Readings upcoming at O'Bheal (that's in Cork)

Upcoming Readings for January 2011

When: Monday evenings from 9.00pm
Where: Upstairs at The Long Valley, Winthrop Street, Cork.


What: Poetry Challenge, Guest Poets and Open-Mic
    Original poetry, storytelling and unplugged ceol

Catherine Ann Cullen – 17th January
Órfhlaith Foyle – 24th January
In association with Foras na Gaeilge Pól Ó Muirí – 31st January

Entrance is free.

Readings will last between 30-45 minutes after which there will be the usual open-mic session. Be sure to come early to get good seats. Full bar available.

The night begins with a Poetry Challenge starting between 9.00pm and 9.30pm. Guest poets begin around 10.00pm

The online version is here.

Moth Magazine 3 - wine, poetry and canapes

UPDATE: Postponed due to treacherous conditions. (But you can still buy the magazine)

On Thursday 2nd December 2010 issue 3 of The Moth magazine will be launched in Delish, Abbey Street, Cavan.

Come and taste wines from the Castillo Perelada Winery in Spain, eat your fill of delicious canapés and listen to some wonderful poetry. An evening of wine-tasting (courtesy of Sam at Blakes Fine Wines) and poetry with Kate Dempsey, Seamus O'Rourke and Tommy Murray.

Space is limited, so if you would like to buy a ticket get in touch with editor Rebecca O'Connor, ed-lit@live.com, as soon as you can. Tickets are €10.

If you're London based, 16 December 2010 London launch of issue 3.
The Moth takes flight in the UK with a launch party in London featuring Annie Freud, Clare Pollard, Todd Swift, Hamish Robinson, Julia Bird and Tim Wells.
Venue: Jimmy's, 23 Frith Street, London W1D

A subscription of 5 issues of The Moth for €20 - the ideal Christmas gift! Check out the website  (where you can also read my poem from Issue 2.)

Greatly looking forward to reading (weather and roads permitting). Any requests?

Poetry Ireland Introductions 2011

Poetry Ireland is inviting submissions for the 2011 Introductions series. The series is designed for emerging writers with a track record of publication in reputable journals and magazines, who are working towards a first collection.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER.

A short biography and covering letter accompanied by a selection of poems max 10 pages is requested.
Poems may be previously published or unpublished.

Applications should be marked Introductions and sent to Poetry Ireland, No. 2 Proud's Lane, off St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.

It's well worth while doing, get your name around. You also get to do a workshop and they pay a small fee for your reading.

I think they should also publish a pamphlet with a sample of the poets chosen. They get great crowds at the readings.

Poets to Check Out - Brian Conaghan

At the brownbread mix tapes.

Writing Digital Fiction

This sounds quite good if you've 6 days.

Tutors: Melanie Martinez •Luke Hyams

Date: 11 December 2010
Duration: 6 days over 3 weekends Dec & Jan
Venue: Dublin
Cost: €200.00

Application Procedure:
Please apply online attaching a current CV. Please also forward a one page outline idea suitable for development as an online/digital media series to criona.sexton@fas.ie

Participant Profile:
This course is aimed at writers who are interested in developing their skills in series writing specifically for online, interactive and digital media fiction. The first module of this course will run in December and the other 2 modules in January.

Course Profile:
Writers will cover all stages and steps involved in project development from identification of a good idea through to full scripts. Writers will work together under the direction of experienced Head Writers Luke Hyams (Kate Modern, Dubplate Drama) and Melanie Martinez (Sophia’s Diary) to develop and write a drama series for online exploitation. The course will replicate the writer’s room experience. Luke Hyams and Melanie Martinez will co-ordinate writing phases of projects in a “Showrunner” capacity, developing writers’ understanding of working in a professional Writer’s Room environment as well as the craft and skill of creating digital fiction projects.

Writers will work together in teams to develop outlines, treatments, series bibles and project pitches, first draft scripts, along with outlines for online character pages, micro-sites, blogs, and transmedia elements as may be appropriate for their projects. The course will also explore the opportunities which exist for writers to develop projects which appeal to new and emerging markets for media.

