2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year: THE RESULTS

The winners of this year's Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition were announced by competition judge James Martyn at the September Over The Edge: Open Reading this evening in Galway City Library.

PRIZES GO TO NICOLA GRIFFIN & SEAMUS SCANLON

Nicola Griffin won the poetry section with her poem ‘Pandora’s Well’. She will receive €300 in prize money and Salmon Poetry will read without prejudice a manuscript of her poetry.

Nicola Griffin pictured centre

Nicola Griffin grew up in Cheshire in the North West of England and studied Psychology and Sociology at the University of Keele in Staffordshire. She has lived in East Clare since 1997. She writes poetry, non-fiction and fiction, is a graduate of the MA in Writing at NUIG and a participant in the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre. She has a regular column in Inland Waterways News and her poetry has recently been published in Ropes Unravelled, The Sunday Tribune, The Stinging Fly, Behind The Masks and Crannóg.

Seamus Scanlon won the fiction section with his story ‘The Butterfly Love Song’. Seamus is also the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year. He will receive €700 in prize money and will be a Featured Reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in the next few months.

Seamus Scanlon, 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

Seamus Scanlon is originally from Galway but has lived in New York City for the past few years, where he has been a student of creative writing at City College New York. Seamus was short-listed for the 2009 Hennessy New Irish Writing Award and his work has appeared in Global City Review, Promethean and the Journal of Experimental Fiction. He has read his work at The Cell Theater, the Mysterious Bookshop, McNally Robinson Bookshop, St. Patrick's Day Literary Brunch, the Ulysses Bar and the Over The Edge open-mic.

The following fiction writers were highly commended by competition judge James Martyn:
Niamh Mulvey for her story ‘Swansong’
Kevin Doyle for his story ‘Those Days He Was Here’
Suzanne Walsh for her story ‘The Best Job’
Evelyn Parsons for her story ‘Mr. Right’.

The following poets were highly commended:
Marie Cadden for her poem ‘Seduced’
Tom Lavelle for his poems ‘One-To-One’, ‘Citeog’ and ‘Beds’
Angela Carr for her poems ‘Brink’, ‘After The Storm’ and ‘Once I Was A Tree’
Maresa Sheehan for her poems You’re your Greens’, ‘Parsnips and Cats’, and ‘A Strawberry of a man’
James O’Toole for his poem ‘Template For The Future’.

Over The Edge would like to thanks our competition sponsors, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and Michael D. Higgins TD, our competition judge James Martyn and all the writers who entered this year’s competition.

The competition short-list can be read here
http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2010/08/short-list-announced-for-2010-over-edge.html

The long-list can be read here
http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-over-edge-new-writer-of-year-long_18.html

Salmon Poetry presents Rita Ann Higgins, Aideen Henry & Glenn Shea @ Charlie Byrne's Bookshop

Poetry Reading with Rita Ann Higgins, Aideen Henry & Glenn Shea in Charlie Byrne's Bookshop.

Date: Saturday, October 09, 2010
Time: 6pm
Venue: Charlie Byrne's Bookshop, Middle Street, Galway
http://www.salmonpoetry.com/event-details.php?ID=111

North Beach Poetry Nights welcomes Elaine Feeney

North Beach Poetry Nights welcomes Elaine Feeney on Monday 11th October at 9pm in The Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway.

Elaine Feeney brings her Nationwide Summer/Autumn tour to an end this week at North Beach Poetry Nights' monthly poetry slam.

Elaine began her literary career by winning the NBN Grand Slam in 2006 and went on to win the Cuirt Festival's prestigious Grand Slam in 2008. This success meant performances to critical acclaim at International venues including The Vilenica Literature Festival and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She performed with poet Dave Lordan at this years Electric Picnic. Elaine published her first chapbook in 2007 and this summer saw the publication of her debut collection, Where's Katie? by Salmon Poetry.

Her work was described in review on Radio One's Arena as 'Wonderful, wonderful stuff, poetry not for the faint hearted'. She has since recorded some of her work which has been aired on RTE Radio One.

