details to follow. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2011/02/2011-over-edge-new-writer-of-year.html

Clare Pollard, Evelyn Parsons & Laurie Leech for August 'Over The Edge: Open Reading'

Clare Pollard

The August Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, August 25th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Laurie Leech, Evelyn Parsons & Clare Pollard. The reading is sponsored by Poetry Ireland. The evening will also see the announcement of the shortlist in this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition.

Laurie Leech is a Galway based poet. He is MC of the Testify! nights in Róisín Dubh, showcasing poets, musicians and anything else in between. Formerly MC of Poetry Smackdown, which was featured on RTE’s Arena. He took 2nd place in the 2011 Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam and 1st place in the 2011 Drogheda Fringe Poetry Slam. He puts his words to music sometimes and shared a bill with Buck 65, also during Cúirt 2011.

Evelyn Parsons says that she “stumbled down a creative writing shaped rabbit hole in 2010, landing heart first in a fiction wonderland of classes with Kevin Higgins and Susan Millar DuMars.” She was highly commended in the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition and short-listed for the 2011 Fish One Page Prize. Evelyn is also an avid reader and a member of the Ballinasloe Booksuckers Club.

Clare Pollard has published four collections of poetry with Bloodaxe Books, the most recent of which, Changeling, was published in June of this year. Her play The Weather (Faber, 2004) premiered at the Royal Court Theatre and has been performed at the Munchner Kammerspiele in Munich. Clare was Assistant Director of the Clerkenwell Literary Festival from 2002-5. She has scripted and presented two documentaries for televison, and her documentary for radio, ‘My Male Muse’, was a Radio 4 Pick of the year. Her short stories have been published in The Idler and the anthology Comma (Comma Press, 2002). She recently co-edited the Bloodaxe anthology Voice Recognition: 21 poets for the 21st Century. Clare is currently teaching for The City Lit, The Poetry School and the Arvon Foundation. This is Clare’s first time reading in Ireland.

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 always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council and the sponsorship of this reading by Poetry Ireland.

2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition to be judged by Elaine Feeney

2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition

sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop,

McGinn’s Bar,

 Niall Ó Brolcháin,

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames

& Mike Cubbard

In 2011 Over The Edge is continuing its exciting annual creative writing competition. The competition is open to both poets and fiction writers. The total prize money is €1,000. The best fiction entry will win €300. The best poetry entry will win €300. One of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and will receive an additional €400, giving the overall winner total prize money of €700 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2011. The 2011 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be a Featured Reader at a reading to be scheduled in Galway City Library in Winter 2011/12. Salmon Poetry will read, with no commitment to publish, a manuscript submitted to them by the winner in the poetry category.

Entries should be sent to Over The Edge, New Writer of the Year competition, 3 Carbry Road, Newcastle, Galway, Ireland with an accompanying SAE. Entries will be judged anonymously, so do not put your name on your poem(s) or story. Put your contact details on a separate sheet.

Criteria: fiction of up to three thousand words, three poems of up to forty lines, or one poem of up to one hundred lines. Multiple entries are acceptable but each must be accompanied by a fee. The fee for one entry is €10. The fee for multiple entries is €7.50 per entry e.g. two entries will cost €15, three entries €22.50 and so on. Fee payable by cheque or money order to Over The Edge. To take part you must be at least sixteen years old by September 1st 2011 and not have a book published or accepted for publication in that genre. Chapbooks excepted. Entries must not have been previously published or be currently entered in any other competition.

The closing date is Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011. A longlist will be announced in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop on Saturday, August 20th, 2011. A shortlist will be announced at the Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, August 25th. The winners will be announced at the Over The Edge reading in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 29th, 2011.

This year’s competition judge is Elaine Feeney. Elaine was born in Galway in 1979. In 2006 she won the North Beach Nights Grand Slam and in 2008 won the Cúirt Festival's Poetry Grand Slam. Elaine has performed at many venues including The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Electric Picnic, The Vilenica Festival and The Cúirt International Festival of Literature. Her work has been translated into Slovene. Elaine lives in Athenry with her partner Ray, and sons, Jack and Finn. Her first full collection of poetry Where’s Katie? was published last year by Salmon poetry.

Elaine Feeney

For further details contact Over The Edge on 087-6431748,

e-mail over-the-edge-openreadings@hotmail.com

Inisbofin Writing Jaunt with Yvonne Cullen

For details of this year's Inisbofin Writing Jaunts (September 2nd-5th & September 9th-12th) with renowned poet and creative writing teacher Yvonne Cullen, see here
http://yvonnecullen.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/inishbofinjaunt-brochureonline1.pdf

Summer Open-Mic at Westside Library

Over The Edge in association with Westside Arts Festival presents the 2011 Over The Edge Summer Open-mic and the launch of Monday Miscellany, a collection of stories, poems and memoir by the Westside Writers and at Westside Library, Seamus Quirke Road on Tuesday, July 19th.