The course will cover the following:

• Team Writing, and working in the Writer’s Room

• An understanding of the internet and transmedia storytelling

• Finding an audience, audience identification, audience engagement

• Concept and Idea generation

• Recognising a saleable idea

• The different online narrative formats

• Ideas and the market

• Story development, durations and demographics

• Playing with the format, continuous narrative, episodic tags and hooks

• Understanding genre and tone

• Trends in Transmedia/Cross-Platform Projects

• Writing for different platforms

• Building an online community

A writing course for Christmas?

These are tempting from Yvonne Cullen.

POETRY DAY SAT 4th DEC €70

Self-contained one -day poetry course, focusing on areas of skill chosen by participants in advance, and designed to fire up your poetry furnaces. This year, poetry students from Writing Train have been shortlisted for the important Bridport Prize, for the Strokestown Poetry Prize and for the Hennessy Award!
Venue: Glasthule (On dart line, Sandycove station)
Running time: 10.30 – 1.00 and 2.30 – 5 p.m with a break for a dash to Cavistons deli for lunch and chance of a quick run to the sea while we’re at it, plus option to eat together at Poppies café in Dunlaoghaire when afternoon sessions end, to chew over the day and go on talking poetry! Day will be completely tailored to students’ areas of interest and you’ll take materials away. NB: This will be more of a tutored course with exercises and discussion than a workshop.

If there is a quorum for a “workshop” day on SAT 11th DEC this is also an option as a follow-on – fee: €125 for both.

Sat 16 JAN €70 (One Day Course) START TO WRITE
City Centre venue, full day to get you going, to help you find the material that’s already within your reach and help you surprise yourself with your skill! This course will use my favourite techniques and approaches plus lots of focused discussion and materials to take away.

For further details check yvonnecullen.com, yvonnecullen’s writing train page at facebook.

She also does longer courses.

Greystones Open Mic

Dave Lordan is MCing this new open mic night.

Where: the Hotspot Cafe in Greystones

When: Friday 26th November 9pm

Who: featured reader Colm Keegan All Ireland Slam Champion.

Who else: Comedians, musicians, spoken word artists and audience members of all stripes welcome.

How much: €3 unwaged €5 waged.

Poem for the Poetry Bus

This week it's Chris (Enchanted Oak) driving and the ask is:
Write a poem that addresses your existence, or some part of it, on this earth.

Tickets here

Mine is a kenning

I am ...

a rakish parker
a creative sparker

a button sewer
a lawn mower

a multi-tasker
a question asker

arachnaphobic
a published poet

a boa flaunter
a facebook haunter

a regular blogger
a bandwidth hogger

a sloppy dresser
a happy nonethelesser

Here's more on kennings if you're interested.

Redone with alliteration  inspired by Titus

I am ...

a perverse parker
a scheme sparker

a seam sewer
a retired rower

a multi-tasker
an anecdote asker

arachnaphobic
a published poet

a frippery flaunter
a happiness haunter

a bonny blogger
a headline hogger

a dishevelled dresser
a numpty nonethelesser

Ranelagh Poetry Evenings

Ranelagh Poetry Evenings at 26 Ranelagh, Dublin

When: 8pm. Thursday, November 25th.

The Ranelagh Arts Festival invites all poets, aspiring and established, to the first Ranelagh Poetry Evening.

All are welcome, readers and listeners alike.

There is no prescribed format; we are open to suggestions

Inkwell Opening Chapters Competition

Inkwell's aim is to get you published through workshops, and our critiquing, editing and manuscript assessment services. The Opening Chapters Competition is designed quite simply to get your ms read by the right people.

Patricia Deevy, senior editor at Penguin Ireland and Irish literary agent Ger Nichols of The Book Bureau are judging the competition. Writer Caren Kennedy whose book Fake Alibis has been optioned by Warners for a US TV serial will be assisting in compiling the longlist.

Enter the opening chapters (first 3000 words) of your novel (any genre - and it does not have to be finished, see the competition page for details).

