Creative Writing Classes & Poetry Workshops starting in January

In January Susan Millar DuMars & Kevin Higgins will be facilitating a wide range of creative writing classes & poetry workshops for all levels. Full details below.

Galway Technical Institute presents range of creative writing classes

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7.00-9.30pm. (8 weeks) It commences on Monday, 14th January, 2008. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €110. 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 7.00-9.30pm. (8 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, 15th January, 2007. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €110. 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 or see http://www.gti.ie/

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

The course takes place one evening per week (Wednesday) for 8 weeks from 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. It commences on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120.00. During the eight weeks Susan Millar DuMars will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091 753161 or see http://www.gmit.ie/
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Poetry workshops for beginners & advanced with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

In January 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, will be published in the new year by Salmon Poetry. Kevin is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success.

Each workshop will run for ten week, commencing the week of January 21st.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 €100, with an €90 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
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Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars at Galway Arts Centre

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 ten weeks, commencing on Monday January 21st, 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.

Places cost €100 and must be paid for in advance. There is a concession price. For booking please contact Vicky at reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street. Phone Vicky on 091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie

World Poetry Slam Champion at Town Hall Theatre, Galway TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 9pm

North Beach Poetry Nights finishes 2007 with a bang

THIS THURSDAY North Beach Poetry Nights at Richardson’s, Eyre Square

Featured poet: Billy Ramsell

Upstairs at Richardsons on the Square.
Thursday 20 Dec. at 9. 15 pm (Adm. 5 Euro)

with

Billy Ramsell (Cork)

Billy Ramsell was short-listed for a Hennessy award in 2005.
In May 2007 his first collection, Complicated Pleasures, waspublished by the Dedalus Press.
and

The last North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam for 2007.
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THIS FRIDAY Lunchtime with Billy Ramsell at Galway City Museum

Billy Ramsell will also be the guest reader at the Lunchtime Reading
in Galway City Museum

on Friday 21 December at 1 pm.
Admission 5 Euro

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support
of the Galway City Council Arts Office

info: john walsh @ 593290
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AND ON SATURDAY EVENING
Probably the VERY last poetry event IN IRELAND for 2007.


North Beach Poetry Nights

Upstairs at Richardsons on the Square.
Saturday 22 December at 9 pm
Admission 7 Euro

THE FIRST EVER NORTH BEACH POETRY NIGHTS' GRAND SLAM !!!!
TWELVE of the VERY BEST PERFORMANCE POETS in IRELAND
- winners of Slams, Grand Slams, Cúirt Grand Slams, All-Ireland Slams, BBC Slams -
go before a top panel of Judges:

Trish Casey
Lucy English
Neil McCarthy
Billy Ramsell

in a 2 Round Slam
to find a WINNER for the North Beach Poetry Nights' Publication Prize.

Don't miss it!

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.
Info: John Walsh 091- 593290

Final 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' of 2007 with Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan

Anne-Marie Fyfe

The final ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ of 2007 takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, December 13th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan.

Anne-Marie Fyfe was born in Cushendall, County Antrim. She lives in London and is Chairperson of the UK Poetry Society (2006-2009). She organises both the Coffee-House-Poetry reading series at London’s Troubadour and the John Hewitt Spring Festival in the Antrim Glens. Her third collection of poems The Ghost Twin was published by Peterloo in 2005. She won the Academi Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 2004.

Aidan Hynes has published short fiction in a wide variety of magazines, anthologies & newspapers, including Ireland In Exile, Summer In The Story, The Irish Times, Whispers & Shouts magazine, The Connaught Tribune, The Tuam Herald & Delo (Slovenia's national daily). Aidan was a recent runner up in Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. He has a Masters in Creative Writing from Trinity College, Dublin. A native of Co. Mayo, Aidan lives and works in Dublin.

Val Nolan was born in Limerick. His poems have most recently been published in the anthology Che Guevara in Verse, (London) and in Mobius (New York). His work has also appeared in Southword, Revival, ROPES, Criterion, and he contributed to the Document writer/artist collaboration at Cúirt 2007. He has read for Poetry Ireland’s prestigious Introductions series and is a regular book reviewer for The Sunday Business Post, The Stinging Fly and Poetry Ireland Review. He teaches Creative Writing at NUI, Galway.

As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always particularly welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

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

Over The Edge & North Beach Poetry Nights receive Arts Council funding for 2008

Over The Edge was pleased to be notified that our Arts Council grant for 2008 is up on what we received in 2007. We have an exciting programme lined up for 2008 which includes our fifth anniversary reading in January at which Pat Boran will be one of the Featured Readers. Other readers lined up so far for 2008 include Dennis O’Driscoll, Colette Bryce, Roddy Lumsden, Rita Ann Higgins & Michael S. Begnal.

We are also delighted that North Beach Poetry Nights, organised by John Walsh, with whom we always work very closely, will also for the first time receive Arts Council funding in 2008 under the Small Festival's Scheme.

The final 'Over The Edge: Open Reading' of 2007 takes place on Thursday, December 13th, 6.30-8pm, in Galway City Library. The Featured Readers are Anne-Marie Fyfe, Aidan Hynes & Val Nolan. As usual there will be an open-mic afterwards. All welcome.

The 2007 North Beach Nights Poetry Grand Slam takes place on Saturday December 22nd, 9pm in Richardson's, Eyre Square.