Monday Miscellany will be launched by Galway City Council’s Arts Officer, James Harrold, at 5.30pm.

The annual Over The Edge Summer Open-mic will follow immediately at 6.30pm. Everyone who has a poem or story to share is most welcome to take part. So, if you have some writing you’d like to read to an audience. This is your opportunity to do so.

The MCs for the evening will be Kevin Higgins & Susan Millar DuMars. All are welcome to attend.

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

SALMON POETRY RAFFLE!

Salmon Poetry's fundraising raffle is now underway with a unique prize of all thirty-one of its 2011 poetry collections, signed by the authors. Have your own bookshelf of some of the finest contemporary Irish, American and British poetry!!! €5.00 for 5 tickets; €10.00 for 12 tickets. Full details about the books and how to purchase tickets at: http://www.salmonpoetry.com/raffle.php

Call for poetry, short-stories, photography and art work for Galway Artistic Atlas

Poets, artists, photographers and short-story writers, with work based in or inspired by Galway, have less than one month left to submit work to The Artistic Atlas of Galway.

The Atlas which aims to highlight the artistic capital of the City and County, the people that live in it and those that pass through it. The work submitted will be compiled into chapters based on certain themes of Galway. Conceptual maps will be drawn up, influenced by the work in each chapter. These will be included in the Atlas alongside more traditional maps, allowing people to visit places and read the landscape in different ways.

Liam Duffy the organiser has been happy with the response so far: “the idea has been met with intrigue and enthusiasm, and I've been delighted to receive work from professional artists and writers and people who've just happened to catch a special glimpse of Galway with their camera or pen”.

The deadline is July 31, submissions should be sent to GalwayAtlas@gmail.com and more details can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=224818917528218 

The Galway Artistic Atlas is very grateful for funding from Spunout.ie

July Writers' Gathering presents Doire Press Showcase, Launch of 'The Geese at the Gates' by Drucilla Wall & a reading by Los Angeles Poet John Menaghan

The Over The Edge July Writers’ Gathering presents a special showcase reading by poets and fiction writers published by Galway county based Doire Press. Gerry Galvin, Susan Lindsay, Susan Millar DuMars and Doire Press publisher John Walsh will read their work at The Kitchen @ The Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway on Thursday, July 14th, 8pm. The evening will include a reading by Los Angeles poet John Menaghan and the Galway launch of The Geese at the Gates, the exciting debut poetry collection by St. Louis based poet, Drucilla Wall, just published by Salmon Poetry. All are welcome.

Drucilla Wall was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She teaches poetry and essay writing, and Native American literature, at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In addition to poetry, her essays appear in journals and anthologies. She has earned awards and fellowships for her work, including the Mari Sandoz Prairie Schooner Short Story Award, the Western Literature Association Willa Pilla Prize for Humor in Writing, and University of Nebraska Fling and Larson Fellowships. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and has spent summers with family and friends in Wexford and Galway, Ireland, since 1985. Her debut collection of poetry, The Geese at the Gates, is just published by Salmon Poetry.

Gerry Galvin was born in Limerick in 1942 but now lives in Oughterard, Co. Galway. He is a chef and former restaurateur, author of two cookbooks, The Drimcong Food Affair (McDonald Publishing, 1992) and Everyday Gourmet (The O’Brien Press, 1997), and is a columnist for Organic Matters magazine. His poetry and short stories have been published in newspapers and magazines in both the U.K. and Ireland. His first collection of poems, No Recipe, was published by Doire Press last year. Gerry’s crime novel, Killer ála Carte, will be published soon also by Doire Press.

Susan Lindsay is originally from Dublin but now lives in Galway. She has read her work at Over the Edge literary events, Clifden Arts Week and Mythic Links, and was a member of the Faber Academy, Dubin poetry class in 2010. A social work graduate (TCD, 1975), she has been a psychotherapist, group leader, workshop facilitator and trainer for over thirty years. This year Susan was selected to take part in the 2011 Poetry Ireland Introductions series of readings. Her first book of poetry, Whispering the Secrets, was published by Doire Press in March.

Susan Millar DuMars was born in Philadelphia. She has been short-listed for the Cúirt New Writing Prize and the START chapbook prize. Her fiction was awarded a bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland in 2005 and was showcased in a mini-collection, American Girls (Lapwing Publications) in 2007. Susan has also published two volumes of poems with Salmon Poetry. Her short story collection Lights In The Distance was published by Doire Press in December 2010.

John Walsh was born in Derry. His first collection, Johnny tell Them, was published in 2006 by Guildhall Press. In 2007 he received a Publication Award from Galway County Council to publish his second collection Love's Enterprise Zone. His third collection, Chopping Wood with T.S. Eliot, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2010. His poems have been published in Ireland, the UK, Austria and the United States. He is organizer of North Beach Poetry Nights in Galway and founder of Doire Press.

