Happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody.

Some poems for the day and time here at Poetry Foundation.
My favourite has to be this one by Richard Hoffman.

December 31st
BY RICHARD HOFFMAN

All my undone actions wander
naked across the calendar,

a band of skinny hunter-gatherers,
blown snow scattered here and there,

stumbling toward a future
folded in the New Year I secure

with a pushpin: January’s picture
a painting from the 17th century,

a still life: Skull and mirror,
spilled coin purse and a flower.

Happy Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Our First Christmas Tree 

The countryside his common
wealth: holly, ash plants
his to harvest as required,
kindling in spring,
mushrooms in summer,
blackberries in autumn.

That winter we insisted,
so he took his saw
into starless dark
far beyond the stables,
guided by barbed wire,
returned with a trophy tree.

We crowned it with a silver-paper-covered
cardboard star, hung homemade ornaments
and tissue paper novelties,
pretended to be happier.

I bought one this Christmas
daylight, sized and packaged,
legal, lacking the challenge
of something on the margin,
the tang of trespass,
infant irritant
on the noisome
vain empire of excess.

from Asking for Directions (2012)

West Cork Literary Festival

The programme of workshops for the 2015 West Cork Literary Festival has been announced. If you book a place on one of these workshops before January 5th, you can avail of a special early bird price.  

The Festival has a new Director for 2015. Eimear O'Herlihy was formerly General Manager and Executive Director of the Everyman Theatre in Cork as well as Manager of the Cork Film Festival. The full programme will be announced in the New Year.

Workshops at the 2015 West Cork Literary Festival: Monday 13 - Friday 17 July 2015. Bantry.

Writing a Novel with John Boyne.
The Short Story with Tessa Hadley.
Poetry with Leanne O'Sullivan.
Memoir with Carlo Gébler
Investigative Reporting with Nick Davies
Playwriting with Deirdre Kinahan
Words Allowed with Dave Lordan
Wild Women Writing with Magi Gibson
Travel Writing with Anthony Sattin

For more details or to book online, go to Workshops.

Online booking is the only booking method available until January 5th 2015.

It will be possible to book by ringing the Festival office from January 5th onwards on +353 (0) 27 52788
Please note - the Early Bird price of €160 is for bookings made online before January 5th. The price is €175 for all bookings made from January 5th onwards.

Poetry Ireland Introductions

Poetry Ireland Introductions Series is a showcase for emerging poets working towards a first collection and with a track record of publication in journals and magazines.

This series offers emerging poets writing in Irish or English a public reading in the Irish Writers’ Centre in May or early June.

Introductions readers are chosen by an independent established poet who will lead a workshop focusing on form and craft.

A second facilitator will lead a workshop/master class focusing on the art of reading/performing poetry in public.

Submit now! For the 2015 Introductions Series. Deadline: 31 January 2015. Full details here.

To apply: Send a short covering letter accompanied by no more than 10 pages of poems. Poems may be previously published or unpublished. Poets submitting must ideally have work published in journals and magazines.

Applications should be sent to: Ayoma Bowe, Introductions Series, Poetry Ireland, 32 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Selected applicants are usually informed within two months and, depending on the number of submissions, approximately 12 poets are selected each year.

Bealtaine Writers Launch Second Anthology of Poetry

In the Irish Writers Centre on Wednesday, 10 December, at 6.30pm the Bealtaine Writers will launch their Second Anthology of Poetry.

The Bealtaine group have been meeting at the Irish Writers Centre every month for the past fifteen and a half years.

Macdara Woods says in the Foreword of the Anthology: "They are an autonomous, serious, supportive group of writers, who believe in poetry, there are many truly marvelous realities at large in these pages and for the reader the joy of finding them."

All are welcome to come along and celebrate the launch with them on Wednesday 10 December at 6.30.

Congratulations to the group and especially to member, Tom Dredge, who is also a member of Boyne Writers Group.

Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize

Just four weeks left to enter the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize and win €10,000, or one of the three runner-up prizes of €1,000! You can write on any subject and there's no line limit.

The Prize is open to everyone, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. The entry fee is €12 per poem, and you can enter as many poems as you like.

This year’s competition will be judged by the poet Michael Symmons Roberts. His most recent collection, Drysalter, has been widely praised. It won the Costa Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot prize. Guardian review here. He read at the Mountains to the Sea Festival in Dun Laoghaire this year and was very impressive.

You can enter online or by post. Closing date: 31 December 2014.   Full details, rules, entry on the website.

Cavan Literary Night - 2 December

AT The Edge, Cavan, proudly presents: The Cavan Literary Night with Three Border Poets: Noel Monahan, Kate Ennals and Dermot Maguire

Tuesday 2 December 2014, 6.30pm – 8pm in Johnston Library, Farnham St, Cavan

Followed by Open Mic (one poem or one page of prose – register at 6.30pm –  first come, first served. Further information from kateennals@live.co.uk )

The evening also includes the launch of a pamphlet of the Cana House Poets, 3rd series.

Event Free. Everyone welcome.
Supported by Cavan Arts Office

November "The Co Club".

Friday 28th November 2014. Creans Bar, Oldcastle, Co.Meath. 9:00pm - the November edition of  "The Co Club".

Music on the night will come from Brian Mooney and Dylan Tighe.

Art on the night will be displayed by local artist Michelle Boyle

Local award winning poet and publisher, Peter Fallon, is the special guest and he will read some poems from his latest collection 'Strong My Love'

It will be a night to remember so come along and enjoy a night of music, art and poetry. Free Admission

Francis Ledwidge Awards Results

The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Competition results have been announced. This is an annual competition organized by the Inchicore Ledwidge Society.

I was delighted to have my poem, Tidying after Visitors, highly commended. Last year's winner was Mairéad Donnellan of LitLab and this year three LitLabbers made the lists, Pat Devaney, Andy Jones and myself. A good show as well by Doghouse poets.

Winner: Ann Moriarty, Co Limerick. Poem:  Preparation.
Second Place: Orla Martin, Dublin. Poem: The Poets.
Third Place: Liam Ryan, Co Laois. Poem: Orpheus.

Highly Commended:
Kevin Lynch. Dublin. Catherine Ann Cullen, Dublin. Christine Broe, Dublin. Eamonn Lynsky, Co Dublin. Denise Ryan, Dublin. Mari Maxwell, Co Galway. Karen O’Connor, Co Kerry. Michael Farry, Co Meath. Dawn Sullivan, Co Kerry. Ray Mullen,  Dublin.

Commended:
Gerry O’Donnell, Dublin. James Conway, Dublin. Aine Lyons, Dublin. Patrick Devaney, Co Cavan. Mary Melvin Geoghegan, Westmeath. Mary Jo Gibbons, Co. Meath. Patrick Waters, Dublin. Andy Jones, Co Cavan. Gearoid O’Brien, Co Westmeath. Margaret Zheng, Dublin.

The Awards Ceremony will take place at Donoghues, The Glen of Aherlow, 29 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin, on Thursday 27 November 2014 at 8.00pm.  All are welcome.

Cafe Writers Poetry Competition

 Cafe Writers Poetry Competition 2014. Closing Date 30 November 2014.

Prizes: 1st  £1000; 2nd £300; 3rd £200; Six Commended Prizes of £50.

Entry Fee: £4 per poem; or £10 for 3 poems and £2.00 per poem thereafter.

The judge is David Morley, Professor at Writing at Warwick University and adjunct Professor at Monash University, Melbourne. His collections include The Gypsy and the Poet (Carcanet, 2013), a PBS Recommendation and a Morning Star Book of the Year, and Biographies of Birds and Flowers: Selected Poems (Carcanet, 2015).