Elaine is spending the winter finishing a drama, 'Playing with Women'. She is a powerful and captivating voice of the New Irish poetry scene and is well worth checking out.

Poets wishing to take part in the poetry slam should bring along 2 max. 3 minute poems.

Door: 5/3 Euro

Info: John@091-593290

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

North Beach Poetry Nights offers Performance Workshop with Welsh Spoken Word Poet Martin Daws

North Beach Poetry Nights is offering a Performance Workshop with Welsh Spoken Word Poet Martin Daws on Monday 25th October from 17.30 to 20.00 upstairs in The Crane Bar, Sea Road Galway.

For 10 participants on a first come basis. Price 10 Euro.
Sign up by email: johnmawalsh@gmail.com  

An electrifying poet whose live sets blend free musicality, innovative rhythm and lyrical dexterity to drive his poetry through journeys into life, nature and who the hell we think we are, anyway! Martin Daws is Farrago Autumn Slam Champ 2010, has been a runner-up in the Glastonbury Festival Slam and the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry. He got a coveted five star review at the Edinburgh Festival and is the author of the acclaimed book/cd 'Skin Tight the Sidewalk'.

Martin Daws writes about multi-culturalism, identity, personal integrity, and the evolution of culture. He is also fascinated with the way we build relationships with that which is bigger than us; nature, society, the universe, God... His aim is to make meaningful music out of spoken word, with as much freedom to improvise as possible.

In 2008 Martin published his first book/CD, titled ‘Skin Tight the Sidewalk’. His work has been broadcast by BBC Radio Wales, been published in international journals, and has been performed extensively around the UK and Ireland. More recently Martin’s musical collaborations with Rob Mackay have toured internationally, taking video of Martin in performance and recordings of his voice to multi-media performances in 4 continents.

Yvonne Cullen's Writing Train is taking off into Autumn!

Classes and workshops in Dublin at all levels start soon. They include Writing Train's original Fortnightly workshops starting on 13 Oct, Intensive Beginners classes on 18 Oct and the long-running Thursday night Writing Train. This last mentioned workshop has started but some 'late-start' places remain. Writing Train had 7 workshop participants, 5 current and 2 previous, shortlisted for the Over The Edge award this year, with participant Maresa Sheehan highly commended!

"Best Creative Writing Teacher in Dublin" Dubliner Magazine.

For an overview of Writing Train's approaches and other up-coming courses including Hallowe'en Writing Jaunt to Inis Mor, Yvonne's brochure is available at http://www.yvonnecullen.com/

You can also follow Yvonne's thoughts on the writing life at Facebook page Yvonne Cullen's Writing Train.

September ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ with Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, Nicola Griffin & Billy Ramsell PLUS New Writer of The Year To Be Announced

The September Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, September 30th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Nicola Griffin, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh & Billy Ramsell. The evening will also see the announcement of the winners of this year’s Over The Edge New Writer of the Year competition by competition judge, James Martyn.

Nicola Griffin grew up in Cheshire in the North West of England and studied Psychology and Sociology at the University of Keele in Staffordshire. She has lived in East Clare since 1997. She writes poetry, non-fiction and fiction, is a graduate of the MA in Writing at NUIG and a participant in the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre. She has a regular column in Inland Waterways News and her poetry has recently been published in Ropes Unravelled, The Sunday Tribune, The Stinging Fly, Behind The Masks and Crannóg.


Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh was born in Kerry in 1984. She studied Irish and French at NUI Galway. She has lived in France and spent a year teaching Irish in New York with the Fulbright programme. The Arts Council awarded her an artist’s bursary in 2008. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Fusion, An Guth, Crannóg, The Stinging Fly and Poetry Ireland Review. She has read in Ireland, New York, Montreál and the Outer Hebrides. She is currently carrying out doctoral research in Galway. Her first collection, Péacadh, was published by Coiscéim in 2008.

Billy Ramsell was born in Cork in 1977 and educated at the North Monastery and UCC. Complicated Pleasures, his first collection, was published by the Dedalus Press, Dublin, in 2007. He has been shortlisted for a Hennessy award and a Strong award. He has been invited to read his work at many festivals around the world; most recently in Shanghai and in San Francisco. He lives in Cork where he co-runs an educational publishing company.

