Poetic License

I have never been a huge fan of online Poetry Mags as some seem to have no editorial filtering whatsoever but recently there has been a spate of new mags or old mags going online with some poems worth reading.

Another in an occasional series on teaching creativity by poet, teacher and editor Dave Lordan

Another in an occasional series on teaching creativity in the classroom by poet and teacher, Dave Lordan.

I went along to the New Irish Writing awards on Tuesday held at the French Ambassador's residence on Ailesbury Road, possibly the most expensive house in Ireland. It has a fascinating story you can read here.

Next in an occasional series of post by Dave Lordan about teaching creativity in the classroom.

Enda Coyle-Greene was born in Dublin and lives in Skerries. Her work has been published widely in journals and anthologies in Ireland and elsewhere and broadcast on RTE Radio and Lyric FM. Bursaries and awards include a Hennessy Award nomination for poetry.

Her first collection, “Snow Negatives”, won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 2006 and was published by the Dedalus Press in 2007. She holds an MA (Dist.) in English, Creative Writing from the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s University, Belfast. A new collection is forthcoming from the Dedalus Press in 2013.

Does a poem written in the first tense have to be true?

Kalle Ryan runs the awesome Brownbreadmixtape monthly evening at the Stag's Head, Dublin. This month, together with Colm Keegan and Stephen James Smith, they are reviving their successful show from last year's Dublin Fringe Three Men Talking About Things They Kinda Know About.

Another in the occasional series on teaching creativity in the classroom by poet and teacher, Dave Lordan.

A fascinating project from the Trinity Access Project.

The first in an occasional series of posts by the poet and teacher Dave Lordan about teaching creativity in the classroom to young writers.

My poem was originally published in the Sunday Tribune New Irish Writing page and was shortlisted for the Hennessy New Irish Writing Award.

You can submit poems and stories to this monthly page, now in the Irish Independent.

The New Writing Page, edited by Ciaran Carty, wil now be appearing in the Weekend Review in the Irish Independent on the last Saturday of each month and is open to writers who are Irish or who are resident in Ireland. Entries may be submitted (with a SAE) to: New Irish Writing, The Irish Independent, 27/32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1.

Submit up to six poems. Stories should not exceed 2,200 words. Remember to include your name, e-mail address and phone number.

Details here

Did you know the poet John Betjeman, one time Poet Laurete was also a part time spy? In Dublin? In World War 2? No?

Sarah Maria Griffin reports from the launch of The Muse Unbidden.

“THE MUSE UNBIDDEN follows the journeys of self-discovery of several would-be poets enrolled in a Performance Poetry Workshop led by a charismatic unconventional Performance Poet. Using music and dream diaries, the hapless participants are cajoled into finding and surrendering to their personal Muses. As their Workshop progresses they travel a rollicking Odyssey of confession and self-revelation as they give voice to their obsessions, desires, wit, pain, and memories. For some their uninhibited revelry in self-expression leads to joyous catharsis, for others to grief and loss.

Barbara Smith was a recent reader at the Oxfam Spring into Poetry series in London. A first collection, Kairos, was published in 2007. Her work has been shortlisted and awarded prizes, such as at Scotland’s Wigtown Poetry Competition 2009 and the Basil Bunting Award to name a few. She is hard at work on the 'dreaded' second collection, 'The Angel's Share', due this year.

Formerly an independent video and television producer in her native London, Grace Wells moved to Ireland in 1991. For some years she taught creative writing and facilitated biography workshops for people with special needs. In 2001 she became Literature Officer with the South Tipperary Arts Centre, and for the next three years co-ordinated ‘Impressions, the South Tipperary Literature Festival’.

Her first book, Gyrfalcon, a novel for children was published by the O’Brien Press in 2002. It won the Eilís Dillon Best Newcomer Bisto Book Award 2003 and was selected for the International White Ravens Catalogue 2003.

            A second children’s novel Ice Dreams was published by the O’Brien Press in 2008, and One World, Our World, a Development Education, information and story book, was commissioned & published in 2009 by Irish Aid on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Since 2007 she has regularly reviewed Irish poetry for Contrary, the University of Chicago’s online literary journal, The Stinging Fly and for Poetry Ireland Review.

In 2009 she became Writer in Residence for Kilkenny County Council, and has since then continued to work for Kilkenny Arts Office and Library Service, and for County Waterford Arts Office facilitating creative writing classes and providing mentoring for upcoming writers.

Wells has read at numerous Literature Festivals and been broadcast on RTE. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in a wide number of journals. Prior to publication of her debut poetry collection, her work was short-listed for a number of awards and took third place in the Patrick Kavanagh award 2007. She facilitates creative writing classes for adults and children and is a member of the Poetry Ireland, Writers in Schools Scheme.

Her debut collection of poetry, ‘When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things’ was published by Dedalus Press in May 2010. It won the Rupert and Eithne Strong Best Debut Collection Award and was short-listed for the London Fringe Festival New Poetry Award.

Eleanor Hooker lives in NorthTipperary. She has a BA (Hons 1st) from the Open University, an MA (Hons.) in Cultural History from the University of Northumbria, and an MPhil in Creative Writing (Distinction) from Trinity College, Dublin. She was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series in 2011. Her poetry has been published in journals in Ireland and the UK. She is a founding member, Vice-Chairperson and PRO for the Dromineer Literary Festival. She is a helm and Press Officer for the Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat. She began her career as a nurse and midwife. The Shadow Owner’s Companion is her debut collection of poems.

Leeanne Quinn was born in Drogheda in 1978. She studied at University College Dublin, University College Cork, and holds a PhD from Trinity College Dublin on the American writer Philip Roth. Her poems have been published in a variety of magazines including The SHOp and The Stinging Fly, and anthologised in The Bee-Loud Glade: a living anthology of Irish Poetry (Dedalus, 2011). She lives in Dublin. Before You (Dedalus Press) is her debut collection.

Iggy was born in Coleraine and is a Professor of Physics in Trinity College, Dublin. He has published two collections of poetry, The King of Suburbia and Safe House, with Dedalus Press. The King of Suburbia won the inaugural Glen Dimplex New Writers Award for Poetry. Other awards include the Hennessy Award for Poetry and The Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary. I have presented my poetry at writers’ festivals in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australasia.

Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney donated his personal archive to the National Library.