Competition Rules: Maximum of 40 lines per poem (excluding title). Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant, in English, and must never have been published, self-published, published on any web-site or broadcast. Enter by post or online using Paypal.

Prizewinners will be notified in writing by 31st January 2015.

Full details on website.

New Poetry Anthology - Fathers

I'm delighted to have a poem included in this anthology, fathers and what must be said. Thanks to the editors Michael Corrigan and Michael H Clay.

The launch date is Saturday 29 November at the Spinning Wheel in Castletownroche, County Cork.

Here is the full list of poets whose poems have been chosen for the anthology:
Bradley R Strahan; John Davis; Jim Gustafson; Liam Aungier; Peadar O’Donoghue; Helene Cardona; Joe Baldwin; Paul Ó Colmáin; Greagoir ODuill; Jim Lewis; Michael Farry; Nessa O’Mahony; Si Philbrook; Pete Mullineaux; Robert Lipton; Alan Halford; Andrea Potos; Rachel Davies; Jim Hart; Joe Healy; Karen Foster; Hugh McFadden; Tyler Tsay; Tim J Brennan; Derek Coyle;Philip Quirke; Muesser Yeniay; Nicki Griffin; Harry Man; Robert Harper; Simon McCormack; Janice Windle; Amanda Bell; Harry Owen; Ruairi Gough; Gene Barry; Anna Tannam; Roy Marshall; Saskia Stehouwer; Ronnie McGinn; Jeannie E. Roberts; Anne Elezabeth Pluto; Gina Nemo; Maurice Devitt; Michael Corrigan; Karen O’Connor; Michael H Clay; Shirley Bell; Miceál Kearney; Tory Campbell; Marie O’Halloran; Michael Brown; Erin Murphy; Rita Chapman; Liam Ryan; John Saunders; Darren Donohue; May Leonard; Steven F Klepeter; George Harding; Maria Whelan

Reading: War Poets and War Poetry

In Flanders Fields - War Poets and War Poems An evening of history, poetry and poems with an introduction from guest poet and historian Dr. Michael Farry.

All Welcome. Come along and read your favourite war poem.

Venue: The Yeats Memorial Building, Sligo. Date: Tuesday November 11th. Time: 8.00pm

I was delighted to be asked to contribute to this - any excuse to spend some time in Sligo and the Yeats Society readings are always welcoming and friendly.

Not easy to decide what to say and read but I have decided to talk a little about what the term "War Poetry" covers and how this has changed since 1914. I'll talk about which poets are now regarded as belonging to the canon of War Poets. I'll read some lesser well-know war poems, some by women including Irish authors and some local Sligo writers.

Being in the Yeats Memorial Building I'll also make some reference to Yeats' attitude to war poetry and the war poets.

Lots of discussion and poems available online. For example:
First World War Poetry Digital Archive.
At the Poetry Foundation.
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/
Female Poets of WW1 Blog.

Fish Short Story Competition

Short Story Prize: €3,000. The ten best stories will be published in the 2015 Fish Anthology.

This year's judge, Jennifer Johnston, has been described by Roddy Doyle as "Ireland's greatest writer." She is the recipient of many awards, including The Whitbread Award for The Old Jest, and a Lifetime Achievement from the Irish Book Awards, and has been short-listed for the Booker Prize. She has published 16 novels and five plays.

Closing Date: 30 November 2014; Word Limit: 5,000; Results: 17 March 2015; Anthology Published: July 2015; Submission Fee: €20 for first, €10 thereafter.

Critique of your story (optional): €45, available year round.

First Prize: €3,000; Second Prize: A week in residence at Anam Cara Writers Retreat in West Cork.

Please read the Full Details before entering. Read stories from previous Fish Anthologies

Writing tips at Fish

Submissions may also be sent by post to Fish Publishing, Durrus, Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland.