January Creative Writing Classes with Dave Lordan in Bray

Poet Dave Lordan will be facilitating three different creative writing classes after Christmas in Bray, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. The Classes kick off at the end of January and each will be of ten week duration, classes of two hours each. The classes are in association with the adult education departments of St Killian's Secondary School and the Bray Institute of Further Education. The classes will cost participants €100.

Find below a course outline. If you or anyone you know is interested contact Dave Lordan through myspace, or at dlordan@hotmail.com.

COURSE OUTLINE FOR TEN WEEK CREATIVE WRITING COURSE

* THE OVERALL AIM OF THE COURSE IS TO GIVE STUDENTS THE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR OWN WRITING VISON, ALONG WITH THE METHODS TO CARRY THAT VISION OUT.

* THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE ON LOOKING AT AND IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ OWN WORK

* STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN REALISTICALLY ACHIEVABLE GOALS AND SHORT, BUT USEFUL, CREATIVE WRITING EXCERCISES TO COMPLETE EACH WEEK.

* AT THE END STUDENTS WILL HAVE THEIR OWN SMALL AND WELL-WORKED CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO.

* THE COURSE CAN BE TWEAKED TO SUIT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND ABILITIES.

WEEKS 1-4 BASICS OF WRITINGINTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING- WHY WRITE. Using quotations and short texts from experienced and successful Creative Writers we allow each individual student to come to establish and express their own particular motivations for writing.

WHAT TO WRITE- A LOOK AT GENRE AND SUB-GENRE. The decision to begin writing creatively is the first step in a huge and sometimes bewildering journey. One of the first questions we will need to provide an answer for is what should we write? Films? Poetry? Horror? Aphorisms? Comic strips? Invent a completely new genre to suit ourselves? The answer depends on personal circumstances, as well as ON the individual talents, goals and insights of the students. This session will look at students bringing to bear their talents and insights on the particular genre/s of writing most suitable to them.

HOW TO WRITE-INSPIRATION AND ROUTINE.The focus is on finding the space, time and method, in the light of each students individual personality, goals and circumstances to write. Keeping notebooks. Regular writing sessions. Personal deadlines. Short, medium and long term goals.

READING AND WRITING-LEARNING FROM THE MASTERS.A look at the work and techniques of some of the great masters of past and present. The supreme importance of wide and constant reading to improving one's own writing. The focus here is on the infinite variety of writing masks and voices, with the aim of building up each student's belief in their own individual vision and powers of expression.

WEEKS 5-8 INTO ACTIONBUILDING A CREATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIOIn this central part of the course we will take turns to provide group feedback and constructive criticism on each other's work. The aim is to build up student's ability to be objective in analysing and bettering their material. Over the course of the four weeks the students will build up a small portfolio of work in at least two genres. The students will realise through this that consistent work and genuine criticism improves their writing. They will also have the basics of a portfolio needed to apply to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Creative Writing.

WEEKS 9-10 KEEPING GOINGSTICKING AT IT 1- EDITING AND PERSEVERANCE.How to be ruthless in applying the editor's pen to your own work. Drafting, redrafting and proofreading. How to bring work to a satisfactory completion. This session will also look at Writing as a life-long journey and at how to make a long term space for writing in your life.

STICKING AT IT 2- OUTLETS FOR YOUR WRITING.This session looks at how to find an appreciative and responsive audience for your writing. Publishing and self-publishing. Magazines and online journals. Creative writing groups. Publishers and agents. Teaching students finally that the most important audience for their writing is themselves.

Catherine Phil MacCarthy, Elaine Feeney & Sheila Phelan to read at Sheridan's Wine Bar on Friday, December 7th

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Catherine Phil MacCarthy, Elaine Feeney & Sheila Phelan at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, December 7th, 8pm.


Catherine Phil MacCarthy was born in County Limerick in 1954 but now lives in Dublin. She is a poet, novelist & creative writing teacher. Her most recent poetry collection, Suntrap, was published this year by Blackstaff Press. Her novel, One Room an Everywhere, was published by Blackstaff in 2003 and nominated for the Sunday Independent/Hughes and Hughes Novel of the year Award. She has received Arts Council bursaries for poetry in 1994, 1998, and 2007/8. She was Writer in Residence for the City of Dublin in 1994, and at the Dept. of Anglo Irish Literature, University College, Dublin in 2002. She was Editor of Poetry Ireland Review in 1998.

Elaine Feeney was born in Galway in 1979. She teaches English at St. Patrick’s College, Tuam. She has performed and read her poetry at various readings and festivals, including the Cuirt Festival Poetry Slam. Elaine’s poems have appeared in both The Shop and Nthposition.com. Her work most recently featured in Indiscipline, a joint collection with Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner Dave Lordan, published by Galway-based Maverick Press.

Sheila Phelan was born in Dublin in 1971 and now lives in Galway. She has worked with the Baboro Childrens Festival and with Galway Civic Trust. She was awarded an Arts Council Bursary in 2002 and was runner up inthe Patrick Kavanagh Competition in 2005. She is a graduate of the NUI, Galway MA in Writing. Sheila read at the inaugural Over The Edge/Cúirt Festival showcase reading in April 2006. Washington, D.C., Sheila’s first collection of poems was published by Lapwing in September.