John Menaghan born in New Jersey, has lived in Boston, Berkeley, Vancouver, Syracuse, London, Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Gortahork, and Dingle, & presently makes his home in Venice, CA. Winner of an Academy of American Poets Prize and other awards, he has given readings in Ireland, England, France, Hungary, and the U.S. He has also had several short plays produced in Los Angeles. John teaches at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he also serves as Director of both the Irish Studies and Summer in Ireland programs and runs the LMU Irish Cultural Festival. He has published three collections of poems with Salmon Poetry, the most recent of which is What Vanishes (2009).

There is no entrance fee. The Kitchen @ The Museum has a wine licence. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

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

Summer Literary Extravaganza at Over The Edge June Writers' Gathering

The Over The Edge June Writers’ Gathering presents a summer literary extravaganza of readings by poets and fiction writers from Italy, Albania, the United States and Ireland at The Kitchen @ The Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway on Friday, June 24th, 8pm. The evening will include the Galway launch of new poetry collections by Joseph Lennon and Ndrek Gjini. Fiction writer Jim Mullarkey will read from his forthcoming collection of short stories. Italian poets Luca Artioli, Andrea Garbin, Fabio Barcellandi and their translator Dave Lordan will read from their recent publication Poethree-New Italian Voices (Thauma Edizioni, 2011). All are welcome.

Joseph Lennon was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and grew up in Rochester, a small town in central Illinois. He has lived in Ireland and Italy and travelled throughout India. After a decade in New York City, teaching at Manhattan College, he now lives in Philadelphia with his family and is Director of Irish Studies at Villanova University. He has published poetry and critical essays on Irish literature and postcolonial studies. His book Irish Orientalism: A Literary and Intellectual History (Syracuse UP, 2004) won the Donald J. Murphy Prize for Distinguished First Book from the American Conference for Irish Studies. Fell Hunger is Joseph’s first collection of poetry and was published in April by Salmon Poetry.

Ndrek Gjini was born in Albania in the 1960s. From 1984 to 1988 he was a student at the University of Shkoder in Albania. After graduation he worked first as a teacher and then as a journalist. During these years he published poems and many newspaper articles in the Albanian language. In 2002, Ndrek moved to the West of Ireland. In 2004, he undertook a course that led to a National Certificate in Print Journalism; at GMIT he earned a BA honours in Heritage Studies. At present, he is enrolled in the MA in Writing at NUI Galway. His poems in English have recently been published in Cyphers magazine. The Death of Night is Ndrek’s first collection of poems in the English language and is just published by EMAL.

Jim Mullarkey lives in Galway. He was a member of Galway City Council for 1993 to 1999 before turning his hand to writing. He has been short-listed for the Raymond Carver Short Story Award and the Fish Short Story Competition. His story ‘Heaven’ was runner-up in the RTE Francis McManus Award. Jim read at the inaugural Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in April 2006. His first collection of short stories, Murph’s Advice, will be published by Doire Press in September.

Dave Lordan's latest collection of poems is Invitation to a Sacrifice (Salmon Poetry, 2010) which was called by The Irish Times 'an act of cultural resistance, as brilliant on the page as it must surely be in performance'. Eigse Riada theatre company produced his first play, Jo Bangles, at the Mill Theatre, Dundrum in 2010. Forthcoming are Assassin for Higher from Wurm Press in Nov 2011 and his first collection of short stories Out of My Head due out from Salmon Publishing in Summer 2012. He can be contacted at dlordan@hotmail.com

Luca Artioli

Luca Artioli was born in Mantova in 1976, where he still lives.He was the creator and co-founder of the “Confraternita dell’ “Uva”, a group of writers 25 from Mantova / Modena / Como. He’s currently a member of the “Movement from the Underground”, a literary group for the union of the arts, based in Montichiari (BS). His official website is http://www.lucaartioli.it/ His books are Fragili Apparenze (Apparent fragilities) (Poems - TCM Editions, Mantova, 2005) and Suture (Sutures) (Poems - Ed. Fara, 2011);
                                      

Fabio Barcellandi

Fabio Barcellandi was born in Brescia in 1968. He is part of the group of poets and artists that quickens the literary meetings at the coffee bar Galeter in Montichiari, where he has performed on numerous occasions, from his tentative beginnings to the latest missives. He is from under the earth. What they say of him is that he walks hand in hand with death, whistling He has published two collections of poems: Parole alate (Winged words) (Cicorivolta editions, 2007) and Nero, l’inchiostro (Black Ink) (Montag editions, 2008).
                                       

Andrea Garbin

Andrea Garbin lives and works in the province of Mantova. He has published the poetry Il senso della musa (The sense of the Muse) (Aletti, 2007) and Latex (Fara, 2009) and some short-stories in the anthologies Per natale non esco (For Christmas I don’t go out) (TranseuropaLibri, 2008) and Il rumore degli occhi (The noise of the eyes) (Edizioni Creativa, 2009).

There is no entrance fee. The Kitchen @ The Museum has a wine licence. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

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