Monday 29 April 2013

Blue Max Review - Fermoy Festival

Fancy a trip to Fermoy? This one is not free to enter, although it may look like it is. It's 10 Euro.
 The Blue Max Review competition for poets resident on the island of Ireland and international poets is now open.

Fermoy International Poetry Festival are calling for submissions for this year’s Irish competition for entry into the BLUE MAX REVIEW

This year’s festival will run from Thursday August 1st to Monday August 5th. 
The prize for the successful poet living on the island of Ireland will be €300 and they will also read at the festival. For international poets living outside of the island of Ireland there will be three winners who will be flown to Ireland for the Fermoy International Poetry Festival and will also read at the festival. 
We are delighted to announce that poet Noel King is this year’s competition judge.

International entrants must be resident outside the island of Ireland
Irish entrants must be resident on the island of Ireland
Entrants can submit only once
Three poems per submission
Poems submitted must be unpublished
Submissions will only be accepted by post to:

Submissions
Fermoy International Poetry Festival
Festival Office
7 Store Lane
Fermoy
County Cork
Ireland

Saturday 27 April 2013

Google Poetics

Warning: Addictive

Google Poetics is born when Google autocomplete suggestions are viewed as poems.

Google’s algorithm offers searches after just a few keystrokes when typing in the search box, in an attempt to predict what the user wants to type. The combination of these suggestions can be funny, absurd, dadaistic - and sometimes even deeply moving.

There is, however, more to these poems than just the occasional chuckle. The Google autocomplete suggestions are based on previous searches by actual people all around the world. In the cold blue glow of their computer screens, they ask “why am I alone” and “why do fat girls have high standards”. They wonder how to roll a joint and whether it is too early to say “I love you”. They seek information on ninjas, cannibals, and Rihanna, and sometimes they just ask “am I better off dead?”

See some recent ones on the website here
Now try your own and email them screenshots. General screenshot instructions: http://take-a-screenshot.org/ Snipping tool is good if you have Windows 7.

Aim for poetic results. Avoid common, trite phrases such as ones including the word “lyrics”.
Read yours out loud first.

Email address for submissions is english@googlepoetics.com. Their aim is to publish all the poems that they like.

Maybe a phrase or phrase couplet will spark a longer poem.  

Thursday 25 April 2013

UK Poetry Magazines - The Wolf

Here's a UK magazine that's held in high regards (who's holding? Who's regarding?)

The Wolf.

It was founded in April 2002 with a clear emphasis on publishing emerging new poets alongside more established writers. It is now published three times a year and edited by James Byrne .

You can subscribe by PayPal or buy it in the Winding Stair in Dublin.

Please send submissions to the following email address:
submissions@thewolfpoetry.org.uk

Please submit no more than 5 poems.

The editor prefers poems to hold a modernist aesthetic over the postmodern. Experimental over mainstream. Serious over light verse.

Website: http://www.wolfmagazine.co.uk/

You can read an online version here from 2008

Tuesday 23 April 2013

Boyle Arts Festival Poetry Competition 2013

From Michael Farry's blog (honorary Poetry Divo)

Prizes:  €500 first prize plus 4 x €50 highly commended.

Deadline: 15 June.

Shortlisted poems will be notified ahead of the awards which will be held on Sunday 28 July 2013  in King House, Boyle at 7pm.

Rules:
Entry Fee €5 per poem
Entry form must accompany poems. (from the website)

Judge
Poems will be judged by Geraldine Mills who has published two collections of short stories and four collections of poetry.


Workshop
Geraldine will also be hosting a poetry workshop, "Wordstitching" on Sunday 28th July between 11.30 and 1pm, €20.
This workshop is aimed at writers who wish to explore the elements that are necessary to produce a good poem. Using a series of short writing exercises, participants will engage with weaving words together to create a poem that is a primary experience for writer and reader.

More information and entry forms from the website
Keep an eye on it for the festival programme.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Five Words International Poetry Competition 2013-14

New from Ó Bhéal, Cork.