Cafe Writers Poetry Competition

Cafe Writers Competition 2014: Deadline 30th Nov 2014 - Less than One Month To Go

There are £2000 in prizes and our sole judge this year is David Morley.  There is no sifting.
Prizes: 1st  £1000; 2nd £300; 3rd £200; Six Commended Prizes of £50; Funniest Poem not winning another prize £100

Entry Fee: £4 per poem; or £10 for 3 poems and £2.00 per poem thereafter. Full details and enter and pay online.

Café Writers is a Norwich based  grass-roots writers’ network supporting and  showcasing work by established writers in all genres. It also encourages and champions new work by emerging writers. It is run entirely by volunteers that are passionate about encouraging wider participation and excellence in literature.

Café Writers is run entirely by unpaid volunteers and the competition the only significant  source of funding to fund the programme.

A Centenary Hallowe'en Poem

English-born, Winifred Letts, spent most of her life in Ireland and is probably best known for her poem A Soft Day which regularly appeared in school readers of the fifties and sixties.

More recently she has become recognized as a war poet, having cared for many war casualties while working as a nurse in Manchester during the First World War. She published Hallowe’en and Other Poems of the War in 1916 and this was reprinted in 1917 renamed The Spires of Oxford and Other Poems.

She wrote at least three Hallowe'en poems. See this blog page.

Hallow-E’en, 1914
Winifred M. Letts

 “Why do you wait at your door, woman,
     Alone in the night?”
“I am waiting for one who will come, stranger,
     To show him a light.
He will see me afar on the road
     And be glad at the sight.”

“Have you no fear in your heart, woman,
     To stand there alone?
There is comfort for you and kindly content
     Beside the hearthstone.”
But she answered, “No rest can I have
     Till I welcome my own.”

“Is it far he must travel to-night,
     This man of your heart?”
“Strange lands that I know not and pitiless seas
     Have kept us apart,
And he travels this night to his home
     Without guide, without chart.”

“And has he companions to cheer him?”
     “Aye, many," she said.
“The candles are lighted, the hearthstones are swept,
     The fires glow red.
We shall welcome them out of the night—
     Our home-coming dead.”

Cavan November AT the Edge

AT The Edge, Cavan proudly presents Kevin Higgins, Susan Millar du Mars and Philip Doherty on Tuesday 4 November 2014 at Johnston Library, Farnham St, Cavan, 6.30pm – 8pm.

Followed by Open Mic: One poem or one page of prose – register at 6.30pm –  first come, first served.

Further information from kateennals@live.co.uk

Event Free. Everyone welcome.

Supported by Cavan Arts Office

Kobus Moolman Dromineer

A few rough notes from the very enjoyable and productive Kobus Moolman poetry workshop at Dromineer Festival 2014.


Kobus at Poetry International
A 2013 interview with Kobus Moolman.

Stressing the importance of reading poetry he read these two poems which he used as a basis for general discussion of poetry:
Yannis Ritsos (Greek) “Day of a Sick Man”
Don McClennan (SA) “Poem”.

Poetry is not so much saying something as finding something. The otherness in a poem/the underside of a poem may be the moth important aspect. He used the analogy of an iceberg, more beneath the surface than above. But what is seen, what is above is important, something must happen on top in order that there be dialogue between the visible and invisible. So for the poet the question is what to leave out. The absences are most important.

He also work-shopped poems brought by the participants and invited comments from all the participants. This was done with sensitivity and honesty. In starting he stated the rules of the workshop. 1. Do not apologize. 2. Do not explain your poem beforehand.

Among poets he mentioned as being worth consulting, often with reference with a participant's poem were:
Mxolisi Nyezwa (SA), Paul Celan, Nelly Sachs, Ann Carson, Jori Graham, Louise Gluck, Marianne Boruch,
Alberto Rios

Poetry Prize - Best Poem for Children

The Caterpillar – the junior version of the arts and literature magazine The Moth – is launching a new poetry competition for adults writing for children (aged 7–11).

