June Over The Edge Writers' Gathering presents Louis de Paor, Eamonn Wall, Anne Tannam, Brian Kirk, Alan McMonagle, Carlos Reyes in SKYLIGHT 47 SPECIAL

June Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering

at Galway City Library

presents readings by

Louis de Paor, Eamonn Wall,

Anne Tannam, Brian Kirk,

Alan McMonagle,  Carlos Reyes

in a special

SHOWCASE READING

for contributors to

Skylight 47

probably Ireland’s most interesting poetry publication 
THURSDAY, JUNE 25th, 6.30-8PM 

The June Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering presents a special showcase reading by contributors to Skylight 47, probably Ireland’s most interesting poetry publication. Those reading their poetry on the evening will be Carlos Reyes, Alan McMonagle, Brian Kirk, Anne Tannam, Eamonn Wall, & Louis de Paor, The event will take place at Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, June 25th, 6.30-8pm. All are welcome. There is no cover charge. 

Louis de Paor

Louis de Paor is one of Ireland's leading Irish-language poets, and was a key figure in the Irish language poetry renaissance of the 1980s and 90s. He has worked closely on English translations of his poetry, with his co-translators fully engaging with the original poem in Irish. Louis is director of the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway. His most recent publication The Brindled Cat and the Nightingale’s Tongue – an Irish-English bilingual edition of his poems in the original Irish and in translation – was co-published by Bloodaxe and Cló Iar-Chonnachta. Louis is interviewed, by Deirdre Kearney, in the current issue of Skylight 47.

Eamonn Wall

A native of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Eamonn Wall lives in Missouri, where he is Smurfit-Stone Corporation Professor of Irish Studies/Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is the author of Writing the Irish West: Ecologies and Traditions which was published by University of Notre Dame Press in 2011. His most recent publication Junction City: New & Selected Poems was published earlier this year by Salmon Poetry. Kevin Higgins’s Galway Advertiser review of that book can be read here http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/77676/poet-leaves-enniscorthy-to-drive-around-america . Eamonn was a contributor to issue no. 3 of Skylight 47.

Anne Tannam’s has poems published, or forthcoming, in Poetry Ireland Review, The Moth, The Poetry Bus, Prairie Schooner, Literature Today, and several anthologies. Take This Life, her first book of poems, was published by 6^th House in 2011. She has performed her work at the Electric Picnic, Cúirt, and other festivals and is co-founder of the Dublin Writers’ Forum. Anne is a contributor to the current issue of Skylight 47.

Brian Kirk is an award winning poet and short-story writer from Clondalkin, Dublin. He was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series in 2013, and highly commended in the 2014 Patrick Kavanagh Award. His poems have appeared in many journals and anthologies. He is a members of the Hibernian Poetry Workshop. Brian is a contributor to the current issue of Skylight 47.

Alan McMonagle lives in Galway. His poems have appeared in The Shop, The Moth, The Stony Thursday Book, and Crannóg. He has published two collections of short stories Liar Liar (Wordsonthestreet, 2009) & Psychotic Episodes (Arlen House, 2013). Last year, his radio play, Oscar Night, was produced and broadcast as part of RTE’s Drama on One series. Alan has contributed poems to previous issues of Skylight 47; his review of Alan Jude Moore’s poetry collection Zinger is in the current issue.

Carlos Reyes is a noted Portland poet and translator, world traveller and story teller.  His latest books of poetry are Pomegranate, Sister of the Heart  and The Book of Shadows: New and Selected Poems.  He is currently travelling in Ireland to promote his first book of prose, The Keys To The Cottage, Stories from the West of Ireland, which tells the story of his life in Co. Clare over the last 40 years. Carlos has had fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission, Yaddo (New York), Fundacion Valparaiso (Spain), Heinrich Boll Association (Ireland), Island Institute (Sitka, Alaska), as well as been poet-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park, Acadia National Park, and Devil's Tower National Monument. He was a contributor to issue no. 3 of Skylight 47. 

There is no entrance fee. 

For further information contact 087-6431748.

 Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing financial support 

of the Arts Council, Poetry Ireland, and Galway City Council.

May Over The Edge: Open Reading with Luke Kennard, Ruth Quinlan, Mari Maxwell plus the LAUNCH of issue 5 of Skylight 47

Mari Maxwell & Ruth Quinlan to read with acclaimed British poet Luke Kennard at May Over The Edge: Open Reading and LAUNCH of issue 5 of Skylight 47 poetry newspaper.  

