Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2009

21st – 26th April 2009

Here are some of the highlights of this wonderful sounding festival. I wish I knew someone in Galway so I could crash on their couch and go to some of these.

PROSE READINGS

Joseph O’Neill and Timothy O’Grady
Tues 21 April 8.30pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €12/€10

Colm TóibÍn and D.R. MacDonald
Wed 22 April 8.30pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €12/€10

Petina Gappah and Helen Simpson
Exploration of the short story form.
Thurs 23 April 1pm Town Hall Studio
Admission €8/€6

Blake Morrison and Janice Galloway
The memoir has experienced a renaissance in recent times and both these writers have painted unsparing portraits of family life in Britain.
Fri 24 April 1pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €10/€8

Louis de Bernières and Tim Parks
This lunchtime event promises a feast of contemporary prose writing from the UK.
Sat 25 April 1pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €10/€8

Claire Keegan and Gerard Woodward
Two of the most exciting short story writers will read from recent collections.
Sat 25 April 6.30pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €10/€8

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POETRY READINGS
Thomas Lynch and Leanne O’Sullivan
Wed 22 April 3pm Town Hall Studio
Admission €8/€6

Ingrid de Kok and Maura Dooley
Wed 22 April 6.30pm Town Hall Studio
Admission €10/€8

Pete Mullineaux and Colette Bryce
Thurs 23 April 3pm Town Hall Studio
Admission €8/€6

Patrick Deeley and Leontia Flynn
Sat 25 April 11am Town Hall Theatre
Admission €5

Poetry Grand Slam
The year-round activity of slamming culminates in the 7th Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam in which up to 20 performers have just three minutes to impress the judges under the gaze of MC Pete Mullineaux. The overall winner goes on to perform in Slovenia. Guest performer this year is Andrej Khadovich from Belarus, known for his lively performances.
Open submissions are invited for the Grand Slam and entry is open to all. Enter one poem, on any subject, in any style - lasting up to 3 minutes - on paper or on tape.
Please submit to Poetry Grand Slam, Galway Arts Centre,
47 Dominick Street by Friday 27 March.
Sat 25 April 3pm Róisín Dubh
Admission €5

Carol Ann Duffy, Don Paterson and Sean O’Brien
Sat 25 April 8.30pm Town Hall Theatre
Admission €15

SPECIAL EVENTS: THEATRE & DANCE
Mephisto Theatre
The World’s Wife
Adapted from the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy
With Caroline Lynch, Zita Monahan and Emma O’Grady
Sat 25 April 10.30 pm Town Hall Studio
Admission €8

SPECIAL EVENTS: SHOWCASE
Over The Edge
Co-organisers Kevin Higgins and Susan Millar DuMars (host) introduce five featured authors this year are Noel Harrington, Orla Higgins, Noelle Lynskey, Jenny McCudden and Val Nolan.

If you, or a writers’ group you belong to, would be interested in taking part in the Over The Edge Cúirt Showcase in the future, please contact: Over The Edge, c/o Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway or see www.overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com for submission details.
Thurs 23 April 11am Town Hall Theatre
Admission Free

Poetry workshop
Renowned US poet Jane Hirshfield (see page 18 for more details) will lead participants in a discussion of their submissions. Please send two sample poems together with your contact details to:
Please email submissions to siobhan@galwayartscentre.ie by Friday 27 March.

Prose Workshop: Wed 22 April 10.30am - 12.30pm
Poetry Workshop: Fri 24 April 10.30am - 12.30pm
Galway Arts Centre, Dominick Street
Admission €15

Day by day

Mon 20 April
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm Dance: The Word is Moving

Tues 21 April
11am Reading: Derek Landy
4.30pm Music: John Spillane
5.30pm Festival Opening
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm Play Reading: Brian Friel at 80 - Faith Healer
8.30pm Prose: Joseph O’Neill and Timothy O’Grady

Wed 22 April
10.30am Workshop: Prose
11am Reading: Tim Bowler
11am Writers in the Community: Launch
1pm Prose: Sana Krasikov and Gerard Donovan
3pm Poetry: Thomas Lynch and Leanne O’Sullivan
5pm Launch: Anthology of Poetry from Canada
6.30pm Poetry: Ingrid de Kok and Maura Dooley
8pm Poetry: Lemn Sissay and Gearóid Mac Lochlainn
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8.30pm Prose: Colm Tóibín and D.R. MacDonald

Thurs 23 April
11am Music/Storytelling/Live Art: An Rón Dall (as Gaeilge)
11am Showcase: Over The Edge
1pm Prose: Petina Gappah and Helen Simpson
3pm Poetry: Pete Mullineaux and Colette Bryce
4pm Film: John McGahern: A Private World
5pm Launch: Ropes 2009, Issue 17
5.30pm Music/Storytelling/Live Art: The Blind Seal (in English)
6pm Poetry: Peter Wessel and his Polyfonías Poetry Project
6.30pm Prose: Nadeem Aslam and Ma Jian
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm Play Reading: Brian Friel at 80 - Molly Sweeney
8.30pm Poetry: Jane Hirshfield and Philip Schultz

Fri 24 April
10.30am Workshop: Poetry
11am Multimedia Event: An Táin
11am Poetry Slam: All-Ireland School Slam
1pm Prose: Blake Morrison and Janice Galloway
3pm Poetry: Micheál Ó Conghaile and Juan Carlos Mestre
5pm Film: Michael Hartnett – A Necklace of Wrens
6.30pm Prose: Gene Kerrigan and Bateman
7pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
7.30pm Launch: The Atlantis Collective
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8.30pm Discussion: Joseph O’Connor in conversation with Philip King
9pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
9.30pm Music: Buck 65
10.30pm Theatre: Stand-up Theatre

Sat 25 April page
11am Poetry: Patrick Deeley and Leontia Flynn
12 noon Reading: Joe O’Brien and Brianóg Brady Dawson
1pm Prose: Louis de Bernières and Tim Parks
2pm Film: Frank O’Connor – The Lonely Voice
3pm Discussion: Aidan Higgins in conversation with Neil Donnelly
3pm Poetry: Poetry Grand Slam
3pm Exhibition & Publication Launch: Mervue Portraits
3.30pm Film: Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill – Taibhsí i mBéal Na Gaoithe
4pm Theatre: The Science of Flann O’Brien
5pm Discussion: Anne Kennedy Memorial Lecture
5pm Film: Keeping Time
5pm Launch: Keith Hopper
6.30pm Prose: Claire Keegan and Gerard Woodward
7pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm Play Reading: Brian Friel at 80 - Dancing at Lughnasa
8.30pm Poetry: Carol Ann Duffy, Don Paterson and Sean O’Brien
9pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
10.30pm Theatre: The World’s Wife

Sun 26 April
12 noon Poetry & Food: The Bardic Brunch
5pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
7pm Debate: Leviathan
8pm Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
8pm Theatre: Stories of a Yellow Town
9pm Music: Scullion


Writers in the Community
20 - 26 April Poems for Patience
The Cat’s Cradle

Visual Exhibitions
16 April - 23 May Lee Welch
20 - 26 April FABER 80
Jim Clancy
Poetry Manuscripts