Each week on Tuesday at midday (GMT), from the 16th of April 2013, five words are posted at this link. Entrants have one week to compose and submit one (or more) poem(s): poems that must include all five words.

At noon next Tuesday, these words will no longer be eligible, and replaced with five new words. The competition will run for a total of forty weeks, until the last week of January 2014. One winner will win 500 euro and if available, then invited to read at Ó Bhéal’s seventh anniversary event, on Monday 14th of April, 2014 (an additional travel fee of 100 euro plus B&B accommodation will be provided for this)..

For this week’s words, submissions and guidelines click here.

This week's words are

january  nail  tender  celery  oviform

Entry fee €5 per poem.

Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks)

Friday 19 April 2013

New Poetry Divas Pamphlet

Breaking News!

The fabulous Poetry Divas are working on a brand new poetry pamphlet. It will follow in the footsteps of

(do pamphlets step? do pamphlets have feet?)

  • Poetry Divas 1 (The Pink One)
  • Poetry Divas 2 (The Blue One)
  • Poetry Divas 3 (The Green One)

We are going to name this one, imaginatively,

Poetry Divas 4 

and this one's colour will be purple. Oh yes!

It will feature some favourites and some new poems from regulars and will be available from Saturday 27th April when we will be reading at the Dundalk Book Festival.

Taking pre orders now if you can't make it to Dundalk.



Poetry Divas inc P&P

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Eleventh John Hewitt Spring Festival


This year's Spring Festival takes place on Friday 10th & Saturday 11th May 2013 at Carnlough’s Londonderry Arms Hotel on the Antrim coast.
  
This, the eleventh John Hewitt Spring Festival, offers an exciting day of literature and the arts with Ronan Bennett, Louise Doughty, Sarfraz Manzoor, Kim Lenaghan, Cherry Smyth, Kenneth Irvine, Michael McKimm, Elaine Gaston, Heather Newcombe, Cahal Dallat and Anne-Marie Fyfe.

The theme for this year's Spring Festival and Summer School is "Living Among Strangers".
 
Full Spring Festival programme (Friday 10th & Saturday 11th May 2013):
  
Friday 10th May 2013:

7:00pm - Creative Writing Workshop - Cherry Smyth

Saturday 11th May 2013:

11:00am Coffee

11:15am Great Northern Novel

2:30pm Race, Religion, Rock ’n ’Roll: Sarfraz Manzoor in conversation with C.L. Dallat

4:30pm Local Poets: Cherry Smyth, Heather Newcombe, Elaine Gaston and Michael McKimm  

6:30pm Drinks Reception

7:00pm Dinner

8:30pm Living Among Strangers: Ronan Bennett and Louise Doughty introduced by Anne-Marie Fyfe
 

Monday 15 April 2013

Éigse Michael Hartnett

On Sat 27th of April join us for a fest of Hartnett

We kick off at 2.45 at Ed Lynch's for Ned's annual rendition of "The Ballad of Salad Sunday".

We move to The Red Door at 3pm for the official launch of "I Live in Michael Hartnett", an anthology of poems dedicated to Hartnett: edited by James Lawlor and published by Revival Press in conjunction with Limerick Co Co . The anthology will be launched by Paula Meehan.

Then we move to Cleary's Bar at 4pm where contributing poets are invited to read from the anthology and we will also have readings from Hartnett's work.

Saturday 13 April 2013

Paula Meehan in Maynooth

A Poetry Reading with Paula Meehan

All Welcome!

Venue: JHL3, John Hume Building, North Campus, NUIM
Date: Wednesday April 17, 2013
Time: 6.30pm

Paula Meehan is one of Ireland’s leading contemporary poets. Her six collections include: The Man Who Was Marked by Winter (1991), Dharmakaya (2000) and Making Rain (2009). Mysteries of the Home, a selection of her early poetry, was recently re-issued by Dedalus press.


DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH SEMINAR SERIES SPRING 2013


School of English, Media & Theatre Studies
NUI Maynooth

Thursday 11 April 2013

Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend

The 9th Annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend 2013 will take place from Friday May 3th – Sunday May 6th at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort Achill.

