Alison Hackett on haiku and humour in Knot of Toads
Knot of Toads illustrated by Nick Geoghegan|21st Century Renaissance|ISBN 9780992736866 by Alison Hackett Have you heard of a parliament of owls, or a murder of crows? These were the first groups of animals that Nick Geoghegan considered when he was asked to design a book...
A tribute to love and loss—Cathal Póirtéir on the poetry of Ilmar Lehtpere
Dánta gan Baile, i.e. Kodutud Luulettused|Ilmar Lehtpere; athleaganacha Gaeilge Aogán Ó Muircheartaigh|Coiscéim| €7.50| ISBN: 6-660012-200269 by Cathal Póirtéir This slim volume of poetry was a real and unexpected pleasure. I knew nothing of the poet, Ilmar Lehtpere, who was born in...
Fiction Editing Course with Niamh Mulvey
Fiction Editing Course with Niamh Mulvey 12th April Publishing Ireland has announced the dates for a Fiction Editing course with Niamh Mulvey. The course, which is in three parts, will be held on the 13th, 20th and 27th May and is available to book now here.
Gallows humour and a grubby purity—David Butler on Louise Kennedy’s debut collection
The End of the World is a Cul de Sac|Louise Kennedy|Bloomsbury| £14.99 by David Butler In a story entitled ‘Wolf Point’, an ethereal and troubled outsider has brought a ‘grubby purity’ into the life of the protagonist, a loner named Peter...
Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award—shortlist announced
LISTOWEL WRITERS’ WEEK ANNOUNCE SHORTLIST FOR KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021 Two first-time novelists are among the five writers shortlisted for the prestigious award—one of the most sought-after accolades in Irish writing—with a shared prize fund of €17,000. More than fifty novels were submitted for this year’s award...
Launch of Novel Fair 2022
The Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair celebrates ten years The Irish Writers Centre would like to invite you to the online launch of Novel Fair 2022 with Laura McKenna, Aoife K. Walsh and Rick O’Shea. During this panel discussion, chaired by IWC’s Communications Officer Laura McCormack, you will be...
Charged presences: Nuala O’Connor on the love letters of Elizabeth Bowen
The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters, and Elizabeth Bowen|by Julia Parry|Duckworth Books|ISBN: 9780715653579|Hardback|£17.00 by NUALA O'CONNOR In the first chapter of Julia Parry’s wonderful account of the affair between her grandfather Humphry House and Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen, she says that...
Exquisite new essay by Kerri ní Dochartaigh—an extract
Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase (1890) by Vincent Van Gogh. Original from the MET Museum Solas,* Solace * The Irish for ‘light’. by Kerri ní Dochartaigh I wish I’d known, long before now, that sowing is a way to grieve.
Poetry: Paul Jeffcutt
"...poetry is a way of happening, a mouth"—W.H.Auden https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZaGtSwaj3M Breakfast in Kutupalong* by Paul Jeffcutt Half a dozen skinny kids squat around a tin...
Red Line Book Festival 2021 opens up the stage—submissions open
Red Line Book Festival seeks submissions Red Line Book Festival showcases emerging and established talent on the same platform, and is seeking proposals for its varied and eclectic programme—from poetry to panels, workshops to cross-disciplinary concepts. The festival runs from 11-17 October and the...