First prize is Euro100 and a Meet the Inkwell Writers page in the Inkwell Cafe worth Euro 60, second prize Euro 75 and a Meet the Inkwell Writers page in the Inkwell Cafe. Crucially this competiton is all about the right people seeing your work.

The entry fee for each submission is Euro 10, and we are offering a critique of your chapters for Euro 60 saving you almost 10% on the normal price of a 3000 word critique when you enter the competition. Obviously if you've opted for a critique and you win, we'll refund the costs!

Link here

Deadline: 20 November 2010

Update 1 December 2010: Shortlist

Righteous Exposure - Mandy James 

Shoreditch - Geoff Moore 

People Beyond the Mountains - Geoff Moore  

Freefall - Peggie Biessman

 The Sea Between Us - Carole Craig

Finding Home - Carole Craig

Kaleidoscopes - Carolann Copland   

Now or Never - Louise Hogan 

The winner will be announced by 20^th December!

Revival - call for submissions

Revival Poetry Journal is calling for submissions from local, national and international poets for the next issue which will be published in Limerick, January 2011.

Deadline: 30th November 2010

Send to: The Editor, Revival, Moravia, Glenmore Ave., Roxboro Rd., Limerick.

Email: revival1@eircom.net

Submission guidelines: www.revivalpress.com

Willesden Herald Short Story

Another round for the lovely people in Willesden. A prestigious, quirky competition.
Website here. Register online

Fee: £3 One entry per person only.

Deadline: 7 December 2010

Judge: Maggie Gee has agreed to choose the winning entry. Although they are filtered to an anonymous longlist...

Word limit this year: 7,500. A lot longer than many.

The prizes for 2011 are:

1st place: £300 plus a one-off Willesden Herald mug inscribed "The Willesden Short Story Prize 2011"

2nd: 2 x £150 (two runners-up)

All ten shortlisted stories will be included in "New Short Stories 5" to be published by Pretend Genius Press.

Author compensation for inclusion in New Short Stories is limited to 2 complimentary copies of the anthology.

The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story - Launch Reading

I would like this book for Christmas please

Lyrical, dark, comic or iconoclastic, the Irish short story has always punched well above its weight. Here, Anne Enright, the Man Booker Prize-winning author, has brought together a rich new collection of Irish short stories by authors born in the 20th Century – from Mary Lavin and Frank O’Connor

With a pithy and passionate introduction by Enright, The Granta Book of the Irish Short Story traces this great tradition through decades of social change, and shows the pleasure Irish writers continue to take in the short story form. Deft and often devastating, the short story dodges the rolling mythologies of Irish life to produce truths that are delightful and real.

Eugene McCabe, Colm Toibin and Hugo Hamilton, introduced by Anne Enright

Synge Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College, Dublin

Tuesday 23rd November 2010 at 7.30 pm

Admission free.

Booking: 01 674 4873 Email: dublinpubliclibraries@dublincity.ie

For further information, please contact Cormac Kinsella on 01 634 9924 or ckinsella@repforce.ie

Arguments on Funding for the Arts

Read this from Michael O' Loughlin in the Poetry Ireland news.

"The arts are not educational. The arts are not good for your health. They are not an economic activity...Art is the enemy of culture, in the sense that culture is always something dead, something safe, something which has been assimilated. Art on the other hand, should retain the element of danger..."

then go to this

On Wednesday 1st December the Irish Writers' Centre presents an open panel discussion on how the current economic climate is affecting modern writing in Ireland. Panellists from many areas across the Arts Sector will join together under one roof to discuss the impending budget and its possible effect on modern and aspiring writers as well as the dwindling number of arts organisations across the country.
The discussion will be chaired by poet Michael O' Loughlin, co-founder of Raven Arts Press. O’ Loughlin will be joined by The Sunday Business Post’s Books and Arts Editor Nadine O’Regan, Sean Love, co-founder of Fighting Words and former Amnesty Ireland director, Gavin Kostick award-winning playwright, literary officer for Fishamble and Gerry Smyth, Managing Editor of the Irish Times and celebrated poet.