The weekend will be formally opened by Professor Enda Mc Donagh at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, Dugort, at 7.30pm on Friday May 3rd .

In 2013 the weekend event will focus on the work of American painter Robert Henri, who worked on Achill 100 years ago this year. We will also host a series of readings and a celebrate the contribution to literature of Achill born poet John F Deane which will mark his 70th birthday.

From 5.00pm Friday there will be a documentary exhibition of reproductions of Robert Henri’s Achill portraits at Áras Forbairt Acla, Crumpaun Keel.

American curator Valerie Ann Leeds, will give an illustrated lecture focusing on the work of Robert Henri in Achill entitled; Robert Henri. From New York to Corrymore.

On Saturday morning Guided Walk with Eoin Halpin; Corrymore House / Lake. Meet at MCC Waterworks.

On Saturday afternoon the Heinrich Böll cottage will be opened to members of the public.

There will be a Poetry Reading with Padraig J. Daly / Fiona Sampson / James Harpur /Harry Clifton. Cyril Gray Hall. Dugort - followed by a creative writing seminar hosted by poets Eva Bourke and Gerard Smyth at the Cyril Gray Hall.

Lecture by visual artist René Böll focusing on research work on Cillíní on Achill Island.

Talks on Robert Henri by Tom Mac Namara Identifying the sitters; Robert Henri’s portraits of children from Dooagh. and by visual artist Deirdre Walsh ”The Art Spirit” Robert Henri focusing on the influence of Robert Henri as teacher, at Áras Forbairt Acla, Crumpaun Keel.

Portrait exhibition Portraits by Claire Walsh at Western Light Art Gallery.

On Saturday evening Maurice Harmon will deliver a new lecture 'Lonesome, between times'. The Poetry of John F. Deane, - this will be followed by a reading by John F. Deane. Chaired by Jack Harte. St. Thomas’s Church Dugort.

On Sunday morning a guided walk on Inishbiggle Island, and a lecture by Revd Canon Professor Patrick Comerford history of Church of Ireland Inishbiggle.

This will be followed by poetry readings from Paddy Bushe / Eva Bourke / Jan Wagner/, with introduction by Mechtild Manus Director Goethe-Institut Irland. Island Church Inishbiggle. Later Sunday afternoon talk by Patrick Comerford ‘The poet as theologian, the theologian as poet’ ... a theologian’s engagement with John F. Deane,

followed by poetry readings by Maurice Harmon / Harry Clifton / Gerard Smyth / James Harpur / Padraig J. Daly/ Jacques Rancourt at Bunnacurry School.

Weekend finishes on Monday May 6th with a Guided Walk at Bunnacurry Monastery Site. With Poetry readings on site by Jacques Rancourt / John F Deane / Fiona Sampson / Jan Wagner / Paddy Bushe.

Further details and to register ; www.heinrichboellcottage.com

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Cork-Shanghai Residency

Applications are invited from Cork-born or resident writers for the position of writer in residence in Shanghai. The position is offered as part of an exchange between The Munster Literature Centre and the Shanghai Writers' Association. The residency will cover the period September 1st to October 31st.  
 
The successful candidate would partake in the Shanghai Writing Programme, which involves up to eight writers drawn from across the world, interacting with their Chinese counterparts and one another. The Munster Literature Centre would arrange events with the Shanghai expatriate Anglophone community and Cork City Council would also arrange appearances at a number of nearby cities for the successful applicant. It is envisaged that the successful applicant would also have plenty of opportunity to concentrate on their own writing. 

A Chinese writer will take up residency in Cork at the same time the Cork writer is in Shanghai. The initiative is part of Cork City's twinning relationship with Shanghai, but applications will be accepted also from Cork County writers. 
 
The Shanghai Writers' Association will provide travel, accommodation and a daily stipend of RMB100 (approx. €12). The Munster Literature Centre will provide a top-up sum of €1000. 
 
Applicants must have at least one book professionally published (either fiction or poetry) and be either born or resident in Cork City/County. Since the successful candidate will be a guest of the Chinese government she/he must agree to respect local customs and sensitivities. Authors who have previously participated in the Shanghai Writers' Programme are not eligible to apply again.