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


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

Galway launch of SALMON: A Journey in Poetry 1981-2007, edited by Jessie Lendennie

The Galway launch of SALMON: A Journey in Poetry 1981-2007 facilitated by Galway City Council's Writer-in-Residence, Michael O'Loughlin, will take place in Galway City Museum on Wednesday, December 5th, 6.30pm. ALL WELCOME.

There will be readings by contributors Patricia Burke Brogan, Vicki Crowley, Frank Golden, Mickey Gorman, Kevin Higgins, Mary O'Malley & Olaf Tyaransen‏.

Salmon magazine, edited by Jessie Lendennie, published its first issue in 1981. Salmon Poetry's first two books were debut collections by Eva Bourke (1985) & Rita Ann Higgins (1986). Jessie Lendennie of Salmon Poetry in a very real sense pioneered the open and inclusive approach to poetry which Over The Edge now continues in Galway, where Salmon Poetry was born more than a quarter of a century ago.

Salmon: A Journey in Poetry 1981-2007 celebrates 26 years of innovative and exciting Irish and international poetry. The organization of the volume is simple: two poems from the poet’s Salmon collection (or collections) and one uncollected poem. Detailed biographical notes for each poet, and a complete bibliography of Salmon's publications, are also included. For more information or, even better, to buy a copy see http://www.salmonpoetry.com/anthology.html

The poets featured are: Nadya Aisenberg, Nuala Archer, Leland Bardwell, Marck L. Beggs, Michael S. Begnal, Marvin Bell, Eva Bourke, Ray Bradbury, Rory Brennan, Heather Brett, Patricia Burke Brogan, Simmons B. Buntin, Sam Burnside, Catherine Byron, Louise C. Callaghan, Seamus Cashman, David Cavanagh, Jerah Chadwick, Patrick Chapman, Mary Coll, Roz Cowman, Vicki Crowley, Theodore Deppe, Mary Dorcey, Carol Ann Duffy, Michael Egan, Mícheál Fanning, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Mélanie Francès, Philip Fried, Erling Friis-Baastad, Paul Genega, Frank Golden, Michael Gorman, Mark Granier, Robert Greacen, Angela Greene, Maurice Harmon, Clarinda Harriss, Anne Le Marquand Hartigan, Michael Heffernan, Kevin Higgins, Michael D. Higgins, Rita Ann Higgins, John Hildebidle, Ron Houchin, Ben Howard, Gerald Hull, Fred Johnston, John Kavanagh, Anne Kennedy, Thomas Krampf, Jessie Lendennie, James Liddy, Dave Lordan, Catherine Phil MacCarthy, Joan McBreen, Jeri McCormick, Stephanie McKenzie, Ethna McKiernan, Ted McNulty, Máighréad Medbh, John Menaghan, Áine Miller, Patricia Monaghan, Noel Monahan, Alan Jude Moore, Tom Morgan, Jude Nutter, Jean O’Brien, Clairr O’Connor, Hugh O’Donnell, Mary O’Donnell, Ciaran O’Driscoll, Mary O’Donoghue, Desmond O’Grady, Sheila O’Hagan, Tom O’Malley, Barbara Parkinson, Mary O’Malley, Gwyn Parry, Angela Patten, Paul Perry, Mark Roper, Tom Sexton, James Simmons, Janet Shepperson, Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons, Robin Skelton, Knute Skinner, Jo Slade, R.T. Smith, Olaf Tyaransen, Eithne Strong, Jean Valentine, Breda Sullivan, Richard Tillinghast, John Unrau, Peter van de Kamp, Michèle Vassal, Eamonn Wall, Emily Wall, Gordon Walmsley, Gary J. Whitehead, Sabine Wichert, and Ann Zell.

Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year', Kevin Lavelle to read at next Over The Edge: Open Reading

The next ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, November 22nd, 6.30-8.00pm.

The Featured Readers are Kevin Lavelle, Danny Denton & Margaret Irish.

Kevin Lavelle lives in Barna, Co. Galway and works as a freelance film and television editor. He is the 2007 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year. His winning story, Bury Me In The Garden, is published in the current issue of Galway Arts Centre’s online literary magazine West 47. It is Kevin’s first published work.

Danny Denton completed his MA in Writing at NUI Galway in 2006. He is a short-story writer, originally from Cork but now living in Galway. He has published fiction in The Stinging Fly, Southword, and The Sharp Review, and continues to work on his first collection of stories.

Margaret Irish is a native of Co. Kilkenny and writes short fiction and plays. She has had stories published in Ireland, England and Canada and won the PJ O'Connor Award for radio drama in 2003. Five of her stories and two of her plays have been broadcast on RTE/BBC. After many years of wandering she is back living in Kilkenny again.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

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

North Beach Poetry Nights in association with Poetry Ireland presents John McNamee

North Beach Poetry Nights at New VENUE!!!

Upstairs at Richardsons on Eyre Square

with John McNamee

Thursday 22 Nov. at 9. 15 pm

Admission 5 Euro

John McNamee, Director of the long established "Out to Lunch" poetry reading series in the Irish Writers' Centre in Dublin and veteran of many poetry events and publications takes time out to give one of his memorable performances. John's first volume of poetry Flight was published in 1977. Since then he has had up to 10 publications, as well as many appearances on television and radio. He has read in Toronto, California, Las Vegas, New Orleans, New Jersey, New York and at many venues here in Ireland.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round SlamPoets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each.The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of North Beach and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam in Richardsons on December 22nd.The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry.