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

September 'Loose Lips'

LOOSE LIPS! is back this Wednesday night 29th of September at 9pm, upstairs in the Roisín Dubh and the theme is ROBBED. Have you ever robbed anything? An orchard, a bank, someone else's partner? Have you ever been robbed, mugged or had an idea stolen from you? Whatever the connection with robbed, come along and tell the story as long as it's your own story and you can do it in about five minutes.

Salmon Poetry announces Galway Launch of 'Hurting God' by Rita Ann Higgins

Salmon Poetry

invites you to celebrate the Galway launch of

Hurting God

Part Essay Part Rhyme

by

Rita Ann Higgins

God, púcas, jiving factory girls, a crocodile-wielding father, long-lost lives and equally long-lost multinationals all form part of the brilliant world of Rita Ann Higgins’s As well as collection of essays and poems, Hurting God – Part Essay Part Rhyme. highlighting Rita Ann’s unique voice, this book gives a special insight into how closely prose and poetry can work together to bring a perspective that enables deep understanding.

For over two This is as decades Rita Ann Higgins has been a poetic voice for the voiceless. Now, in these essays which form a poetic true in her plays as in her poetry. memoir, she shows yet again that she is one of the best contemporary Irish writers.

“Higgins’s work does not function to keep anyone out, but invite them to sit on the back wall with her, looking in all directions from this edge.” from ‘Watch your Language’: Speculative Theory and the Poetry of Rita Ann Higgins by Moynagh Sullivan, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

Launch Introduction by

DES KENNY

Venue: The Town Hall Theatre, Courthouse Square, Galway

Date/Time: Saturday 25th September, 2pm

All are welcome.

We look forward to seeing you and your friends/family there!

For more info about this book,

and to purchase copies online, visit our website:

http://www.salmonpoetry.com

Published by:

Salmon Poetry, Knockeven,

Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland

Culture Night @ Galway City Library: an evening of Finnish Poetry & Music

http://www.galwayculturenight.com/

Friday, September 24^th 6pm-9pm @ Galway City Library

Europe can be comprehended outside its interaction with other cultures. Europe is a fragmented space that always strives toward some form of integration. There is a profound, non-negotiable need for communication with the world. Galway City Library will present an evening of Finnish poetry and music. At any stage of the evening, audience members may read aloud a Finnish poem or paragraph, which has been translated into English. The translated poems will be available in the library in advance. Please join us. The evening will be facilitated by the Philadelphian born poet and writer Susan Millar DuMars.

Culture Night reading by Galway Writers at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop

http://www.galwayculturenight.com/

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th, 6.30-9.30pm. One of Galway's much loved institutions, Charlie Byrne's Bookshop, will host an evening of readings by Galway Based authors who have published work over the past year. Featuring prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction this magical evening will take place in the relaxed atmosphere of Charlie Byrne's. MC for the evening will be Kevin Higgins. (To be broadcast live by Galway Bay FM's Arts Show.)

Mexican literary magazine seeks emerging Irish writers

Joaquín Guillén Márquez, one of the editors of Mexican literary magazine Cuadrivio (http://cuadrivio.net/) has been in touch with Over The Edge to let us know that the magazine is planning a special edition devoted to emerging Irish literature.

Cuadrivio has already published some of the best young writers of Mexico. The magazine is seeking poem and stories by emerging writers in Ireland who are under the age of 35 which they will translate into Spanish for the issue which will be launched on Bloomsday 2011.

Joaquín Guillén Márquez can be contacted at zoo@cuadrivio.net

Over The Edge September Writer's Gathering at Café 8 @ The Museum with Jean O'Brien, James Byrne, Niall McDevitt, Geoff Page PLUS the launch of 'Behind The Masks'

Jean O'Brien to read at September Writers' Gathering

The Over The Edge September Writers’ Gathering presents readings by poets from Ireland, the UK and Australia. Jean O’Brien, James Byrne, Niall McDevitt & Geoff Page will read their work at Café 8 @ The Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway on Friday, September 10th, 8pm. The evening will also see the launch of Behind The Masks, a collection of work by the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre, co-edited by Marie Cadden, Denise Garvey, Nicki Griffin & Tom Lavelle.

