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.