The discussion will begin at 7pm and is open to the general public.

Dublin City Arts Grants

Arts Grants 2011 ARTS FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 2011 ARTS ACT 2003 In accordance with its Arts Service Plan, Dublin City Council invites applications for funding towards arts projects and programmes in the city which are complementary to the following objectives: Achieving quality provision of the arts and cultural services Supporting the established and emerging artist Ensuring equality of public access to and participation in the arts, particularly through the city neighbourhoods Encouraging awareness, education and research in the arts Supporting the sustainable and strategic development of arts initiatives Application forms, guidelines and criteria may be obtained from: City Arts Office, Dublin City Council, The LAB, Foley St., Dublin 1. Tel: 222 5455 or E-mail: victoria.kearney@dublincity.ie Click here to download the guidelines for Art Funding 2011 Click here to download the application for Art Funding 2011 Deadline: 5pm on Friday 26th November 2010.

Are you free?

Here's one only for people who don't work full time. I mean seriously, is public art only for people who don't work regular hours?

 Thursday 25 November 2010, 4.30pm
 

Public Art Panel
 The Relevance of Public Art (Part II)

This is the second debate in a series that will explore the role of Public Art in modern society. Today’s talk will look at how Public Art now embraces many artforms and varied forms of expression. Has this brought art closer to the public or has it made art more confusing and oblique?

The panel will be chaired by Terre Duffy, Public Art Manager, Donegal County Council and panellists will be: writer, Dermot Bolger; choreographer, Fearghus Ó Conchúir; performance artist, Michelle Browne and arts writer and journalist Gemma Tipton.

Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane in partnership with the Dublin City Public Art Programme, Dublin City Council Arts Office.

No booking necessary, however early arrival is recommended as places are limited.

Writing Spirit

I don't know much about this online outfit writing4all. Does anyone else?

They have a competition that pays well,

Deadline: 30 November 2010

Entry fee is €7 per story (no more than 4,000 words) and €7 per collection of poems (minimum of 4 poems, maximum of 10 poems).

Fiction
First Prize: €1000
Second Prize: €200
Third Prize: €100

Poetry
First Prize: €1000
Second Prize: €200
Third Prize: €100.
The prize-winning stories, along with 17 merited stories will be published in an anthology at the end of the competition. The prize-winning collections of poems, along with other merited poems will be published in a separate anthology when the competition has concluded.

It's a bit complicated with 4 rounds in the year. At the end of each round, the best stories and collections of poems, as chosen by a panel of judges in the case of the fiction and as chosen by John W. Sexton in the case of the poetry, will be shortlisted for the Award. Each of the previous 3 round's shortlists are on the website. Except the last poetry list which seems to be late.

At the end of the competition, the judges will choose the six highest-ranking stories and John W. Sexton will choose the six highest ranking collections of poems from the shortlists. The top three winning stories will be chosen from these six stories by the Grand Judge, renowned author Fred Johnston. The top three winning collections of poems will be chosen from these six collections of poems by John W. Sexton.

Submit by post or email.

For a full set of rules and guidelines click here: http://www.writing4all.ie/site/catalogues/entry/writing4all_writing/yes.htm

Short Stories for BBC Radio 4

Radio 4 are reading now for their popular year round short story slot. broadcast in the Afternoon Reading slot at 3:30 pm.

Deadline: 30 November 

They say:
We are looking for original short stories which work being read out loud - ie with a strong emphasis on narrative, and avoiding too much dialogue, character description, and digression.  Pay particular attention to how the story opens and closes.  We’ll be looking to see whether the beginning of a story successfully links to how it ends.

We are interested in seeing stories which cover a broad range of subject matter, but material which explores particularly dark, harrowing themes is not best suited to Opening Lines.

The BBC has a rigorous taste and decency policy so we cannot accept stories of a sexist or racist nature, or those which use the stronger swear words. The time allotted for each story is around 14 minutes, which means stories must be between 1,900 and 2,000 words in length.