Jean O'Brien is a Dubliner now living in the Midlands. She has published three collections of poetry, The Shadow Keeper (Salmon, 1997), Dangerous Dresses (Bradshaw Books, 2005) & Lovely Legs (Salmon Poetry, 2009). She facilitates creative writing classes for venues as diverse as the Irish Writers’ Centre, Dublin City Council and Mountjoy and Limerick Prisons. She was Writer-in-Residence for Co. Laois in 2005 and received Fish International Poetry Award in 2008. Her poetry was described by Fiona Sampson in the Irish Times as “effortless writing, graceful and exact as any pirouette in its insight”.

James Byrne is the Editor and co-founder of The Wolf poetry magazine. His debut collection, Passages of Time, was published by Flipped Eye in 2003. Blood / Sugar his second collection was published recently by Arc. He is the co-editor of Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century, an anthology of British and Irish poets under 35, published by Bloodaxe in 2009, and the Collected Poems of Hope Mirrlees, forthcoming from Carcanet in 2011. In 2008 he won the Treci Trg poetry prize in Serbia. As a result his Selected Poems was published (in a bilingual edition) in Belgrade in 2009. Since 2006 James has taught the regular Wolf Workshops, which have helped many students with first book and pamphlet publications. He was born in 1977 and lives in London and New York.

Niall McDevitt is an Irish poet based in London. He has worked as an actor/ musician in Neil Oram’s 24-hour play The Warp, Ken Campbell’s Pidgin Macbeth, and John ‘Crow’ Constable’s The Southwark Mysteries. For radio, he was resident Pidgin poet/translator on John Peel’s Home Truths. As an activist, McDevitt has campaigned to secure the future of the Rimbaud/Verlaine House at 8 Royal College Street, and for the release of poet Saw Wai from Insein prison in Burma. His poetry collection ‘b/w’ was published this year by Waterloo Press. Fans of his poetry include such luminaries as Patti Smith and John Cooper Clarke.

Geoff Page is an Australian poet who has published eighteen collections of poetry as well as two novels, four verse novels and several other works including anthologies, translations and a biography of the jazz musician, Bernie McGann. He retired at the end of 2001 from being in charge of the English Department at Narrabundah College, a position he had held since 1974. He has won several awards, including the Queensland Premier’s Prize for Poetry and the 2001 Patrick White Literary Award. Selections from his work have been translated into Chinese, Hindi, German, Serbian, Slovenian and Greek. Geoff is delighted to be returning to Galway having previously read for Over The Edge in 2007.

Behind The Masks is a collection of poems by participants in the renowned Thursday afternoon Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre. The poems are accompanied by a foreword by Galway City Council’s Arts Officer, James Harrold, and a thought provoking introductory essay by co-editors, Marie Cadden, Denise Garvey, Nicki Griffin & Tom Lavelle.

There is no entrance fee. Café 8 @ 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.

Over The Edge supports the National Campaign for The Arts Day of Action

Over The Edge supports the National Campaign for The Arts

day of action on Friday, September 17th

The National Campaign for The Arts has set out the following goals and demands for the upcoming budget:

"There is now a broad consensus that the arts will play a dynamic part in Ireland’s economic and social recovery. To maintain their role as a significant driver of employment, cultural tourism, the creative industries, our collective wellbeing and international reputation, NCFA asks that the next budget will:

1
Maintain current levels of funding to the statutory agencies for the arts, including Irish Film Board, Culture Ireland and in particular The Arts Council, whose investment in the development of Irish artists generates the cultural assets that are central to our future.

2

Make significant new funding available to the arts and culture sector to build on its cultural tourism potential, through the creation of a dedicated cultural tourism fund.

3

Protect local authority arts funding and its essential role in the cultural diversity, social cohesion, economic impact, participation and identity of communities and regions."