This is the penultimate slam evening. heck out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news and winning poems.

www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Lunchtime with Kevin Higgins at Galway City Museum

The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum

Poetry in the Right Place

presents

Kevin Higgins

introduced by Mags Treanor

on Friday November 16th at 1 pm.
Admission 5 Euro


Kevin Higgins' first collection of poems The Boy With No Face was published by Salmon in February 2005. The Boy With No Face was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award. It has recently gone to its second printing. A second collection of his poems, Time Gentlemen, Please will be published by Salmon in 2008. Kevin has read his work at most of the major literary festivals in Ireland and at a wide variety of venues and festivals in Britain, France and the United States.

This is the penultimate reading in this now successfully established event in the relaxed atmosphere of the museum reading room, with its striking views over the heart of Galway. The final event will take place on Friday 21 December with Cork poet Billy Ramsell.

Info. John Walsh at 593290

North Beach Poetry Nights at NEW VENUE!! Celeste Augé to read

North Beach Poetry Nights at New VENUE!!! Upstairs at Richardsons' on Eyre Square
with Celeste Augé Thursday 8 Nov. at 9. 15 pm

Admission 5 Euro



Celeste Augé was born in Canada, but moved to Galway when she was twelve years old. Her poems have appeared in a wide variety of literary journals. She has read her work as part of Poetry Ireland's Introductions and also at the Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in 2006.In 2006 she was awarded the Publication Assistance Grant by Galway County Council. Tornadoes For The Weathergirl, a chapbook of her poems, was published last year.

Also the North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round SlamPoets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each.The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of North Beach and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd.The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry. Thursday Nov. 8th at 9.15 pm

Check out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news and winning poems. http://www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights
Info: John Walsh at 091-593290

Launch of 'Love's Enterprise Zone' by John Walsh

North Beach Publications
and
Doire Press invite you
to the launch
of Love’s Enterprise Zone
39 New Poems by John Walsh


In the Foyer, Galway City Museum
on Thursday, Nov. 8th at 6.30 pm.
The book will be launched by Gerry Hanberry
and there will be readings from it by
all five previous winners of the Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam:
Trish Casey, Kevin Higgins, Miceál Kearney,
Brendan Murphy and Stephen Murray.

The evening will be MCed by Susan DuMars

Love's Enterprise Zone has been awarded the Galway County Council Assistance Towards Publication Grant

Barbara Smith, Megan Buckley & Jean Folan for November 1st Over The Edge: Open Reading

The next ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thurs., November 1st, 6.30-8.00pm.

The Featured Readers are Barbara Smith, Megan Buckley and Jean Folan.

Barbara Smith lives in Drogheda. Her debut collection Kairos is published by Doghouse Books. She is pursuing an MA in Creative Writing in Queens University. Her work has been published widely in journals in Ireland and abroad. Barbara’s blog is http://intendednot2b.blogspot.com/

Megan Buckley is a Doctoral Teaching Fellow in the English Department at NUIG, where she also received her M.A. in Writing. Her poetry has been published in the US, the UK, and Ireland, and she is the author of two books on wine and cocktails. Before moving to Ireland in 2004, she worked as a literary agent in her native New York.

Jean Folan is a Galwegian now living in west Sligo. She has returned to writing after many years. Her first poems were published in Criterion in the early 1970’s. She featured in Sunday Miscellany in 2005 and has recently published in Crannog, West 47online and in the Cuirt Annual. She has participated in poetry workshops in the Galway Arts Centre.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.


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

Micéal Kearney & Neil McCarthy Take First & Second Place in 2007 B.A.F.F.L.E Festival Competition

Micéal Kearney has won this weekend's 2007 B.A.F.F.L.E Festival performance poetry competition with his poem Multi-cultural ethnic diversity and all that other stuff. http://www.baffle.ie/








Micéal also won this year's Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam. As part of his Cúirt prize he recently read his poetry at Slovenia's premier literary festival; and he will soon be off to read in Chicago's Green Mill, the birth-place of Slam poetry. Micéal was a Featured Reader at the September 2006 Over The Edge: Open Reading. He began writing seriously after taking a creative writing class with Susan Millar DuMars at G.M.I.T in the Autumn of 2005.


Neil McCarthy took second place.












Neil's work has been widely published. He was a Featured Reader at the October 2004 Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library. Neil also read at this year's Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge Showcase reading. http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/west47-27/over.html

Alan McMonagle awarded Arts Council Literature Bursary

Congratulations to Galway-based writer Alan McMonagle who has just been awarded a Literature Bursary by the Arts Council.