Link here.

One submission per writer

Art/Writing Talks

This sounds interesting.

The Art/Writing Talks are a series of three exploratory talks, panel discussions of invited speakers, curated by Fiona Fullam and funded by the Arts Council.

The Art/Writing Talks consider and explore the intersection of art and writing. What forms can art-writing take and how and where can this kind of work be disseminated? Art-writing could be said to include critical writing, reviews, related theoretical or philosophical writing, art-writing – which links the visual and the textual, and also textual visual art. Where and what are the links between these and what kinds of knowledge can be produced at these points of intersection? What could be lost or gained in moving beyond conventional discursive approaches into using visual and textual material? Are notions of authorship affected by the interdisciplinary nature of this kind of work?

These discussions aim to bring together writers, art practitioners and art-writers for a public exchange of ideas and endeavour to investigate and develop a range of ways of reading or responding to and discussing such work, both individually and collaboratively.

The talks take place at The Dock, Carrick-On-Shannon, Co Leitrim, at Spike Island in Bristol and at The Goethe Institute, Dublin.

The Dock -13th November, 2pm: 
Art/Writing: Writers, Writing and Exhibition-Making.
Speakers are David Berridge, Declan Long and Tine Melzer.

Spike Island – 27th November, 2pm: 
Art/Writing: Text and Context.
Speakers are Daniel Jewesbury, Tamarin Norwood and Jesse Jones.

The Goethe Institute – 11th December, 2pm: 
Art/Writing: Place and Possibility.
Speakers are Maria Fusco, Maeve Connolly.

Art/Writing is curated by Fiona Fullam.

http://artwritingtalks.wordpress.com

Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet Competition

The Poetry Business has been around for a while so they must be doing something right. The magazine The North is highly regarded.

JUDGE: Simon Armitage

DEADLINE: Last posting on Monday 29th November 2010 (or for online entries, 1st December)

ENTRY FEE: £25 — or £20 for Friends and subscribers. £1 surcharge is applied to entries submitted online.

Entrants are invited to submit a short collection of poems (20-24 pages), for the chance to win:

* book publication & six free copies (for the overall winner),
* pamphlet publication & 20 free copies (for three/four first-stage winners),
* a share of £2,000 prize money,
* a poetry reading hosted by The Poetry Business,
* publication in The North magazine
* and a session with Compass Points, NAWE’s popular professional development planning and coaching service.

Poems may have been published elsewhere, but must not have previously appeared as a published collection.

Website here.

They also say:
If you can't afford the entry fee this year but still want to submit your poems, you're more than welcome to send up to six to The North magazine. (This is of course free of charge.)

Want to read at the Whitehouse?

That's the one in Limerick, by the way.

I read there this year and they were a welcoming bunch who grilled me after like a chipolata.

The Whitehouse Poetry Revival is currently booking guest poets for its weekly readings during 2010, to take place every Wednesday at the White House pub, O'Connell Street, Limerick.

If overnight accommodation is needed or wanted we will be happy to facilitate this at a very close by B&B (two minutes walking distance from the pub) and we can also pay you a sum for your reading.  Our readings provide an excellent opportunity to poets to present their work to an audience as well an opportunity to sell their books (so be sure to bring some!).  We will also be delighted to cater for the launching of collections.
 Interested poets may contact me by email at edodwyer84 AT gmail.com with any queries.  Send a brief biography with emails.

Kilkenny County Bursary

Kilkenny County Council Arts Office is now inviting artists working across all art forms to apply for its Arts Office 2010 Bursary. Applications will be accepted from individual creative practitioners working in any art form to enable them to pursue their practice, to develop within their chosen discipline, including research and development, professional development, formal education, collaborative projects and activities, multidisciplinary projects and equipment.

Individuals seeking assistance must be involved in arts activities which, in the opinion of the Arts Office Develop knowledge of the arts and arts practice, their own practice and that of others. They must seek to promote the arts and arts practice to the public and develop an appreciation of the arts and their own practice and that of others. Undertakings should also assist in improving the standards of the arts and arts practice.

