Poetry Ireland in association with Trócaire and Amnesty International have organised a reading of some of Ireland’s best writers, reading in response to the situation in Gaza. Each writer will read for 5-7 minutes at this non-partisan event.
Confirmed readers include Anne Enright, John F. Deane, Eiléan Ni Chuilleanáin, Colm Toibin, Susan McKay, Hugo Hamilton, Éilís Dhuibhne, Lia Mills, Macdara Woods, Ronit Lentin, Peter Sirr and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
Over The Edge Celebrates Sixth Birthday with Reading by Tom French The first ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ of 2009 takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, January 22nd, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Lisa Frank, Áine Tierney & Tom French. This is a very special occasion as it is now exactly six years since Over The Edge was born in Galway City Library in January 2003. Áine Tierney is from Rosmore, Co. Tipperary. She is a secondary school English teacher and has an MA in Writing from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Her writing has appeared in various magazines and newspapers. She recently had a short story published in the Silverfish anthology, which was funded by South Tipperary County Council’s Per Cent for Art Scheme. She is currently redrafting her first novel. Tom French is a graduate of NUI Galway and the University of Limerick. His first collection of poems Touching the Bones(Gallery Press) was awarded a Forward Prize for Best First collection in 2002. In 2001 he read at the Cúirt Literature Festival. Recent poems of his have been published in http://www.themanchesterreview.co.uk/ . His second collection The Blood Line is nearing completion. He lives with his family in county Meath where he works for the library service.
Lisa Frank was born and raised in Los Angeles, but spent most of the past ten years in the Pacific Northwest before moving toIreland in December, 2006. In 2005 she received her MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University. She has had work published in American literary journals, as well as an essay published in a university textbook on writing, and was awarded 2nd and 3rd place in Bad Kitty Films 2000 Short Screenplay competition. She currently works as a freelance editor.
There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always most welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.
Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing generous financial support of Galway City Council & The Arts Council.http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com
A few years ago a group of teenage boys kicked another boy to death outside Annabel's nightclub in Dublin. It was a controversial affair that sparked much debate in the media and, of course, in people’s everyday lives. The boys were mainly from well connected families and there were many accusations and murmurs that there punishment may have been more severe had they been from a different background. There have been quite a few incidents like this where kids from wealthy influential families manage to get away with horrendous crimes and many where rugby, the gentleman's sport, leads to very violent off pitch activities.
Bad Day in Blackrock is a fictional tale by Kevin Power influenced by that tragic night in South Dublin. While I have yet to read this novel and, as Ailbhe points out in her blog, there is always a chance of being exploitative when using real events in fiction, I have no doubt that this book will be a page-turner. Though it is yet to hit the shelves it has already caused sparks as you can see in the article in the Independent and the Irish Times.
Kevin Power was shortlisted in 2007 for RTE's Francis McManus Award and his story The American Girl is currently shortlisted for the Hennessy Award. I can say without doubt that Kevin is destined to dazzle us all with many books in his lifetime, and if you wish to buy the first (and I really think you should) Bad Day in Blackrock goes on sale on the 15th of October.
The Open Wall runs creative writing workshops every second Wednesday, in Cassidy's on Westmoreland Street, Dublin, from 7.30pm-9ish.