Alan is originally from Longford but now lives in Galway City. He writes both fiction and poetry. He recently completed an MA in Writing at NUI Galway. He was a Featured Reader at the March 2007 Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library.

http://www.artscouncil.ie/en/news/news.aspx?article=ee4f31b0-aa57-4904-b09b-c893337510f5

Lunchtime with Melanie Frances at Galway City Museum

The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
presents

Melanie Frances (Montreal)

To celebrate the Launch of "Anatomy of a Love Affair" (My Life in the Movies) Melanie Francis' latest collection, published by Salmon Poetry on Friday Oct. 26th in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Contribution: 5 Euro

Mélanie Francès was born in Paris on October 18th, 1972, with Canadian and French origins and grew up in France. As a young girl, she lived for four years in New Delhi, India, where she learned English and started a lifelong love story with the language. As a college student, she discovered her gift for writing and developed an interest in the arts and American literature. She later moved to Montreal, Canada to pursue her graduate studies at Concordia University and obtained an M.A. Degree in English and Creative Writing. In 2001, she published her first chapbook of poetry, The World is in your Head, with Ginninderra Press in Australia. She lives in Montreal where she works in communications and public relations and is currently working on her first novel about the immigrant experience and the birth of the movies at the beginning of the century in the USA.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
The poems of Anatomy of a Love Affair (My Life in the Movies) explore the constant interaction between everyday life and art and the imaginary space it provides all of us. In the first section which gives its title to the collection, a poetic sequence retells a real-life love affair from beginning to end, from the encounter to the break-up, through memories of love as it is remembered by the author and through the lens of pivotal and memorable movie scenes that seem to mirror her own experiences. With ritualistic cadence and use of the long line, the poems in this collection weave a web of stories that illustrate the ongoing interplay of personal experience and art, photographs, music and films that haunt us and make us who we are.

Rita Ann Higgins at North Beach Poetry Nights

Rita Ann Higgins reads at BK's.

A rare opportunity to hear Galway poet Rita Ann Higgins read as guest poet at North Beach Poetry Nights in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade.


Ever since the publication of Goddess on the Mervue Bus and Witch in the Bushes in the early 1980's, Rita Ann has become one of the foremost poetic voices in Ireland. She has read in most countries and at most of the famous universities in the world. Gerry Ryan and Pat Kenny have also had the pleasure of her "on-air" company.

Rita Ann's poetry is straight-talking and hard-hitting.
Her poetry readings are always memorable.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each. The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd.

The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's
poetry.

Thursday 25 October 9 pm
BK's Winebar
Spanish Parade, Galway

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Louis Jenkins, Tamar Yoseloff & Geraldine Mills at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Louis Jenkins

Over The Edge presents a reading by Louis Jenkins, Tamar Yoseloff & Geraldine Mills at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway
on Friday, October 19th, 8pm.
Tamar Yoseloff










Louis Jenkins was born and raised in Oklahoma and now lives in Minnesota. In addition to extensive experience as a poetry workshop leader, he has been a truck driver, farm-hand, ranch-hand, fisherman, librarian, construction worker, museum guard, gardener and shoe salesman. One of America's leading writers of prose poems, he’s a favourite on Garrison Keillor's popular radio show A Prairie Home Companion. His seventh book, North of the Cities, was published this year.

Tamar Yoseloff was born in the US in 1965 but now lives in London. Her first collection, Sweetheart (Slow Dancer Press, 1998) was a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation and the winner of the Aldeburgh Festival Prize. She received a New Writers’ Award from London Arts for her second collection, Barnard’s Star (Enitharmon Press, 2004). In 2005 she was Writer in Residence at Magdalene College, Cambridge, as part of their Year in Literature Festival. Her third collection, Fetch, was published recently by Salt Publishing.

Geraldine Mills, a native of Galway, began her writing career in Dublin where she lived for twenty years before returning with her family to settle in Rosscahill Co. Galway in 1995. Bradshaw Books published her two collections of poetry, Unearthing your Own(2001) and Toil the Dark Harvest (2004) She was the Millennium Hennessy/Sunday Tribune New Irish Writer Of The Year. Her first short story collection, The Lick of the Lizard, was published by Arlen House in 2005 and her second, The Weight of Feathers, is published very soon also by Arlen House.

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

Writers Group of the Year Award

As part of the second National Writers Group Festival, the Longford Arts Office invites entries for the Writers Group of the Year Award. For this, groups are asked to submit a portfolio containing one poem, one short story, one short short, and a group profile.

Judging the portfolios will be Jean O'Brien, author of two chapbooks and two poetry collections; Leo Cullen, winner of the 'PEN' Ireland & UK short story competition; Martina Devlin, award-winning journalist and author of five novels; and Kevin Higgins, co-organiser of the Over The Edge literary events in Galway and author of two poetry collections.

Prizes: First Prize: €500, Second Prize: €300, Third Prize: €150.
Entries must arrive on or before Friday 14th December 2007.

For a full list of competition rules and guidelines, visit http://virtualwriter.net

For further information, contact Anne Collins at acollins@longfordcoco.ie

Four poetry collections launched at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop by Over The Edge

Photos by Jessie Lendennie

Dave Lordan reads from The Boy In The Ring

Billy Ramsell reads from Complicated Pleasures

Alan Jude Moore

Alan Jude Moore reading from Mike Begnal's Ancestor Worship

Professor Brian Arkins introducing Knute Skinner

Knute Skinner reading from Fifty Years: Poem 1957-2007

Billy Ramsell

Dave Lordan relaxes

Susan Millar DuMars

Charlie Byrne and bookshop manager, Vinny Browne

Kevin Higgins with the Salmon anthology

Over The Edge facilitated the Galway launch of Ancestor Worship by Michael S. Begnal (Salmon Poetry); Fifty Years: Poems 1957-2007 Poems by Knute Skinner (Salmon Poetry);The Boy in the Ring by Dave Lordan (Salmon Poetry) & Complicated Pleasures by Billy Ramsell (Dedalus Press) http://www.dedaluspress.com/poets/ramsell.html

at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop Middle Street, Galway

on Friday 12th October.

