Writers' September Gathering at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Liz Gallagher

Over The Edge presents readings by poet Liz Gallagher and fiction writer Paul Lenehan at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, September 11th, 8pm. The evening will also see short readings by visiting American Salmon poets Ron Houchin and Art Stringer and the launch of Lady Gregory’s Townhouse, a collection of work by the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre, co-edited by Susan Lindsay, Mary Madec & Maureen Ryan.

Liz Gallagher is from Donegal but has been living in the Canary Islands for the past 14 years. Liz was the featured poet in this winter’s (08/09) issue of The Stinging Fly. Her work featured in the 50 Best New Poets 2007 Anthology from Meridian Press at Virginia University. She is also one of six winners for the Oxfam Ireland Poetry Calendar 2009. This year she was selected poets for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Readings. Her first full collection, titled The Wrong Miracle, is just published by Salt Publishing. http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844715671.htm

Paul Lenehan is a fiction writer from Dublin where he works with Poetry Ireland and is editor of Poetry Ireland News Letter. Paul was shortlisted twice for a Hennessy/Sunday Tribune Short Story Prize. His most recent work is included in The Clifden Anthology and The Cork Literary Review, and he has a story forthcoming in a Leaf Books anthology in the UK. He received an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan in Wales.

Art Stringer lives in Huntingdon, West Virginia. His poetry collection Human Costume is just published by Salmon Poetry. http://www.salmonpoetry.com/humancostume.html

Ron Houchin taught in the public school system of the Appalachian region of southernmost Ohio for thirty years. His most recent collection of poetry, the third he has published with Salmon poetry, is just published. http://www.salmonpoetry.com/museumcrows.html

Lady Gregory’s Townhouse 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 thought provoking introduction by co-editors, Susan Lindsay, Mary Madec & Maureen Ryan.

There is no entrance fee. 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.

Poetry at Lake Hotel Oughterard for Culture Night

As part of Oughterard’s Culture Night event the poets of the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre will take to the stage in the Lake Hotel Oughterard at 8pm on the 25th September.

The will read from their recently published Lady Gregory’s Townhouse which includes poems by Mary Madec, Tom Lavelle, Denise Heneghan, Deirdre Kearney, Liam Duffy, Maureen Ryan, Des Kavanagh, Lorna Shaughnessy, Brian O’Connell, Rita O’Donoghue, Mary Hanlon, Jean Kavanagh, Susan Lindsay, Connie Masterson and Marie Cadden.

The event is organised bt Oughterard Community Arts Group in association with Over The Edge.

For further details contact Anne Quinn, Village Bookshop, Moycullen, Co Galway. Phone 091 868612

http://www.galwayculturenight.com/

Poetry at Artspace Studios for Culture Night

Susan Millar DuMars

Gerard Hanberry

Kevin Higgins

Celeste Augé

As part of Culture Night, which is Friday 25th Sept, Artspace Studios are hosting a poetry reading which will take place in conjunction with their exhibition of visual art.

The reading will commence at 8pm. All welcome.

The participating poets are Gerard Hanberry, Susan Millar DuMars, Celeste Augé & Kevin Higgins.

The reading will take place at

Artspace Studios

7/8 Addley Park

Liosban

Tuam Road

Galway

For further details, including transport, contact Artspace Studios on 091 773046 or email: artspacegalway@eircom.net

http://www.artspacegalway.com/

SHORT-LIST ANNOUNCED for 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year

A short-list for the 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition was announced this evening at the August ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ in Galway City Library.

This year’s competition attracted 324 entries.

The short-list is as follows:

Graham Allen, Cork
Lisa Allen, Galway
Elizabeth Brennan, Dublin
Brendan Carey Kinane, Dublin
Mike Casey, Dublin
Paul Conway, Galway
Evan Costigan, Kildare
Madeleine Darcy, Cork
Ursula Deane, Dublin
Vincent Flannery, Galway
Andrew Fox, Dublin
Cristina Galvin, Galway
Richard Gibney, Dublin
Orla Higgins, Galway
Paul Jeffcutt, Down
Brian Kirk, Dublin
Tom Lavelle, Galway
Seán Leonard, Galway
Gemma Marren, Mayo
Patricia McAdoo, Galway
David Mohan, Dublin
Marcella Morgan, Galway
David O'Dwyer, Dublin
Lani O'Hanlon, Waterford
Shane Ó Maoildhia, Galway
Kevin O'Shea, Galway
Brendan Murphy, Galway
Elizabeth Reapy, Mayo
Maureen Ryan, Galway – two entries on the long-list
Suzanne Walsh, Tipperary

The competition judge this year is Patrick Chapman.

