Thursday, February 26, 2009

Two Salmon Books To Be Launched At Sheridan's Gala Literary Evening


Over The Edge and Salmon Poetry present the launch of Seaway: New and Selected Poems by Todd Swift & Poetry: Reading It, Writing It, Publishing It (Edited by Jessie Lendennie) plus readings by Patrick Chapman, Edward Boyne & Megan Buckley at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, March 13th, 8pm.

Todd Swift is one of the leading Canadian poets and poetry activists of his generation. The collection of essays about Anglo-Quebec poetry, Language Acts (which he co-edited with Jason Camlot), was a finalist for the 2007 Gabrielle Roy Prize. He has had four previous collections of poems published by DC Books in Montreal, Canada. He lives in London, England, with his Irish wife, where he works as a lecturer in creative writing, editor, and writer. SEAWAY: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS, with an introduction by Kevin Higgins, gathers together 80 poems and is the first full retrospective of a poetry career that spans over two decades.

POETRY: READING IT, WRITING IT, PUBLISHING IT is edited and compiled by Salmon Poetry managing editor Jessie Lendennie and offers frank and carefully considered information for poets, and others who are interested in knowing more about how the poetry world “works”. As well as exploring basic tenets for aspiring writers, the book contains personal essays by Irish, British, US, Canadian and Australian poets and publishers: Rita Ann Higgins, James Harrold, J.P Dancing Bear, Celia de Fréine, Michael Heffernan, Kevin Higgins, Seamus Cashman, Nessa O’Mahony, Maurice Harmon, Joan McBreen, Lex Runciman, Joseph Woods, Eamonn Wall, Susan Millar DuMars, Emily Wall, John Hildebidle, Caroline Lynch, Jean O’Brien, Chris Mansell, Gabriel Fitzmaurice, John FitzGerald, Noel King, Philip Fried, Todd Swift, Primrose Dzenga, Simmons B. Buntin, Janice Fitzpatrick-Simmons, David Gardiner, Anne Fitzgerald and Stephanie McKenzie.

Edward Boyne is a poet and fiction writer. He has had rare distinction of being short-listed for The Sunday Tribune Hennessy Awards For New Irish Writing in both poetry and fiction and for the Francis McManus short story competition. His work has been published in a wide variety of journals and anthologies. He was selected to read at the inaugural Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in April 2006. He lives in Galway and is a member of the Writers’ Keep group.

Patrick Chapman is a poet, fiction-writer and screenwriter. His poetry collections are Jazztown, (Raven Arts Press, 1991), The New Pornography (Salmon, 1996), Breaking Hearts and Traffic Lights (Salmon, 2007) and A Shopping Mall on Mars (BlazeVOX, 2008). His fifth collection will appear from Salmon in 2010. He has also written a collection of stories, The Wow Signal (Bluechrome, 2007); Burning the Bed (2003), a multi-award-winning film starring Gina McKee and Aidan Gillen; and an audio play, Doctor Who: Fear of the Daleks (Big Finish, 2007). He won first prize for a story in the 2003 Cinescape Genre Literary Awards in Los Angeles. He lives in Dublin.

Megan Buckley presented her work at the Over The Edge Showcase at the Cúirt International Festival of Literature in April 2008. Her poems have been published in the US, the UK, and Ireland, in publications such as The Ledge (US), The Pedestal (US), eclectica.org (US); the 'Dazzle and Attract' Project in Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK, in which one of her poems was projected onto the wall of a building (UK); Crannog (IRL), and others. She was shortlisted for the Over The Edge Writer of the Year Award in 2007 and 2008. Megan is a Doctoral Teaching Fellow in the English Department at NUI, Galway, where she is a PhD candidate and teaches seminars on nineteenth-century poetry by women.

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

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

http://www.salmonpoetry.com

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Louis de Paor for March North Beach Poetry Nights Slam

Monday, March 23rd, 9 pm, The Crane Bar, Sea Road, the North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam with guest Louis de Paor.