Arts Groups all around the country will be seeking meetings with their public representatives, of all parties, on the National Day of Action, Friday September 17th.

On that day the Advanced Poetry Workshop facilitated at Galway Arts Centre by Over The Edge co-organiser Kevin Higgins will be reading their work at Clifden Arts Week. Venue: Clifden Library. Time 1pm. For more see http://clifdenartsweek.ie/index.php?option=com_redevent&view=details&id=118:galway-writers-advanced-workshop-under-tutor-and-poet-kevin-higgins&xref=141&Itemid=79 

Workshop participants recently published an anthology of poems, Behind The Masks, with a foreword by Galway City Council's Arts Officer James Harrold. The Advance Poetry Workshop @ Galway Arts Centre is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished in the country. Participants have won prizes for their work, published books and read their work at some of Ireland's leading literary festivals. 

The workshop includes participants who live in the Galway West, Clare and Mayo constituencies.

As our contribution to the national day of action Over The Edge invites all of the public representatives for the Galway West, Clare and Mayo constituencies to join us for the reading on Thursday, September 17th, 1pm @ Clifden Library so that they can express their support for the goals of The National Campaign for The Arts in relation to the forthcoming budget.

The public representatives for the Galway West constituency are

Frank Fahy T.D. (Fianna Fáil)
Noel Grealish T.D. (Independent)
Michael D. Higgins T.D. (Labour)
Padraic McCormack T.D. (Fine Gael)
Eamonn O'Cuiv T.D. (Fianna Fáil)
Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames (Fine Gael)
Senator Niall Ó'Brolcháin (Green Party)

The public representatives for the Clare constituency are

Pat Breen T.D. (Fine Gael)
Joe Carey T.D. (Fine Gael)
Timmy Dooley T.D. (Fianna Fáil)
Tony Killeen T.D. (Fianna Fáil)

The public representatives for the Mayo constituency are

Dara Calleary T.D. (Fianna Fáil)
Beverley Flynn T.D. (Fianna Fáil)
Enda Kenny T.D. (Fine Gael)
John O'Mahony T.D. (Fine Gael)
Michael Ring T.D. (Fine Gael)

Copies of the group's publication Behind The Masks will be available for sale for €5 to public representatives and anyone one else who attends the reading at Clifden Library on Friday, September 17th @ 1pm. The reading is part of Clifden Arts Week.

SHORT-LIST ANNOUNCED for 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

The short-list for the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition was announced earlier this evening at the August 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' in Galway City Library. This year's competition has attracted a record 341 entries: 152 poetry entries and 189 fiction entries. The short-list is as follows:

Elizabeth Brennan, Wexford, Ireland
Laura Brennan, Galway, Ireland
Marie Cadden, Galway, Ireland
June Caldwell, Dublin, Ireland
Angela T. Carr, Dublin, Ireland
Martin Casey, Mayo, Ireland
Sarah Clancy, Galway, Ireland
Jane Clarke, Wicklow, Ireland
Paul Conway, Galway, Ireland
Elaine Cosgrove, Galway, Ireland
Margaret T. Costello, Louth, Ireland
Evan Costigan, Kildare, Ireland
Kevin Doyle, Cork, Ireland
Noel Duffy, Dublin, Ireland
Danni Emery, London, UK
Nicola Griffin, Clare, Ireland
Rachael Hegarty, Dublin, Ireland
Alex Hijmans, Brazil
Jean Kavanagh, Clare, Ireland
Eileen Keane, Dublin, Ireland
Tom Lavelle, Galway, Ireland
Antoinette McCarthy, Kilkenny, Ireland
Danielle McLoughlin, Cork, Ireland
Niamh Mulvey, Kilkenny, Ireland
Aongus Murtagh, Berlin, Germany
Kathleen Murray, Dublin, Ireland
Michael O'Siochain, Cork, Ireland
Kevin O'Shea, Galway, Ireland
James O'Toole, Galway, Ireland
Evelyn Parsons, Galway, Ireland
Desmond Rice, Cape Town, South Africa
Jane Rooney, Dublin, Ireland
Seamus Scanlon, New York, USA
Maresa Sheehan, Carlow, Ireland
Michael Solis, Galway, Ireland/New Jersey, USA
Ekaterina Tikhoniouk, Laois, Ireland
Jean Tuomey, Mayo, Ireland
Steve Wade, Dublin, Ireland
Evelyn Walsh, Dublin, Ireland
Suzanne Walsh, Tiperary, Ireland

The winners in the fiction and poetry categories and the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be announced at the September 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 30th (6.30-8pm).

