Los Angeles poet at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Los Angeles poet joins Galway writers at Sheridan’s Wine Bar
Over The Edge presents a reading by John Menaghan, Mary Madec, Gary King & Mags Treanor at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, June 15th, 8pm.







John Menaghan was born in New Jersey to Irish-American parents. He teaches literature and creative writing 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 annual Irish Cultural Festival. His most recent collection of poems, ‘She Alone’ - a book-length poetic sequence, which traces the life of an imaginary woman from birth to death and beyond – was published last year by Salmon Poetry. It has been described by the prestigous Hudson Review as “one of the best books of 2006.”

Mary Madec is from Mayo but has lived in Philadelphia, Dublin and now Galway. She started writing seriously in 2004. Since then her poems have appeared in Crannog, West 47, The Cuirt Annual and The Shop. She was a Featured Reader at the November 2005 Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library. Mary was shortlisted for the Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in both 2006 & 2007. She was chosen to take part in this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions readings.

Gary King was the joint runner-up in this year’s Cuirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam. He has read his poems at the popular White House reading series in Limerick, and was a Featured Reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in February 2003. He was short-listed for the 2006 Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading. Gary’s poems have been published widely in magazines such as Poetry Nottingham, Criterion, West 47 & The Burning Bush. A chapbook of his poems, Ambiguous Lights, was published by Over The Edge in 2004.

Mags Treanor was born in Dublin in 1965. She now lives in Galway where she writes both fiction and poetry. She is currently working on her novel, ‘Girl Racer’. Her work has been anthologised by New Island Press, West47 online, the Harrington Lesbian Fiction Quarterly, the Cuirt Annual and also broadcast on RTE Radio One. She was a Featured Reader at the May 2006 Over The Edge: Open Reading and was shortlisted for the 2007 Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading. Maverick Press recently published her collection of poems and short-stories, ‘Two Night Stand’.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

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

Final 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' before Summer break

After the success of the Over The Edge showcase reading at the Cúirt Festival in April, the May ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ will take place on Thursday, May 31st, 6.30-8pm in Galway City Library. This month’s Featured Readers are Maria McManus,
Paddy Henry & Fergal McNally.





Maria McManus is a poet and playwright from Strangford near Belfast. Her collection ‘Reading the Dog’ was published in 2006 and was runner for this year’s Strong Award. In 2005 she was awarded the Bedell Scholarship of Literature by the Aspen Writers Foundation, Colorado. Her plays include His n‘Hers, The Black Out Show and Nowhere Harder. She is currently writer-on-attachment to Tinderbox Theatre Company.

Paddy Henry writes both fiction and non-fiction. He retired to Galway in 1998 having been a soft drinks manufacture in Charlestown, Co. Mayo. He continues his life long interest in drama through his involvement with Knocknacarra Amateur Theatre Society. He is a member of the Knocknaccarra Active Retirement Writers Group facilitated by Susan Millar DuMars.

Fergal McNally moved to Galway in 2003 to study Arts. He is currently enrolled on the M.A. in Writing program at N.U.I.G. He has had poetry published in Ropes magazine and Writers Seeking Lovers, a collection put out by the M.A. in writing poetry workshop. His one act play Spilt Milk won best production at this year’s Muscailt arts festival.

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 contact 087-6431748.

The first Over The Edge: Open Reading after the Summer break will take place at Galway City Library on Thursday, August 30th.

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

All-Ireland Poetry Slam Champion

Galway Performance Poet, Brendan Murphy,
has become All-Ireland Poetry Slam Champion
after his successful participation in the Ireland
heat of the BBC Radio 4 Slam Competition
last Friday in Belfast.


Brendan will now represent Ireland in the BBC Radio 4 UK and Ireland
Slam Finals in Bristol in July. Brendan won the 2006 Cúirt Poetry Slam and performed at the Green Mill in Chicago last September. Over the last two years he has come up through the ranks of the North Beach Poetry Nights event in BK's Winebar and the Galway Arts Centre Cúirt Ruby Room Slam in the King's Head. He was a featured reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library last October.

Packed house at Sheridan's Wine Bar for reading by Lorna Shaughnessy, Dave Lordan, Susan Millar DuMars & Mark Granier

Mark Granier shares a post-reading drink with audience members, including Rita Ann Higgins

Bruce Barnes at North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights BK's Winebar, Thursday, May 24th at 9pm

Special Guest: BRUCE BARNES Visiting UK Poet from Bradford

+ Micéal Kearney (Cúirt Grand Slam Winner '07)

+ Gary King + Katie Lawless (Joint Second Place at Cúirt Grand Slam 07)

+ Open Mic

Bruce Barnes was born in 1948, a Cockney. He has worked as a smallholder, a law lecturer, a legal advice worker, and currently in a mental health advocacy project, which includes supporting service user writing groups in hospital and community settings. In Bradford, he is a member of the Interchange performance poetry troupe, co-ordinates Bradford Poetry workshop, and organizes poetry events. His poems have appeared in many magazines including Braquemard, Poetry Wales, the Bound Spiral, Poetry London Newsletter, Poems on the Buses 1995, 1996, 1997, Krax, Pennine Platform, Island, Manifold. He has read and performed his poetry throughout Britain, and in Canada and the States. He has published two collections of poetry: 'the lovelife of the absent-minded' ( Newbury:Phoenix Press 1993) 'Somewhere Else' (Bradford:Utistugu Press 2003)

P.S. Next month's guests are: Michael O'Loughlin, Galway Writer in Residence and Galway's singer-songwriter, folk-poet: Johnny Duhan

Four Salmon poets to read at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Mark Granier, Lorna Shaughnessy, Dave Lordan & Susan Millar DuMars at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, May 11th, 8pm.