The winners will be announced at the next Over The Edge: Open Reading which takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 24th, 6.30-8pm.

The total prize money is €1,000. The best fiction entry will win €300. The best poetry entry will win €300. One of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and will receive an additional €400, giving the author total prize money of €700 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2009. The 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be a Featured Reader at a reading to be scheduled in Galway City Library in Winter 09/10.

The 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition is sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Kelly Office Supplies, Mary Higgins & a generous individual donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Creative Writing Beginners & Intermediate at Galway Technical Institute this September

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7-9pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Monday, 28th September, 2009. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €115. 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 7-9pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, 29th September, 2009. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €115. 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/

Poetry Workshops with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

This September 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 recently published Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry. His third collection Frightening New Furniture will be published next year by Salmon when his work will also appear 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 others have gone on to publish collections of their poems.

Each workshop will run for ten weeks, commencing the week of September 14th. They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm (first class September 15th); Wednesday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class September 16th); and on Thursday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class September 17th).

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

Poetry on the prom: Salthill Community Arts Festival & Over the Edge

"Poetry on the Prom"

Calling all budding and aspiring poets. On Sunday the 20th of September at 7pm, The Bal bar in Salthill will present a Poetry Open Mic Session in conjunction with the Salthill Community Arts Festival.

The Event will be hosted by the “Over the Edge” literary group & will see poets stand up and give a reading of their poems. It's an event that is open to all and we are looking for poets both new and experienced to share their work with others. To kick off the night, members of the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre will give readings from their new publication entitled Lady Gregory's Town House.

It promises to be a fun and enjoyable night so those interested should get in touch with pamelatwynne@gmail.com or call Kevin on 087 6431748.

Clifden Arts Week presents reading by Galway Arts Centre Advance Poetry Workshop

CLIFDEN ARTS WEEK

Members of the Advanced Class
at the Galway Arts Centre read

Poetry

from their showcase collection,

Lady Gregory's Townhouse

'best description of a poetry workshop I’ve ever read ' James Harrold

Galway Arts Centre’s Advanced Workshop is facilitated by Kevin Higgins.

The readers will include Mary Madec, Tom Lavelle, Denise Heneghan, Deirdre Kearney, Maureen Ryan, Des Kavanagh, Lorna Shaughnessy, Brian O’Connell, Rita O’Donoghue, Mary Hanlon, Jean Kavanagh, Susan Lindsay, Connie Masterson and Marie Cadden.

• Venue: Clifden Library
• Date: 18 September 2009
• Time: 1:00pm -
• Price: €5

http://www.clifdenartsweek.ie/index.php?option=com_redevent&view=details&xref=6&id=7%3Agalway-arts-centres-advanced-workshop&Itemid=86

Galway Arts Centre presents Daytime Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars

This September Galway Arts Centre presents two daytime classes for all those beginner and continuing creative writing students out there, both 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 2007; her first collection of poetry,Big Pink Umbrella, was published last year by Salmon Poetry. Her second collection of poems, Dreams For Breakfast, will be published by Salmon Poetry next year.

The classes are 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. Both classes run for ten weeks. The classes takes place on Monday afternoons, 2-3.30pm, commencing on Monday September 14th and Tuesday afternoons, 3-4.30pm , commencing on Tuesday September 15th.

The cost to participants is 110 Euro with a 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

Connacht Regional Final for All Ireland Poetry Grand Slam

North Beach Poetry Nights announces the Connacht Regional Heat for the All Ireland Grand Slam in The Crane Bar, Sea Road on Monday 28th September at 9pm.

The Connacht Regional Heat is open to Poets who
- are living in the Connacht region- are over 18 years of age
- will perform two 3-minute, self-composed and memorized poems
- have registered for entry (no fee) at johnwa@iolfree.ie on or before 18th September.