Dave Lordan, Billy Ramsell & Knute Skinner read from their collections.

Mike Begnal was sadly unable to attend due to plane delays which left him stranded in the US.

Mike's good friend and fellow Salmon poet, Alan Jude Moore, stepped in to read a selection of poems from Ancestor Worship.

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

Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year': Winning Entry Published in West 47 Online

Kevin Lavelle from Barna in County Galway is the 2007 Over The Edge New Writer Of The Year.


'Bury Me In The Garden', the story which won Kevin Lavelle the competition is published in the latest issue of Galway Arts Centre's online literary quarterly West 47 online. It can be read at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/review.html

Over The Edge would like to thank Galway Arts Centre and especially Maura Kennedy for their support in publishing Kevin's winning story.

Australian Poet Earl Livings at City Museum Lunchtime Reading & North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights and The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum present Earl Livings (Australia) on Thursday Oct. 11th in BK's Winebar, Spanish Arch at 9 pm and Friday Oct. 12th in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Earl Livings was born and educated in Melbourne. He is a poet, creative writing teacher and editor of Divan, Australia's first online poetry journal. His poetry, fiction and non-fiction have been published widely in Australia. He is also a frequent reader on radio. He currently teaches Creative Writing at Box Hill Institute, Northcote,Victoria. His latest collection is Further Than Nights.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each. The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar. Two finalists this

month automatically go forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd. The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry.

Thursday 11 October 9 pm Friday 12 Oct. 1 pm
BK's Winebar Galway City Museum
Spanish Parade, Galway

Check out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news.
You might be there! www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Greek Poet For September Over The Edge: Open Reading

The September ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 27th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Greek poet and playwright Dimitris Lyacos and Galway-based poets Rita O’Donoghue & Geraldine Keane.

Rita O’Donoghue is originally from County Mayo and lived for many years in the UK, where she won an Eastern Arts Award for Poetry in 1993. She has now settled in Galway where she works at NUIG. Rita has previously read her work at Galway Arts Centre’s Nuns Island Studio, the Westside Library Summer Open-mic and the Over The Edge open-mic. She has taken part in the Advanced Poetry workshops at Galway Arts Centre.

Geraldine Keane is a Galway native and received her M.A. in Writing from NUI Galway in 2005. She has published several non-fiction pieces in the U.S. and Ireland, including travelogues in New York’s The Irish Letter. She performed in last year’s BAFFLE festival and was published earlier this year in ROPES. She is currently working on her first book.

Dimitris Lyacos was born in Athens in 1966. He is both a poet and a playwright. His trilogy Poena Damni has been translated into English, Spanish, Italian and German and has been performed extensively across Europe and the USA. A sound and sculpture installation based on his poetry collection Nyctivoe opened in London and toured Europe in 2004-2005. Lyacos’ work has been the subject of lectures and research at various universities, including Amsterdam, Trieste and Oxford.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

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

POSTCRIPT: There is a short review of the September Over The Edge: Open Reading on the website of one audience member, Maura McHugh. You can read it at http://splinister.com/blog/?postid=410

BACK WITH A SLAM!

GALWAY ARTS CENTRE’S POETRY SLAM! RETURNS

TUESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2007
7-8pm, The Ruby Room, The King’s Head

Take to the stage with your own 3-minute poem on any subject.

Need inspiration? See if you can write an ode (or haiku, sonnet, sestina…) to cryptosporidium. The best Crypto-poem will be published online on GalwayArts Centre’s website.

The overall winner goes forward to Cúirt FestivalGrand Slam (April 2008). If the muse doesn’t strike, come along and listen to the eight performers strut their poetic stuff - you may even be picked as one of our audience judges!

Resident MC Pete Mullineaux will keep order, admission is free andall are welcome.

For further information, please contact Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway 091-565886 or info@galwayartscentre.ie

Lucy English at North Beach Poetry Nights and The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum

North Beach Poetry Nights
and
The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
present
LUCY ENGLISH
on Thursday Sep. 20th in BK's Winebar, Spanish Arch at 9 pm
and on Friday Sep. 21 in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Contribution to each event: 5 Euro

Lucy English is a novelist and performance poet.

She has three novels published by Fourth Estate. As a poet she has toured Holland, Denmark, India, Sri Lanka and the U.S . She appeared with Big Word at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1999-2002 where she was titled, 'the hippy chick love mother sex goddess'. She was a member of the acclaimed 'Temptation' poetry tour in 2005 and artistic director for the 'Exposed' tour in 2006.She was a guest poet at the Calgary Litfest in 2006 and a finalist in the BBC radio Four poetry slam in Sept 2007. She is a senior lecturer in creative studies at Bath Spa University and runs the only UK module in performance poetry.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each.

The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd. The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry. Thursday 20 September 9 pm Friday 21 Sep. 1 pm BK's Winebar Galway City Museum Spanish Parade, Galway

Check out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news.
You might be there! www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Large crowd at Sheridan's Wine Bar for Galway launch of 'Revival' magazine and reading by Sara Byrne, Ed Boyne & Matthew Sweeney

To view a full slideshow of the Revival magazine launch click on http://whitehousepoets.blogspot.com/2007/09/launch-of-revival-4-at-over-edge-galway.html

Matthew Sweeney to read at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Over The Edge presents a reading by Matthew Sweeney, Sara Byrne & Edward Boyne, plus the Galway launch of the latest issue of the Limerick-based poetry magazine Revival at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, September 14th, 8pm.