The May ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, May 28^th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Luke Kennard, Ruth Quinlan & Mari Maxwell. Ruth Quinlan is the 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year and this reading is part of her prize for winning the competition. Over The Edge is currently taking entries for 2015 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year; this year the competition is judged by poet, fiction writer, and literary activist Dave Lordan, who edits The Bogman’s Cannon, by far the liveliest online literary publication in Ireland. For full details of the 2015 competition see here.

The evening will also see the launch by British poet Luke Kennard of the latest issue (no. 5) of Skylight 47 poetry newspaper, probably Ireland’s most interesting poetry publication; this issue includes poems, reviews, an interview with a leading Irish poet, and a poetry workshop with a leading British poet.  

Mari Maxwell lives in County Galway and writes fiction and poetry. She has work forthcoming in The Brasilia Review, The Ogham Stone, Macabre Maine, and Veils, Halos and Shackles International Poetry Journal on the Abuse and Oppression of Women. Her writing was highly commended in The Francis Ledwidge 2014 Poetry Award, shortlisted in the 2014 Walking on Thin Ice Short Story Contest and longlisted in the 2013 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year. She has been published in Indian Kukai, A New Ulster, Flash Flood Journal, Crannóg, and Boyne Berries. One of her stories has been shortlisted in the Cork County Library and Arts Service Short Story Competition 'From The Well.'

Ruth Quinlan is from Tralee, Co. Kerry and holds an MA in Writing from NUI Galway. She is the 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year and this reading is part of her prize. Ruth also won the Hennessy First Fiction Award in 2013 and was shortlisted for the 2014 and 2012 Cúirt New Writing fiction prize.  Her work has been published by the Irish Independent, Crannóg, ROPES,  Skylight47, Emerge Literary Journal, Thresholds, SIN, and Scissors and Spackle. She has also contributed to three anthologies, Watching my Hands at Work: A Festschrift for Adrian Frazier (fiction), Abandoned Darlings (fiction) and Wayword Tuesdays (poetry). Recently, Ruth joined the editing team for Skylight47.

Luke Kennard

Luke Kennard is the author of numerous works of poetry and short fiction. His first collection of poems, The Solex Brothers, was published in 2005, and won him one of that year's Eric Gregory Awards. His second collection, The Harbour Beyond the Movie, made him the youngest writer to be nominated for the Forward Prize for Best Collection. He has since published two further full collections, and two pamphlets, one of which, The Necropolis Boat, was the Poetry Book Society's Pamphlet Choice in 2012. In addition to poetry, he writes criticism, short fiction, and is currently working on his first novel. He teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham. Luke Kennard's poetry has been described as “witty, extravagant and provocatively genre-bending”, and features in the anthology Identity Parade: New British & Irish Poets (Ed Roddy Lumsden, Bloodaxe 2010).

After the Featured Readers have finished some contributors to Skylight 47 will read their poems from the new issue. COPIES OF THE NEW ISSUE OF SKYLIGHT 47 WILL BE ON SALE BEFORE, AFTER AND DURING THE READING. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. All welcome. There is no cover charge. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council, Poetry Ireland, & The Arts Council.

May Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering at The Kitchen @ The Museum

The May Over The Edge Writers’ Gathering presents readings by Irish poets and fiction writers Paul Perry, Anne Irwin, Rachael Hegarty, James O’Toole, and visiting Australian poet Ross Donlon. Rachael Hegarty was the winner of the fiction section in the 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition, judged by Eleanor Hooker, and will read her winning story. Over The Edge is currently taking entries for 2015 Over The Edge New Writer of the Year; this year the competition is judged by poet, fiction writer, and literary activist Dave Lordan, who edits The Bogman’s Cannon, by far the liveliest online literary publication in Ireland. For full details of the 2015 competition see here. 

The event will take place at The Kitchen @ The Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway on Friday, May 15^th, 8pm. All are welcome. There is no cover charge.

Rachael Hegarty is a fiction writer and poet from Finglas, Dublin. She is the seventh child of a seventh child and a Ph.D. candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre, QUB. Widely published in anthologies, journals and newspapers, she performs at festivals, rock concerts and for radio broadcasts. This summer she plans to teach her kids bareback riding on Travellers’ ponies while her husband ain’t looking. Rachael won the fiction prize in the 2014 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition and will read her winning story, ‘Betty’.