This year’s competition judge is James Martyn. James is from Galway where he is a member of The Talking Stick Writing Workshop. James writes both fiction and poetry. He has had work broadcast on both RTE and BBC and won the Listowel Writers Week Originals Short Story Competition. His work has appeared in The Cúirt Journal, West 47, Books Ireland, Crannóg, TheSunday Tribune, The Stinging Fly and The Shop. He was shortlisted for a Hennessy Award in 2006. He was shortlisted for the Francis McManus award in both 2007 and 2008 and for The William Trevor International Short Story Competition in 2007. His first collection of poetry, Shedding Skin, was recently published by Arlen House.

The 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition is sponsored by Charlie Byrne's Bookshop and Michael D. Higgins T.D

Autumn Creative Writing Classes at Galway Technical Institute

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7.30-9.30pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Monday, 20th September, 2010. 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 7.30-9.30pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, 21st September, 2010. 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 adultedinfo@cgvec.ie or see http://www.gti.ie/

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

Susan Millar DuMars will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. The course takes place one evening per week (Wednesday) for 7 weeks from 7–9 p.m. The course commences on Wednesday, September 29th. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €95.00. For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091-742145 or see http://www.gmit.ie

Susan was born in Philadelphia in 1966 to a Belfast-born mother. She holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco. Her poems and short stories have been published widely in the US, UK and Ireland. Susan's stories have been short-listed for many awards, and in 2005 she received an Irish Arts Council Bursary for her fiction. American Girls, a volume of her short stories, was published by Lapwing in 2007. Since 2003, Susan and her husband Kevin Higgins have organised the successful Over the Edge reading series, showcasing new writers. Susan teaches creative writing at Galway Technical Institute, Galway Arts Centre, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and on the Brothers of Charity Away With Words programme. Big Pink Umbrella (Salmon Poetry, 2008) is the first full collection of her poetry. One of her poems has been chosen by editor, Mathew Sweeney, for inclusion in Best of Irish Poetry 2010 (Southword Editions). Several of her poems feature in Landing Places: Immigrant Poets in Ireland, edited by Eva Bourke (Dedalus Press, March 2010). Her second collection of poems, Dreams for Breakfast, was published this April by Salmon Poetry.

http://www.gmit.ie/lifelong-learning/lifelong-learning-programmes/general-interest/artistic-creative/creative-writing-beginners.html

Daytime Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars at Galway Arts Centre

This Autumn 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 writes both poetry and fiction. A collection of her stories, American Girls, was published by Lapwing Press in 2007; 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 20th.

The cost to participants is 110 Euro with an 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

Autumn Poetry Workshops @ Galway Arts Centre with Kevin Higgins

This Autumn 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 in April by Salmon and his work also appears in the generation defining anthology 'Identity Parade –New British and Irish Poets' (Ed. Roddy Lumsden, Bloodaxe, 2010). 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, while several have published collections of their poems.

Each workshop will run for ten weeks, commencing the week of September 20th. They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm (first class September 21st); on Wednesday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class September 22nd) and on Thursday afternoons, 2-4pm (first class September  23rd).

Kevin with his wife and fellow writer and creative writing teacher Susan Millar DuMars

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 €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

Creative Writing Night Classes back at GMIT Castlebar

A new course of the highly popular night classes in Creative Writing will commence in GMIT Castlebar on Tuesday September 28th. The course runs for two hours a night for twelve weeks. The classes will suit beginners and improvers.