There are 16 places in the regional heat, which will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. So register quickly!

Regional heats are also being held in Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Limerick during September.

Two winners from each province will go through to the All Ireland Grand Slam which is being hosted by North Beach Poetry Nights in the Crane Bar on Monday, October 26th.

Prizes for the Grand Slam winners are:

1st Prize-200 Euro

2nd prize-100 Euro

3rd Prize-50 Euro

Admission 5/ 3 Euro.

info: john walsh @ 091-593290

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

Monday September 7th: Martina Evans for North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights returns on Monday September 7th at 9 pm in The Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway with The North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam and Guest Poet, Martina Evans from Cork via London.

Here's the line-up for the autumn.

September 7th-Martina Evans (Cork-London)

September 28th-Connacht Heat of the All-Ireland Slam

October 5th-Iggy McGovern (Dublin)

October 26th- All-Ireland Poetry Grand Slam

November 9th-Linda Cleary (Cornwall)

December 14th-North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam with guest poet and judge: RAVEN (Dublin)

Admission: 5 / 3 Euro

Info: John Walsh @ 091-593290

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

GMIT 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 8 weeks from 7.30–9.30 p.m. It commences on Wednesday, September 23rd. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120.00. For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091-742145 or see http://www.gmit.ie/lifelong-learning/lifelong-learning-programmes/general-interest/artistic-creative/creative-writing-beginners.html

2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year long-list announced

A long-list for the 2009Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition was announced this evening.





This year’s competition attracted 324 entries.

The long-list is as follows:

Graham Allen, Cork
Lisa Allen, Galway
Sharon Black, France
Elizabeth Brennan, Dublin
Brendan Carey Kinane, Dublin
Gary Casey, Galway
Mike Casey, Dublin - two entries on the long-list
Jane Clarke, Wicklow
Paul Conway, Galway - two entries on the long-list
Evan Costigan, Kildare
Madeleine Darcy, Cork - two entries on the long-list
Ursula Deane, Dublin
Danny Denton, Cork
Vincent Flannery, Galway
Andrew Fox, Dublin
Cristina Galvin, Galway
Richard Gibney, Dublin
Valery Gring, Galway
Noel Harrington, Clare
Orla Higgins, Galway
Paul Jeffcutt, Down
Sandra Jensen, Cork
Eileen Keane, Kildare
Brian Kirk, Dublin - two entries on the long-list
Britt Kwait, Galway
Tom Lavelle, Galway
Seán Leonard, Galway - two entries on the long-list
Mike MacDomhnaill, Limerick
Marie MacSweeney, Louth
Gemma Marren, Mayo - two entries on the long-list
Connie Masterson, Galway
Patricia McAdoo, Galway
Maggie Mitchell, Dublin
David Mohan, Dublin
Marcella Morgan, Galway
Áine Ní Choisdealbha, Dublin
David O'Dwyer, Dublin
Lani O'Hanlon, Waterford
Shane Ó Maoildhia, Galway
Kevin O'Shea, Galway
Brendan Murphy, Galway - two entries on the long-list
Deirdre Nevin, Galway
Shane Raymond, Dublin
Elizabeth Reapy, Mayo
Nollaig Rowan, Dublin
Maureen Ryan, Galway - four entries on the long-list
Seamus Scanlon, New York
Evelyn Walsh, Dublin
Suzanne Walsh, Tipperary
Grace Wells, Tipperary

The competition judge this year is Patrick Chapman.

The total prize money is €1,000. The best fiction entry will win €300. The best poetry entry will win €300. One of these will then be chosen as the overall winner and will receive an additional €400, giving the author total prize money of €700 and the title Over The Edge New Writer of The Year 2009. The 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year will be a Featured Reader at a reading to be scheduled in Galway City Library in Winter 09/10.

The 2009 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition is sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Kelly Office Supplies, Mary Higgins & a generous individual donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Máighread Medbh for August Over The Edge: Open Reading

The August Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, August 27th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Michele Coghlan, Kevin O’Shea & Máighréad Medbh.