Sunday 7 April 2013

Poetry with Rita Ann Higgins and Paula Meehan

Two terrific poets in one evening. Lush!

Part of the Five Lamps Festival


18:30, Thu 11 Apr

 

The Lab, 1 Foley Street, Dublin 1
A poetry reading with Rita Ann Higgins and Paula Meehan will take place and is part of the Five Lamps Art Festival

They have other stuff on North of the Liffey. Full programme is here

Admission is free.

Friday 5 April 2013

Poetry for Beginners: From Dabbling to Diving

The poet Mark Granier is teaching an interesting course on Poetry as part of the Adult Education series in UCD.

in Belfield

starting 15th April for 6 Mondays

FEE €115

Patrick Kavanagh once wrote: ‘I dabbled in verse and it became my life.’ Have you ever dabbled and wanted to take it farther? Or read a poem and thought ‘That’s amazing! How is it done or could I do it?’ Ever wondered why rhyme sometimes works (and often doesn’t), or what makes poetry different from prose? Or why line-breaks are important? Though designed for beginners, this course is also suitable for those who have written some poetry and are now looking for direction and feedback from others at a similar stage. Apart from the basics (learning how to break into the blank page with triggering exercises etc.), sessions will involve discussion of a number of poems by established poets whose methods and techniques will be examined. Rather than critiquing students’ earlier work, the emphasis will be on producing something new and surprising, having an adventure with language.

Link here 

Provisional list of key topics to be covered:

  • Rhyme
  • Metaphor
  • Imagery
  • Riddles
  • Rhythm
  • Prose Poetry
  • Meter
  • Blank Verse
  • Sonnets
  • Haiku
  • Parallelism (and more)
Who is the course for?
Serious Beginners or writers who want to try something different

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Revival Submissions

Revival Literary Journal No. 26 from Limerick is calling for submissions from local, national and international poets and writers for issue 26 which will be published in June 2013.
The deadline for submissions is:   Fri 26th April 2013
 
Poetry send to:  revival.lit@gmail.com
Prose/Reviews send to:   limerickwriterscentre@gmail.com
 

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Cáca Milis Dublin Kick-Off Cabaret

The BEWLEYS CAFÉ THEATRE

SATURDAY 6th April, 9pm

We're delighted to invite you to our first appearance this year in Dublin, to kick off a series of gigs at the wonderful Bewleys Café Theatre, 79 Grafton Street, Dublin 2. Booking is absolutely necessary for this event, as seating is limited - only 40 seats total - so get yours asap!

Mistress of Ceremonies Helena Mulkerns teams up with Pianoman Josh Johnston for some cabaret classics old and new, and you won't want to miss: Singer Caitriona O'Leary with haunting Irish sounds;
The Revelator Orchestra with author Peter Murphy and Acko Atkinson; dance from The Orchids Troupe; Kick-ass C&W with Brendan McCarthy; poetry from Emer Martin and Burlesques turn from Dahila Allure.

Book: bewleysbookings@gmail.com or phone +353 (0) 87 989-2994

Monday 1 April 2013

Brontë Society - Creative competition

The Publications and Conference Committee of the Brontë Society is pleased to announce the opening of the new Creative Competition.

Categories and Judges:
Short story - Dame Margaret Drabble
Poetry - Simon Armitage, CBE
Illustration - Victoria Brookland

In the first category, short stories, the challenge will be to create a story around one of the minor characters in one of the seven Brontë novels; for example, in 'Jane Eyre', Helen Burns’ life before she came to Lowood School.

In the poetry section we are looking for unusual personal responses to one of the Brontës' novels or poems.

For the illustration section, a new visual strand, we are looking for black-and-white illustrations of a specific scene, as described in one of the novels.

Prizes
£500 first prize, £250 second prize, and £100 third prize will be awarded in each category.

Entry fee is £10. (Steep? Especially for a single poem)

Entries are to be sent to the Brontë Parsonage, Haworth, West Yorkshire, BD22 8DR.

Deadline: 31 January, 2014.

Link here