This is a practical and fun course with the emphasis on writing. Topics covered include what to write about, point of view, setting, style, voice, memoir, flash fiction, short stories, poetry, dialogue, drama, critique and markets. The structure of the classes is very supportive to the often very personal nature of writing. At the end of the course students should have an impressive body of work completed.

Many satisfied students have taken this course over the past number of years. Some have gone on to win prizes and had their work published.

The facilitator, John Corless, is a vastly experienced tutor. He has an MA in Creative Writing and is currently researching a PhD. He has performed his work all over the country including at the Electric Picnic, Force 12 and The Munster Literary Festival. He writes poetry, drama and fiction. He work has been published in several countries. He has won many prizes for his writing.

John’s debut collection, Are you ready? (Salmon Poetry) was published in 2009 and reprinted this year making it one of the biggest selling poetry titles for many years.

John’s poetry is a mix of political and satirical; one critic described it as Paul Durcan meets The Sawdoctors. Another said: "... he shines the tell tale torchlight of his killer wit into all the most embarrassing areas of contemporary Irish life. No-one is safe..." Another said: “…side-splitting humour and tongue-in-cheek commentary are synonymous with John’s poetry…"

Anyone interested in taking the Creative Writing night classes should book immediately to avoid disappointment as places are limited. Bookings are made directly with the college only, at their Lifelong Learning Dept., Westport Road, Castlebar. You can telephone GMIT on 094 90 25 700. The course fee is €150.

The college will host an open evening at the Castlebar campus on Wednesday 8th. September from 7-9pm to finalize bookings. This is an opportunity to meet the tutor who will answer any questions you may have and to enrol for the course.

If you want any further details on the course, or if you can't wait to for the enrolment night, you can telephone John on: 087 98 43 900.

UPDATE The Inisbofin Jaunt Poetry Weekend with Yvonne Cullen SPECIAL OFFERS VIA OVER THE EDGE

The Inisbofin Jaunt

Poetry Weekend

With Yvonne Cullen

Inishbofin Poetry Jaunt with Yvonne Cullen


Dates are now: Sat 25 - Mon 27th Sept!

I've tweaked the timetable to make the weekend more accessible than ever! Sessions now start at 8 p.m on the Saturday night on the island: Sept 25th! A final optional landscape-based class will now run on Monday morning Sept 27th . Some places are still available - booking closes Friday 17th Sept. Special offers via Over The Edge still apply! Contact yvonnesworkshops@gmail.com or phone 086 1701418 for more information, mentioning Over The Edge to avail of offers. Students organise own accommodation on Inishbofin with support from Yvonne.

WRITING TRAIN WORKSHOPS: possibly the most consistently successful writing workshops in Dublin. FIVE members shortlisted for 2010's Over The Edge awards and TWO shortlisted for the 2010 Hennessy Award.

"The best thing I have ever signed up for!" Student feedback on Yvonne Cullen's Writing Train.

See www.yvonnecullen.com, and facebook page Yvonne Cullen's Writing Train

Weekend accessible from Galway over Sat-Sun timeframe

Booking and info: mailto:yvonnesworkshops@gmail.com OR http://www.yvonnecullen.com/ Ph: 086 1701418 Book by 15 Sept!

Special Galway offers via

“Over The Edge” Literary Events!

4 places on weekend for Galway/Mayo residents at €140 tuition fee! Available to Galway residents who come across the event via this blog or at one of our readings. All you have to do is apply by email to Yvonne Cullen by 30 Aug with one poem and /or a brief thought about why they'd like to attend, mentioning that became aware of the Inisboffin Jaunt via Over The Edge.                                  

“I feel more positive about my writing now than I have for a long time!”
“Wonderful, natural teacher!”
“Soul- cleansing!”
“Life-changing!”
Participants on Inishbofin Poetry Jaunt Aug 2010

A Writing Train Event with Yvonne Cullen

N.B. Plans are also afoot for an Inis Mór Prose and Poetry Jaunt at Hallowe'en, geared around Inis Mór's renowned celebration of Hallowee'n night. Weekend events for the Inis Mór Jaunt will start on Sat p.m too, to allow those on the western seaboard to make the journey on Saturday. Details to follow in September.