The magazine, which includes poems and stories for children – from the likes of Michael Morpurgo, Chrissie Gittins, Dennis Lee, John Hegley, Julie O’Callaghan, Brian Moses, Ian Whybrow and Frank Cottrell Boyce – is passionate about introducing children to world-class poetry, and to celebrate their first year they’re looking for a stand-out poem to which they can award a prize of €1,000.

The prize is open to established and up-and-coming writers alike, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. It can be on any subject, and there’s no line limit. The winning poem will feature in the summer 2015 issue of The Caterpillar. Commended poems may also be published in the same issue.

The competition will be judged by the publishers of The Caterpillar and The Moth, Rebecca O’Connor and Will Govan, and the closing date is 31 March 2015. Entry details appear online on the website.

Email: enquiries@thecaterpillarmagazine.com.

Sligo Field Club: Autumn Conference

I'm delighted to be talking at this conference on Saturday.

Sligo Field Club: Autumn Conference 2014: SLIGO IN TRANSITION: Cultural, Economic, Political & Social Change in Sligo: Post-Famine to the War of Independence

Saturday, 18 October 2014. Venue: Sligo Racecourse Pavilion

Programme:

09.30 Registration
10.00 The Decline of the Irish language: Ian Kennedy
10.30 Church of Ireland People: Change, what Change? Nicholas Prins
11.00 Refreshments

11.30 The Rise and Decline of a Rich Traditional Music Legacy: Séamus McCormack
12.00 The Changing Face of Business in Sligo town: John Mullaney
12.30 The Rise of the GAA in Sligo: Tom Kilcoyne
13.00 Lunch

14.00 Racing Events in Sligo since 1850: Dónal O’Connor
14.30 Yeats and the Invention of Irishness; language, placenames and the literary projects: Thomas Rodgers Endersby
15.00 Refreshments

15.30 Before the Rising: Designs for nationhood in Fin de Siécle Ireland: Laurence Marley
16.00 The North Leitrim by-election of 1908: Ciarán Ó Duibhir
16.30 The Transition from the Irish Parliamentary Party to Sinn Féin: Michael Farry
17.00 Open Discussion and Close of Conference

Conference Fee: €20.00 (Refreshments included). A buffet lunch will be available but not included in fee

All are welcome

Bailieborough Poetry Festival 2014

Bailieborough second Poetry Festival was a great success. The new venue, Murtagh's Public House, closed for some time but used as an aution rooms, worked very well and was full for the Friday and Saturday evening readings.

Nerys Williams' reading was excellent. She opened by talking about Dylan Thomas and played him reading "And Death Shall Have No Dominion" which he wrote when he was nineteen.  She read her own poems, some from her collection "Sound Archive" and some newer ones. She was asked to read The Dead Zoo as an encore and later sang a Welsh song! Great open mic readings by LitLab members and others and the night ended with a few songs.

On Saturday morning Nerys conducted a workshop which was well attended and expertly delivered with feedback on poems submitted, a discussion of a Frank O'Hara poem, "The Day Lady Died", and a writing exercise based on the poem.

In the early afternoon the results of the Bailieborough Poetry Competition were announced and comments delivered by judges, Mairéad Donnellan and Michael Farry. Winner: Wisdom of the Origamist (Armel Dagorn, France), Runners Up: Mais Feliz (Patrick Cotter, Cork) and Shelter (Maureen Curran, Donegal). The shortlisted and winning poems will appear on the Festival website.

In the afternoon the Skirmish of the Writers Groups. Teams of three performed for ten minutes each and were judged by the other participating teams. A novel and most enjoyable event apart from the fact that my team - an amalgam of Meath Writers Circle and Boyne Writers - only came third. Photo of the winning team, which included Iggy McGovern, above.

And in the evening a full house to hear an excellent performance by performance poet Patsy McDermott followed by a great reading by Iggy McGovern. The audience loved both performers and the evening and festival finished with a few songs. Well done and thanks to all involved!