The Arts Office is encouraging individuals seeking assistance to involve others in their project, to assist and develop collaborative practice and engage with others in the execution of their activity or project.

Deadline: 4pm on Monday 22nd November 2010

Website here

Poets to Check Out - Tania Davis

How to be Alone by Tania Davis. Lovely film too.

Abridged 0 – 22: Nostalgia is a Loaded Gun

Abridged, the poetry/art magazine is looking for submissions for its Nostalgia is a Loaded Gun issue. A maximum of 3 poems may be submitted of any length.

Art can be up to A4 size and can be in any media. It should be at least 300 dpi.

Submissions can be emailed to abridged@ymail.com
or posted to: Abridged c/o The Verbal Arts Centre, Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street Within, Derry BT48 6PU.

Deadline: 1st December 2010

They say:

We have built an entire economy on the enigmatic pull of nostalgia, on that 'heap of broken images' that intersect like shattered glass on our consciousness. The recent burial of said economy is proof of the flimsy, fickle nature of nostalgia. Nostalgia is a 'dead tree' that we cling to in desperate hope that some kernel of a longed for but ancient reality will drop from it. It is a cyanide pill that offers us no hope of touching what it is that we have lost. It is the air breathed by the past, whispered in our ears on frosty November nights. It promises reprieve but delivers nothing we can touch. It cannot be trusted. It cannot be believed. Nostalgia is a loaded gun.

Literary Agents in and around Ireland

I have posted about Irish agents before. It is consistently my most popular post. So I thought I'd do it again. I'm updating it with some names you may not have heard, agents not necessarily based in Ireland but who are or have been looking in Ireland for Irish-based writers, including one who asked to be included so she's actively looking.

The Lisa Richards Agency
108 Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4
Tel: 00 353 1 637 5000
e-mail: info@lisarichards.ie
Contact: Faith O’Grady
Website here

Seeks - Writers of Fiction, Non-Fiction,Childrens and Screenplays.
Send synopsis, 2 -3 speciman chapters, cover letter and s.a.e.

Authors include June Considine, Roisin Meaney, Laura Cassidy, Martin Malone, Pauline McLynn, David Maybury, David O’Doherty, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Homan Potterton, Kevin Rafter, Denise Deegan, Paul Howard (Ross O’Carroll-Kelly,) Roisin Ingle and Hector.
Last I heard, Faith was on maternity leave.

The most high profile one (but Jonathan is a bit grumpy when I've met him.)
Jonathan Williams Literary Agency
Rosney Mews, Upper Glenageary Road, Glenageary, Co Dublin
Tel: (01) 2803482

Literary Agency, evaluating, editing, rewriting, proof reading, consultancy; General fiction and non-fiction, preferably by Irish authors (home 10%) Will suggest revision;

The Book Bureau
7 Duncairn Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow
Tel: (01) 2764996
email: thebookbureau@oceanfree.net
Contact: Geraldine Nichol

Full-length MSS (home 100%, USA 15%,translation 20%) Fiction preferred -thrillers, Irish novels, Literary fiction,women’s novels and general commercial. No horror, science fiction, children’s or Poetry. Strong editorial support.
Preliminary letter,synopsis and 3 sample chapters.

Marianne Gunne-O’Connor
Suite 17 Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 6779100
mgoclitagency@eircom.net

Commercial and literary fiction, non-fiction, biography, children's fiction (UK 15%, overseas 20%, film/TV 20%). Send preliminary letter plus half-page synopsis and first 50pp.
Authors: Cecelia Ahern, Chris Binchy, Ken Bruen, Claudia Carroll, Julie Dam, Noelle Harrison, Claire Kilroy, Patrick McCabe, Mike McCormack, Paddy McMahon, Anita Notaro, Morag Prunty, Niall Williams. Founded 1996.
However a friend of mine sent the standard 3 chapters and a synopsis and received a letter back, return of post saying they don't take unsolicited so I suggest you write a really good query letter first.