Michele Coghlan is originally from Kerry, but lived in Germany for over twenty years before settling in Galway in 2003. She works as a translator with an international software company. She has participated in various Creative Writing workshops at Galway Arts Centre and GTI under the guidance of Geraldine Mills, Kevin Higgins and Susan Millar Du Mars. She says she has grown quite passionate about writing and takes pleasure in triggering a bit of laughter in the audience. She particularly likes slam poetry and took 3rd place at the 2008 North Beach Nights Poetry Grand Slam.

Kevin O’Shea lives in Moycullen within earshot of the old Galway-Clifden Railway line. He recently retreated from the world of technology to consult the imagination and the garden. He is a survivor, reasonably intact, of multiple Creative Writing Classes with Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins. Earlier this year he was selected to participate in the Cúirt poetry masterclass with Jane Hirshfield and greatly enjoyed the experience.

Máighréad Medbh was born in County Limerick. She has published four poetry collections: The Making of a Pagan(Blackstaff Press, 1990); Tenant (Salmon Publishing, 1999); Split (in Divas! , Arlen House, June 2003); and When the Air Inhales You (Arlen House 2008). Máighréad has become widely known as a poet who applies much creative energy to the presentation of her work in performance. She has also written three novels and is currently working on a four-volume fictional work for young adults. A story for children, set to music, was commissioned by Ireland’s Lyric FM radio station and broadcast in 2007 and 2008. She was awarded an Arts Council Bursary in 2008.

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

Poem by Sarah Clancy

Hippy get a job by Sarah Clancy

You might not realise your predictability
but when you caught my eye on Shop Street at the demo,
I could see the thoughtless words forming in your brain
so before you shout them at me pass- remarkably
let me just stop you there for once, and in the gap between
now and when those words make it out of your mouth
into the air between us, let me tell you something;
because I have wrestled with a pitchfork the same size as I was
and shovelled unknown tons of horse manure from sheds
before your mother brought you breakfast toast and tea
on school mornings before your leaving cert.

And when you daydreamed out the window of maths class
from an overheated room into the driving rain
I was lifting bales of sodden hay through the mud and bitter wind
to the bottom field where the old cow died in spring
and because I had small hands I woke a hundred early mornings
to turn unborn lambs around inside their mothers.
while you were filling CAO forms and when you were accepted,
bringing weekend washing home on student discount busses
I was pitting my eight stone against half a ton of pulling racehorse
and couldn’t feel my fingers or open my eyes with the rushing wind

You then, qualified and interviewing in your shirt and tie and nerves,
while I was taking sweating tourists on foot through humid rainforests
carrying longhouse chief’s heavy gifts of pineapples nine hours back to base
in a country you don’t have the breath of mind to even imagine,
and nearer home when you guffawed into your pint glass and refused to leave
Taylor’s bar on Sunday early closings, I washed your glass, swept the floor
and woke before the county to spend frozen hours putting
rubber bands on live lobster’s claws in a concrete tank in Bearna

and then I bet you were promoted for your clever corporate antics,
while I did three years mortgage- paying on the night shift
with bleary day time TV addicts and stoners manufacturing,
things that you might one day have inserted after too many business lunches
And later still when I decided I needed education, and you sat,
with popcorn consuming the latest Hollywood blockbuster
you couldn’t see me upstairs splicing your next bit of entertainment.
you have no idea how long a day is invigilating young accountants
in tedium and silence in dusty exam halls with the smell of fast food fat
still clinging to my clothes from my night time cash in hand gig.

You won't realise that I have the streets of Galway imprinted on my brain
From delivering pesto and goats cheese pizza to your Knocknacarra sofa,
or that I’m an expert on late night radio, and all night petrol stations;
secondary benefits of an unfree education, and now and here,
when I‘ve finally got myself some work I think has merit, and,
I chose to use this day off, working to defend the rights of others
don’t be surprised at all at how quickly I abandon my principles of non-violence
and use this placard on you as a weapon if you say what you are thinking.

Sarah Clancy is 36 and from Salthill in Galway. She has travelled and worked in many countries and likes writing poetry as a way of revisiting the situations she encountered abroad and at home. Despite the chequered career path described in the poem below she now works for Amnesty International and so spends more time composing letters to errant government officials than writing poems.