Sara Byrne was born in 1980 in Dublin, where she survived for 18 years before escaping, relatively unharmed to Galway. In 2003 she started to publish some of her poetry. In 2004 she co-founded the North Beach Nights Poetry Slam, which she hosted until relocating to London to pursue a glittering career in sandwich making. In this she has been very successful. In London she continues to read her work to whoever will listen. She is currently completing a BA in Creative Writing.

Edward Boyne is a poet and fiction writer. He has been short-listed for the Hennessy award in both poetry and fiction and for the Francis McManus short story competition. His work has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies. He read at the inaugural Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in April 2006. He lives in Galway.

Matthew Sweeney was born in Donegal, Ireland in 1952. He moved to London in 1973 and studied at the Polytechnic of North London and the University of Freiburg. His poetry collections include A Dream of Maps (1981), Blue Shoes (1989), Cacti (1992), and A Smell of Fish (2000). Selected Poems, representing the best of 10 books and 20 years' work, was published in 2002. He won a Cholmondeley Award in 1987 and an Arts Council Writers' Award in 1999. He has also published poetry for children. Matthew Sweeney has held residencies at the University of East Anglia and the South Bank Centre in London, and was Poet in Residence at the National Library for the Blind as part of the ‘Poetry Places’ scheme run by the Poetry Society in London. His latest poetry collections are Sanctuary (2004) and Black Moon (2007).

This reading will be preceded by the Galway-launch of the latest issue of the Limerick-based poetry magazine ‘Revival’.

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.

Brendan Murphy in final of BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam

Brendan Murphy is second from right. Also pictured are Denise Heneghan, Steve Murray and Micéal Kearney.

2006 Cúirt Grand Slam Winner, Brendan Murphy, recently took part in the Semi-final of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam in Manchester. Brendan is representing Ireland, having won the Irish heat which took place in Belfast back in May. With some ease Brendan qualified for the Final which will take place in Bristol on Saturday, September 8th, when there will be five other finalists.

Brendan's winning semi-final performance was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, September 6th at 11pm. To listen to it click on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/poetry_slam.shtml

Sheila Phelan launches poetry collection

'Washington, D.C.', a first collection of poems by Shela Phelan, published by Lapwing, will be launched on Wednesday 26th September at 6.30pm in the Galway City Library.

The speaker will be Michael O'Loughlin, Galway City Council's Writer in Residence.

All are welcome.



Sheila Phelan was born in Dublin in 1971 and now lives in Galway. She has worked with the Baboro Childrens Festival and with Galway Civic Trust. She was awarded an Arts Council Bursary in 2002 and was runner up inthe Patrick Kavanagh Competition in 2005. She is a graduate of the NUI, Galway MA in Writing. Sheila read at the inaugural Over The Edge/Cúirt Festival showcase reading in April 2006.

Lapwing is an independent publisher based in Belfast. In Irish folklore the lapwing is a bird that symbolises hope. Excerpts from 'Washington, D.C.' can be viewed on Google Booksearch

Galway City Museum Lunchtime Reading

Colette Nic Aodha's most recent poetry collections,
'Sundial' and 'Between Curses / Bainne Géar'
are published by Arlen House.



Her work is included in the Field Day Anthology
of Irish Writing and The White Page /
An Bhileog Bhán, among other anthologies.
She is a member of the Board of Directors
of Poetry Ireland and of the Irish Language
Festival, IMRAM. She works in the National
University of Ireland, Galway.

The Galway City Museum Poetry Reading
takes place on the special date
Sept. 07 / 07 at 1 pm.

A contribution of 5 Euro is welcomed.

For more information contact John Walsh
on 091 593290 or johnwa@iolfree.ie

Winner of Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year' competition

Kevin Lavelle Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year' 2007

Over The Edge New Writer of the Year competition sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop



The winner of the inaugural Over the Edge New Writer of the Year competition is Kevin Lavelle, from Barna, County Galway, for his story Bury Me In The Garden. The winning story will appear in the Oct.-Dec. issue of the Galway Arts Centre's journal, West 47 online. Kevin will be a featured reader at the November 22nd, all-fiction Over the Edge: Open Reading.

Second place was taken by poet Cate Huguelet, while joint third place went to fiction writers Aidan Hynes and Claire Anderson-Wheeler.

A short-list of eight was chosen from the long-list of sixteen.

The short-listed writers were

Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Paris, France
Megan Buckley, Galway City
Paul Duffy, Dublin
Cate Huguelet, Cork City
Aidan Hynes, Dublin
Kevin Lavelle, Galway County
Alan McMonagle, Galway City
Grace Wells, County Tipperary


The writers who made the long-list were

Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Paris, France
Megan Buckley, Galway City
Evan Costigan, Co. Kildare
Philip Crymble, County Dublin
Paul Duffy, Dublin
Vincent Flannery, County Galway
Aideen Henry, Galway City
Cate Huguelet, Cork City
Aidan Hynes, Dublin
Maureen Kelly, County Galway
Miceál Kearney, County Galway
Kevin Lavelle, County Galway
Alan McMonagle, Galway City
J.K. Morrissey, Dun Laoghaire
Neil Ward, Dublin
Grace Wells, County Tipperary

The winner was announced at the first Over The Edge: Open Reading after the Summer break in Galway City Library this Thursday, August 30th, 6.30pm.