Paul Perry is the author of five collections of poetry, including Gunpowder Valentine: New and Selected Poems (The Dedalus Press). Among his honours are The Hennessy New Irish Writer of The Year Award, The Listowel Prize for Poetry and The Katherine and Patrick Kavanagh Fellowship which he was awarded this year. As Karen Perry, he has co-written the International Bestseller The Boy That Never Was. A second Karen Perry Novel appears in June entitled ONLY WE KNOW. He lives in Dublin.

Paul Perry

Anne Irwin lives in Galway. Her poetry has been published in many magazines including Skylight 47, ROPEs, Emerge, Irish Left Review, RNLI’s anthology The Sea and  shortlisted in the 2013 Over the Edge New Writer of The Year competition, & Galway University  Hospital Arts Trust’s 2015 Poems for Patience competition, and long listed for W.O.W 2013. competitions. She is a member of The Tuesday Knights whose anthology of poetry “Wayword Tuesday” was shortlisted for the Writers’ Circle Anthology Award 2013.

James O’Toole is a native Galwegian. His poetry has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, Skylight 47, and also in literary magazines in the United States. James is currently a participant in the advanced poetry workshop at Galway Arts Centre and his work features in the group’s anthologies. He was highly commended in 2010 ‘Over the Edge’ New Writer of the Year competition and has been long listed four times. James O’Toole’s first collection of poems, The Street, which will be published in the autumn and launched at Charlie Byrne’s bookshop.  

Australian poet Ross Donlon thinks there might be family in the audience tonight, since Donlons seem to hail from Galway. Ross is a winner of a couple of international poetry prizes and spoken word events and has had a sequence of poems produced for national radio in Australia. He is widely published at home but has also had poems published in The Poetry Ireland Review, Crannóg, The (sadly missed) SHOp  and Skylight 47. He has read at festivals across Australia and in Ireland and England. A frequent visitor  to Europe, his most recent book of poems, Sjovegen (The Sea Road) was launched in Norway this year and, as well as this reading in Galway, Ross will be reading from it in Romania and England before going home in August.

For further information contact 087-6431748.

All Welcome. No Cover charge.

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing financial support of the Arts Council,

Poetry Ireland, and Galway City Council. 

SPRING POETRY WORKSHOPS AT GALWAY ARTS CENTRE

Starting 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’s second collection of poems, Time Gentlemen, Please, was published in 2008 by Salmon Poetry and his poetry is discussed in The Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry. His third collection Frightening New Furniture was published in 2010 by Salmon. His work also appears in the generation defining anthology Identity Parade –New British and Irish Poets (Ed. Roddy Lumsden, Bloodaxe, 2010) and The Hundred Years’ War: modern war poems (Ed Neil Astley, Bloodaxe April 2014).  A collection of Kevin’s essays and book reviews, Mentioning The War, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2012. Kevin’s poetry has been translated into Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Japanese & Portuguese. His fourth collection of poetry, The Ghost in the Lobby, was published last year by Salmon. Last year, Kevin's poetry was the subject of a paper 'The Case of Kevin Higgins, or, The Present State of Irish Poetic Satire' presented by David Wheatley at a Symposium on Satire at the University of Aberdeen. 

Each week Kevin will give participants a poetry writing exercise for the following week and will offer each participant constructive suggestions as to how her or his poem can become the best possible poem it can be.

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, two have won the Cúirt New Writing Prize, and yet another the Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam, while several have published collections of their poems; two being shortlisted for the Shine-Strong Award for Best First Collection of poems. In 2013 a group of his students set up the poetry newspaper Skylight 47, which publishes new poems, reviews of poetry books and opinion pieces about poetry related matters. Kevin teaches poetry on the NUI Galway Summer School programme and mentors poetry students on the NUIG BA Creative Writing Connect programme. Kevin is also co-organiser of the successful Over The Edge reading series which specialises in promoting new writers.

Each workshop will run for eight weeks, commencing the week of May 12^th. They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm (first class May 12^th); on Thursday afternoons, 2-4pm (first class May 14^th) and on Friday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class May 15th).

The Tuesday evening and Friday 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 €90, with an €80 concession rate.

Places must be paid for in advance. To reserve a place contact reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, phone 091 565886 or email info@galwayartscentre.ie