Mark Granier lives in Dublin. His first collection, Airborne, was published by Salmon poetry in 2001. He was awarded an Arts Council Bursary in 2002 and won the Vincent Buckley Poetry Prize in 2004. His second collection, The Sky Road, will be published this month by Salmon.

Lorna Shaughnessy was born in Belfast, but has lived in Galway for many years, where she lectures in the Spanish Department. Her poems have been widely published in magazines. She read at the 2006 Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase. Her first collection, Torching The Brown River, will be published next year by Salmon.

Dave Lordan is originally from Cork but now lives in Dublin. He won the 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award for Poetry. 'Indiscipline' a joint collection of work by Dave and Tuam-based poet, Elaine Feeney, was recently published by Maverick Press. He is a hugely charismatic reader of his work. His first full collection, The Boy In The Ring, will be published next month by Salmon.

Susan Millar DuMars is an American writer who has lived in Galway for several years. Her short-story collection, American Girls, was published by Lapwing in April. Her first full collection of poems, The Wellspring Wife, will be published next year by Salmon.

There will also be a special guest appearance by Miceál Kearney, winner of the 2007 Cuirt Poetry Grand Slam.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

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

Flosca Short Story Competition & Irish Language Poetry Competition

INTRODUCING:
Flosca Short Story Competition
and
Flosca Irish Language Poetry Competition
29 April, Town Hall Bar and Studio, 7:30 pm

Attention, writers!

Join us for the launch of two new writing contests hosted by Flosca Teo.

The event will feature readings by poet Louis de Paor and novelist Mike McCormack, with an introduction by Caroline Walsh, Literary Editor of The Irish Times.

Flosca Teo is a new web-based publishing company, founded by writers, with the mission to provide outlets for new work by writers in Ireland and abroad. Our website, http://www.flosca.com

FLOSCA [fluh-ska] --noun: the Irish genetive singular for flux: a flowing or flow; the flowing in of the tide; continuous change, passage, or movement; the rate of flow of fluid, particles or energy; a quantity expressing the field of force in a given area


Flosca Short Story Competition

Deadline: 15 December, 2007.
Word Limit: 3500 words.
To enter: Visit http://www.flosca.com

Entry Fee: €12.50

1st Prize: €1000 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

2nd Prize: €250 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

3rd Prize: €50 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

Competition opens for entry 29 April, 2007.


Flosca Irish Language Poetry Competition

Deadline: 15 December, 2007.
Word Limit: 100 words.
To enter: Visit http://www.flosca.com

Entry Fee: €5.00

1st Prize: €500 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

2nd Prize: €200 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

3rd Prize: €50 + Publication in the Prize-winners’ Chapbook.

Competition opens for entry 29 April, 2007.

The judges for both competitions will be announced at the Flosca launch at the Cúirt Literature Festival this coming Sunday

Poetry Workshops with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

In May 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 Higgins is an experienced workshop facilitator and co-organiser of the Over The Edge readings in Galway City Library. Several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success.

Each workshop will run for eight weeks, commencing during the week of May 14th.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 €98, with an €88 concession rate.

Places must be paid for in advance. To reserve a place contact Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominic Street, Galway; phone 091-565886; or e-mail victoria@galwayartscentre.ie

Intensive Creative Writing Classes at GTI

Galway Technical Institute is offering an intensive course in Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins. The course takes place one evening per week (Wednesday) from 7.00-10pm for four weeks, commencing on Wednesday, 16th May. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €60. 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.

Also on offer is a course in Beginners Fiction Writing with Susan Millar DuMars. This takes place one evening per week (also Wednesday) from 7.00-10pm for four weeks. It commences on Wednesday, May 16th. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €60. The course is for those who have an interest in writing short stories or longer fiction, and want the guidance and discipline of a weekly class to help them get going. 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 way.

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

Galway Heat of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam

The Galway heat of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam takes place this Thursday, May 3, in BK's Wine Bar, Spanish Parade at 9pm.Two poets will go forward from the heat on Thursday to represent Connacht in the All Ireland Poetry Slam at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast on Friday, May 11. Winners of the Belfast slam will represent Ireland at the final stage of the competitionto be held in England in September.The Galway heat will be hosted by Neil McCarthy and guest poet is Trish Casey. Admission is free. All are welcome.

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