The competition judge was Alan Jude Moore, a Featured Reader at the reading on Thursday. His reading was sponsored by Poetry Ireland. The other Featured Readers were Margaret Faherty and Tom Lavelle.

The competition was a great success, yielding 116 submissions. We're very grateful to the contestants, our judge and Charlie Byrne's bookshop for their sponsorship.

Micéal Kearney to read at Vilenica Festival, Slovenia

Miceál Kearney, winner of this year's Cúírt Poetry Grand Slam is off this week to read at Slovenia’s 22nd Vilenica International Literary Festival on September 8th, 11am at the Štanjel Literary.








Micéal also won the inaugural Cuisle Festival Poetry Slam in Limerick last October. Poems of his have recently been accepted for publication in The Shop and The Cork Literary Review. He will also feature in a forthcoming anthology from Cinnamon Press.

Australian Poet at Galway City Museum

Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
August 31st at 1pm.
Miceál Kearney (Winner Cúirt Grand Slam '07)
and Mark O'Flynn (Australia).

Miceál Kearney, poet and performer,takes to the road in September for Brighton,Chicago and Slovenia.He is taking this opportunity to give us a preview of the set he will be performing at the Green Mill in Chicago and at the Literary Festival in Slovenia.

Mark O'Flynn, is a poet, novelist and playwright from Australia.He has had 7 plays produced back home in Australia and his third collection of poetry is due out this year. At present he is at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre working on his third novel and is coming to Galway especially for his reading in the Galway City Museum.

Contribution: 5 Euro
Info: John Walsh @ 593290

Poetry workshops with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

Galway Arts Centre is offering a choice of three poetry workshops, facilitated by Kevin Higgins, whose first collection of poems, ‘The Boy With No Face’, published by Salmon Poetry, was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award. ‘The Boy With No Face’ was Salmon Poetry’s bestselling book of 2005 and has recently been reprinted.


Kevin Higgins is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success. He is also co-organiser of the popular Over The Edge literary events.

Each workshop will run for ten weeks.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. These workshops commence the week of September 17th. 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. It commences on Thursday, September 27th.

The cost to participants is €100, with an €90 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

The popular ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ series returns to Galway City Library after the Summer break on Thursday, August 30th 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Tom Lavelle, Margaret Faherty & Alan Jude Moore. The reading is sponsored by Poetry Ireland.


Tom Lavelle lives in Galway and works as the finance director of a manufacturing company. He began writing poetry quite recently, having attended workshops in the Galway Arts Centre. His work has appeared in West 47 online and The Cuirt Annual. He lives in Galway.

Margaret Faherty has published short stories in literary journals and magazines; she was an award winner for both short fiction and poetry at the Moore Literary Festival. Her work has featured on BBC Radio 4 and on RTE’s Sunday Miscellany and Living Word. She has also been published in the DIVAS! anthology. She lives in Galway.

Alan Jude Moore’s poetry has been widely published in Ireland, Europe and the USA. His fiction has twice been short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Award. His first collection of poetry, Black State Cars, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2004. A selection of poems from Black State Cars was published last year in translation by the Moscow literary journal, Novaya Junost. He currently lives in Dublin.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome.

The evening will also see the announcement of the winner of the Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition.

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

Creative Writing for Beginners at GMIT

The course is facilitated by Susan Millar DuMars. She will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. The first part of each class is devoted to instruction. In the second part, students read their homework assignments aloud and receive feedback from the instructor and the class. An atmosphere of trust and mutual encouragement is built during these workshop sessions.

The eight sessions will cover

*Techniques for forming ideas and getting started

*Creating characters

*The importance of sound in poetry

*Engaging the reader's five senses

*Stream of consciousness writing

*Using figures of speech

*Learning through imitating published writers

*How to edit and present your writing

The course runs one evening per week (Wednesday) for 8 weeks from 7.30 p.m.- 9.30 p.m and commences on Wednesday, September 26th.

The course fee is €120. To register contact Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Galway. Tel: 091 753 161 or see http://www.gmit.ie/lifelong-learning/lifelong-learning-programmes/lifelonglearning-general/creative-writing-beginners.html

Creative Writing for Beginners at Galway Arts Centre

Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars

This September 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 ten weeks, commencing on Monday September 17th, 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.

Places cost €110 and must be paid for in advance. There is a concession price. For booking please contact Vicky at reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street. Phone Vicky on 091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie

Dates for Galway Arts Centre Poetry Slams

The dates for the autumn/winter Galway Arts Centre Poetry Slams in The Ruby Room at The Kings Head, High Street, Galway are

Tues 25 Sept

Tues 30 Oct

Tues 27 Nov

Tues 11 Dec

All 7-8pm

Each month's winner qualifies for the 2008 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam.

For further details contact Maura Kennedy at 091-565886 or call in to Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway.

The winner of this year's Cúírt Poetry Grand Slam was Micéal Kearney, the joint runners-up Gary King and Katie Lawless. Previous winners are Brendan Murphy, Steve Murray, Trish Casey & Kevin Higgins.

Upcoming Lunchtime Readings at Galway City Museum

Upcoming North Beach Poetry Nights - SLAMS