Sally Anne Sweeney wrote to me so they are definitely looking. She's at
Watson, Little Ltd
48-56 Bayham Place, London NW1 0EU
Tel: 020 7388 7529
Website here

She is very interested in writers from Ireland and handles a wide range of commercial and literary fiction and non-fiction.
They represent Geraldine O'Neill and Juliet Bressan as well as Christopher Fowler, Adam Hart-Davis, James Wong, Lynne Reid Banks and Hans Christian Andersen award-winner Margaret Mahy among others.

Font International
Hollyville House, Hollybrook Rd, Clontarf, Dublin 3
Tel: (01) 8532356
info@fontwriters.com
www.fontwriters.com
Contacts: Ita O’Driscoll, Orna Ross
Commission 15%,Overseas 20%.
Experienced published writers only. Adult fiction, non-fiction. (No childrens, drama, sci-fi, erotic,technical or poetry.)  (as if!)
Unsolicited manuscripts will be returned unopened. Cover letter, word count, SAE for return.
Their writers include Amanda Brunker, Paul Kilduff, Evelyn Cosgrove, Garbhan Downey and Aine Greaney.

Curtis Brown
5th Floor, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, LONDON SW1Y 4SP
Website here.

Literary Agent Sheila Crowley began her career in publishing at Poolbeg in Dublin before moving to the UK in 1991, and went on to hold several key positions and most recently at Curtis Brown.

She focuses primarily on women’s commercial fiction, thrillers, mind, body, spirit, sport and celebrity books, young adult and children's fiction and general mass-market non-fiction.

Most of Sheila's authors have moved with her. They include: Tasmina Perry, Jojo Moyes, Santa Montefiore, Melissa Hill, Rachel Hore, Alison Kervin, Shari Low, Kitty Sewell

Gregory & Company
3 Barb Mews, Hammersmith, London W6 7PA
tel: +44 (0) 20 7610 4676
website here
Jane Gregory specialises in crime fiction and up-market commercial fiction. Among the many authors Jane represents are: Adele Geras, Mo Hayder, Val McDermid, Chris Simms, Martyn Waites and Minette Walters.

Interview here at Mslexia.

The following are some new ones who popped up when I googled. I know no more about them.  
Caveat Emptor.

Prizeman & Kinsella
Contact: Patricia Prizeman and Yvonne Kinsella
Phone: 0035314440876
Mobile: 00353 86 826883 / 86 9883335
Email: info@prizemankinsella.com
website here

They are particularly interested in submissions of non-fiction, fiction, crime, human interest, children and teenage books, cookery and sport manuscripts. Not poetry. (as if!)

Walsh Communications
Swords, Co Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 86 6069313
website here

Contact Emma Walsh was talking at the Irish Writers Centre in the summer.
They say they manage some of the most exciting new literary talent in Ireland today and helps build writing careers worldwide. In 2009 Walsh Communications Literary Agency were the agents for three Irish top ten bestsellers.

Author Rights Agency
Contact: Svetlana Pironko
e-mail: submissions@authorrightsagency.com.
20 Victoria Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Website guidelines here

Author Rights Agency represents a number of Irish, British and American writers for world rights. Among them, Ken Bruen, Craig McDonald, Kathy Page, Celine Kiernan, Bob Burke.

They currently concentrate on creative fiction of literary quality in many forms: literary fiction (contemporary and historical subjects), crime and ‘noir’, fantasy and sci-fi, women’s fiction, children’s and young adult fiction.

Poetry Bus Launch

Soundings | The Poetry Bus @ The Glór Sessions

Come one, come all and get on the bus!

When: Monday 8 November @ 8.00pm

Gill & Macmillan in association with The Poetry Bus Magazine @ The Glór Sessions present a celebration of the relaunch of Soundings.

Who: Poets including Peadar O'Donoghue, Stephen James Smith, Colm Keegan, Kate Dempsey, Niamh Bagnell, Triona Walsh, Mags Treanor  and PJ Nolan will read some of their work from The Poetry Bus, as well as their choice from Soundings.