Born in Cork in 1961, Louis de Paor has been involved with the contemporary renaissance of poetry in Irish since 1980 when he was first published in the poetry journal Innti which he subsequently edited for a time. A four times winner of the Seán Ó Ríordáin/Oireachtas Award, the premier award for a new collection of poems in Irish, he lived in Australia from 1987 to 1996. He is the recipient of the Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award 2000, the first poet in Irish to achieve that distinction. A bilingual collection Ag greadadh bas sa reilig/Clapping in the cemetery was published by Cló Iar-Chonnachta in November 2005 and reprinted in March 2006. His latest collection is Cúpla Siamach an Ama (The Siamese Twins of Time) published by Coiscéim in December 2006. A second bilingual volume agus rud eile de/and another thing will be published in 2009.

Poets wishing to take part in the 2-Round Slam please bring along two three-minute poems, preferably memorized. The winner of each month's Slam goes forward to the 2009 North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam in December 2009. The prize for the Grand Slam winner is publication of a collection of her/his work.

("Inheritance" debut collection by 2007 winner Miceál Kearney available in
Charlie Byrne's bookshop and from http:///)

Next month's North Beach Poetry Night: April 20th.
Guest Poet: Eamon Carr (ex-Horslips, ex-Tara Telephone)


We look forward to seeing you at The Crane Bar on Monday March 23rd. Admission 5/ 3 Euro.


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

info: john walsh @ 091-593290

Theo Dorgan to launch 2009 Cúirt Festival programme

The programme for the 2009 Cúirt International Festival of Literature will be launched by poet, writer and broadcaster Theo Dorgan at Bar No. 8, The Docks, Galway on Wednesday 18 March at 6pm.

This year's programme will include the fourth annual Cúirt/Over The Edge showcase reading featuring five emerging writers selected from a shortlist of those who've been Featured Readers at the Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner for February Over The Edge: Open Reading

2008 Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner Geraldine Mitchell

The February ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, February 26th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Hajo Quade, Marie Cadden & Geraldine Mitchell.



Hajo Quade was born in Germany but has lived in Galway since 1989. He took up writing in 2007 when he did a number of creative writing classes with Susan Millar DuMars. He was runner-up in the 2008 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. Hajo works as a freelance translator and teaches survival techniques for those unfortunate enough to have to battle personal computers on a regular basis.

Marie Cadden was reared in Dublin and the North of England. She has lived in Spiddal, Co. Galway since 1977. She was a teacher of deaf children and children with autism, retiring last year. She is a participant in the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre. Her poems have been accepted for publication by Revival and THE SHOp. Marie was longlisted for Over the Edge New Writer of the Year 2008. She has read her poems at Westside Arts Festival & The White House. She was recently a featured poet on Flirt fm radio.

Geraldine Mitchell was born in Dublin and lives near Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. In between she has lived in France, Algeria, Spain and England where she taught English and worked as a freelance journalist. Her previous publications include two novels for young people and a biography. Her poems have been widely published in Irish journals and in the Oxfam Calendar 2009. She is the winner of the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award 2008. In their comments the judges, Moya Cannon and Theo Dorgan, said that Geraldine’s poems display: “a clear-eyed sensibility that considers, but does not judge human fragility”.

As usual there will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always most 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 & The Arts Council.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

BEAT THE RECESSION WITH NORTH BEACH POETRY NIGHTS

BEAT THE RECESSION ONCE-OFF ADMISSION FREE GIG!

North Beach Poetry Nights presents

on Monday February 16th at 9 pm

in The Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway

The North Beach Poetry Nights' February 2009 Slam with guest poet Donal O'Siadhachain(Kerry), 2008 All Ireland Slam Winner.

and Special Guest MC: The 2008 Cúirt Grand Slam winner, Elaine Feeney.

Poets wishing to take part in the 2-Round Slam please bring along two three-minute poems, preferrably memorized. The winner of each month's Slam goes forward to the 2009 North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam in December 2009.The prize for the Grand Slam winner is publication of a collection of her/his work.

("Inheritance" debut collection by 2007 winner Miceál Kearney available in Charlie Byrne's bookshop and from http://www.doirepress.com/)

Next month's North Beach Poetry Night: March 23rd.
Guest Poet: Louis de Paor

We look forward to seeing you at The Crane Bar on
Monday February 16th.

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

info: john walsh @ 091-593290