Poetry Now Festival

Poetry Now at dlr Book Festival 2014 is on from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 September in Dun Laoghaire.

Poetry highlights include The Poetry Shed celebration of Dylan Thomas, readings with Vona Groarke, Don Paterson, Sinead Morrissey and Michael Symmons Roberts, Menna Elfyn in conversation with Nessa O'Mahony, a poetry writing workshop with Don Paterson and haiku writing workshop with Anatoly Kudryavitsky, the Irish Times Poetry Now Award and the Strong/Shine Award poetry reading.

Full programme details are on the Mountains to Sea website.

The shortlist for The Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2014 is: Tara Bergin "This is Yarrow" (Carcanet), Nick Laird "Go Giants" (Faber & Faber), Sinéad Morrissey "Parallex" (Carcanet), Conor O'Callaghan "The Sun King" (Gallery Press) and Billy Ramsell "The Architect's Dream of Winter" (Dedalus Press). 

This award is presented annually to the author of the best collection of poems in English published by an Irish poet in the previous year. The award will be presented at the Festival on Saturday 13 September 2014. The judges for this year's award are Katie Donovan, Nessa O'Mahony and Chris Morash.

The shortlist for the Shine/Strong Poetry Award 2014 is: Tara Bergin "This is Yarrow" (Carcanet), Paula Cunningham "Heimlich's Manoeuvre" (Smith/Doorstop), Martin Dyar "Maiden Names" (Arlen House), Nicki Griffin "Unbelonging" (Salmon Poetry) and Jim Maguire "Music Field" (Poetry Salzburg). 

The award is presented annually to the author of the best first collection of poems published by an Irish poet in the previous year. The award will be presented at the Festival on Sunday 14 September 2014. The judge for this year's award is Mary Shine Thompson.

Hay Festival Kells

The newest chapter of the Hay Festival takes place in Kells in County Meath next week-end, 28–30 June 2013.

The impressive programme includes novelists John Boyne, DBC Pierre, John Banville, Tiffany Murray; poets Owen Sheers, Nerys Williams, Eurig Salisbury; memoirs from Jeanette Winterson; children's writers Jenny Valentine, Sarah Webb; playwright Frank McGuinness; actors Peter Sheridan, Lisa Dwan; a film animating The Secret of Kells; academics Germaine Greer on Shakespeare and Dr Bernard Meehan on the Book of Kells; politician Jesse Norman on Burke; and musician Alex Valentine.


The rather pretentious title for the festival is IMAGINE THE WORLD: SAMHLAIGH AN DOMHAN, whatever that is supposed to mean. Why imagine the world? It's all around, just look at it!

The full programme is available on the website.

On Sunday 30 June at 2pm poets Peter Fallon and Vona Groarke will read in the Church of Ireland, Kells. Poet, editor and publisher, founder of The Gallery Press, Peter Fallon reads poems from his published works alongside award-winning poet Vona Groarke, whose collections include Spindrift, Juniper Street and Flight. Admission: €4.00

Among the many interesting smaller events organised for the week-end is a Victorian Afternoon Tea hosted by the Kells Arts Club with literature, poetry and song. This takes place in the Edmund Rice Centre, Bective Street, Kells from 2pm to 6pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Feel free to drop in and listen and if you have a poem or a song you might even be tempted to recite, read or sing!