Colm Ó Snodaigh of Kila will provide music for the evening.

Where: Upstairs at the International Bar, 23 Wicklow St, D2

Not having an Irish education, I've never read Soundings. Any suggestions for a good one to pick?

(Make your own bus slogan here )

Interesting Links

Stephen Fry on the Language Nazis.

An engineers' guide to cats. Check out the yodeling at about 5 minutes in.

Thoughts on  visiting writers' homes here and here. Emily Dickinson's chamber pot? Fake maps of Tom Sawyers fence? Personally I think the money could often be better spent grants to living writers and events.

Reader's Reviews on  Amazon for famour books at Rachelle Gardner's blog.

What Editors do at Bookhugger.

The Manchester Review an online mag with heavyweight names.

Paris Short Story Contest

Paris Short Story Contest
Deadline: 30th November 2010
Fees: 10 Euro for one entry.

Short fiction (with some link to Paris)

Prize: 200 euros for first prize, plus publication of twelve best stories

Restrictions: Maximum 5,000 words. Submission in the body of the email only.

Contest is open to writers worldwide. See their site for judges, editorial committee and FAQs.

Email: pariswritersnews@gmail.com

Website: http://parisstoriescontest.blogspot.com/

Deadline: 20 November 2010

Enniscorthy 1500 : Scalderverse

There's still time for submissions for this:

Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford is currently celebrating the 1500th anniversary of its foundation in 510AD. As part of the anniversary celebrations, local newspaper the Enniscorthy Echo has been featuring a weekly poetry column, entitled Scalderverse. (Natives of Enniscorthy town are traditionally known as ‘Scalders’)

This weekly column features a poem by a local writer - or which references some aspect of the town itself - in each issue of the Echo from mid-June to end of November 2010.

Unpublished poems reflecting contemporary life in Enniscorthy are particularly welcome.

Poets from further afield are also welcome to submit poems which specifically reference some aspect of Enniscorthy or its surroundings.

Scalderverse is curated - and occasionally illustrated - by Padhraig Nolan.

NOTE : There is a production limitation of 40 lines of verse, including stanza breaks, for each poem. A maximum of three poems, with a short biographical note, should be emailed for consideration to scalderverse[at_symbol]gmail.com.

Poetry as part of Béal

The Béal Festival begins on Wednesday the 3rd of November with the evocatively titled the phases of the night, a voice and clarinet recital, given by Paul Roe (clarinets) and Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano) with readings by poet Billy Mills in the Kevin Barry Room of the National Concert Hall.

This performance will feature works by Ian Wilson, Ailís Ní Ríain, Fergal Dowling, Derek Ball and others. Later at 9pm, conversation drifts up the ventilation shaft, is an informal evening of bands and poetry with a DJ-set including Mikel Rouse’s text-based electronic tour-de-force Autorequiem at Shebeen Chic.

On Thursday the 4th Béal will present a reading by renowned actor Ingrid Craigie of John Ashbery’s marathon poem The System with improvised electronic music by Francis Heery at 12:30 in the Goethe Institute.

The festival will close with cusps of light cut dazzle, a concert given by professional vocal ensemble, Milltown Chamber Choir conducted by Orla Flanagan, with poetry readings by poets Maurice Scully and Catherine Walsh and works by David Bremner, Grainne Mulvey, Jonathan Nangle, Laura Kilty and Donal Sarsfield on Thursday evening in Trinity College Chapel.

Poetry in Paris

If you find yourself at a loose end in Paris of a Monday night, like tonight, try this out.

Girls' Guide to Paris

English-language poetry reading in the 20th Arrondissement that takes place every Monday night from October through the winter.

The rotating MC, identifiable by a top hat, comes around before the show and asks if anyone is interested in signing up. Spoken Word takes place at the Culture Rapide bar, in the happening neighborhood of the Belleville Chinatown.

They're on facebook
and here


rue de Belleville, in the 19th Arrondissement. 

I read here in September and they were a friendly, diverse crowd from France, UK, Australia, Ireland, USA and Eastern Europe.