Friday 20 February 2009

Poetry Now Festival


The lovely people at DLR Libraries, lead by the tireless Belinda McKeon, have organised this years Poetry festival. It runs from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th March at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire and features:

Paul Batchelor, Sujata Bhatt, Frank Bidart, Colette Bryce, Paddy Bushe, Harry Clifton, Carol Ann Duffy (oo yes), Ian Duhig, Adam Foulds,

Ellen Hinsey, Valzhyna Mort, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Robert Pinsky, Tomaž Šalamun,
John Sampson, Tomas Venclova

(Any chance of a ticket, Belinda?)

The Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2009 will be awarded during the festival, the recipient chosen from a shortlist of;

Colette Bryce : Self-Portrait in the Dark (Picador Poetry)
Ciaran Carson : For All We Know (Gallery Books)
Leontia Flynn : Drives (Cape Poetry)
Pearse Hutchinson : At Least For A While (Gallery Books)
Derek Mahon : Life on Earth (Gallery Books)

Judges for this year’s award are Kit Fryatt, Sean O’Brien and Joseph Woods.

Poetry Now 09 also features readings by poets shortlisted for The Rupert & Eithne Strong Award 2009, which recognises first collections published in English or Irish by Irish presses or by Irish writers in 2008, and the award announcement itself. The shortlist here consists of;

Áine Moynihan : Canals of Memory (Doghouse)
Simon Ó Faoláin : Anam Mhadra (Coiscéim)
Patrick Cotter : Perplexed Skin (Arlen House)
Ciaran Berry : The Sphere of Birds (Gallery Books)

Workshops Saturday 28th March 10:30 am 25 Euro facilitated by Colette Bryce and Frank Bidart. Aimed at poets working towards a first collection. Apply before 10th MArch. Details in the brochure.

I'm not sure I want to go to a workshop with a poet who is younger than me. Anyone else?

1 comment:

Peter Goulding said...

I'm a bit confused by the photo - obviously taken from a helicopter, but why not move a few yards to the right and you'd have a much more interesting photo of the lighthouse.
Maybe a case of what is left unsaid being as significant as what is actually said?
(Sorry, bit of a lighthouse freak)