Earagail Arts Festival

Donegal get it on.

When: 4 - 19 July
Where: Donegal

THE MUSE OF THE SEVEN SISTERS
Dé Satharn 11ú / Saturday 11th - €10/€8 per workshop / performance
Caisleán Ghleann Bheithe /
Glenveagh Castle, Drawing Room
2pm - 4pm Poetry Workshop with Aifric Mac Aodha
4pm - 6pm Script writing Workshop with Peter Salisbury
8pm - 10pm Poetry and music with Celia De Fréine, Paul Perry, Nessa O’Mahony and Dermot Mc Laughlin

A bi-lingual celebration of spoken word and literature at Glenveagh Castle, in the shadow of the Seven Sisters - seven peaks of the Derryveagh mountain range - with readings and music by some of Ireland’s leading writers and poets including the Patrick Kavanagh Award winner Celia de Fréine and The Hennessy New Irish Writer awardee Paul Perry, Aifric Mac Aodha and Peter Salisbury. Writer in Residence at the John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies at UCD, Nessa O’Mahony, will be accompanied by the renowned traditional musician, producer, broadcaster and writer Dermot Mc Laughlin for a very special peak performance in one of West Donegal’s most scenic locations.

THE HOUSE OF WORDS
Saturday 18th - €10/€8 per workshop/ performance
Rathmullan, Rathmullan House Hotel
11.30am Writer’s in Conversation - Hosted by Dermot Bolger
1.30pm Writer’s Workshop with Brian Keenan
3.30pm Poetry Workshop with Cathal Mc Cabe
8.00pm Poetry Performance with Jennifer Johnston /
Dermot Bolger / Cathal Mc Cabe

A day of readings, workshops and conversation about the business of writing, curated and introduced by Dermot Bolger with Brian Keenan, Jennifer Johnston and Cathal McCabe. Hosted in the stately surroundings of Rathmullan House, the day-long series of events will be presented across 4 individual sessions designed for aspiring writers, fans and those just passionate about literature.

I love Kinsale. Why not go there for Arts Week. Possibly because some of the events are quite expensive.

Theo Dorgan - Poetry Cruise in Kinsale Harbour at The Spirit of Kinsale Cruise Boat
Tuesday 14 July 2009 6:00 PM

Theo Dorgan is a poet and prose writer, editor and broadcaster. His book Sailing For Home, an account of a transatlantic journey under sail, was praised by Doris Lessing as ‘a book for everyone.’
Tickets : €15

John Banville at Carmelite Friary Centre
Wednesday 15 July 2009 6:00 PM

Winner of the 2005 Man Booker Prize for his novel The Sea. John Banville is one of the finest Irish writers of our time.
Tickets : €12

WORD UP! with Leanne O'Sullivan Followed by Kinsale Poet's Night at Lord Kingsale
Sunday 12 July 2009 8:30 PM

Leanne O’Sullivan was born in 1983, and comes from the Beara peninsula in West Cork.
Tickets : €8 - a bargain. Leanne's well worth seeing.

Adam Wyeth Launch of 'Silent Music' at Carmelite Friary Centre
Thursday 16 July 2009 1:00 PM

Launch of his debut chapbook of poetry Silent Music with an introduction by poet Derek Mahon
Free Admission - even more of a bargain.

Oisin McGann at Lord Kinsale
Saturday 18 July 2009 3:00 PM

Oisin McGann has been writing books for children and young people since 2003. He has published seven titles with O’Brien Press including the 'Mad Grandad' series, 'The Gods and Their Machines', 'Under Fragile Stone', and 'The Harvest Tide Project'.
Tickets : €5

Why are blogs big news? Panel Discussion at Carmelite Friary Centre
Saturday 18 July 2009 1:00 PM

With the rise of the Blog, journalists, novelists, politicians and even ‘normal’ people can now share, amuse, vent and opine through this new form of online communication for ‘Everyman’. But is it a truly democratic medium?

Did they ask me to contribute? No! (It's not too late)

This is a little weird

From poetryanimations

Writers' Joke

Via genreality.
A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.

She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

“Oh my,” said the writer. “Let me see heaven now.”

A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.

“Wait a minute,” said the writer. “This is just as bad as hell!”

“Oh no, it’s not,” replied an unseen voice. “Here, your work gets published.”

(from AbsoluteWrite.com’s Jokes for Writers page)

Surf's up

Check out these interesting links.

An intern in a publishing house (US I think) tells it like it is.

Rants and ramblings from a (Christian) literary agent, quite polite for once.

Janet Reid, the Simon Cowell of US literary agents. Why do agents blog and then complain they get oodles of submissions anyway?

My Weekly magazine guidelines from womagwriter

Procrastination surgery with Lane

Now see your own script in motion - warning, highly addictive.

From the Yellow Room via Chicklit Sanctuary a masterclass in what an editor looks for (and doesn't look for) in a short story.

And this post is a little different from Maxicane. If you read any link, read this one.

Queens University Summer School

The 2009 Summer School in the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry will be running from Monday 20 July to Friday 24 July. The full programme is not yet confirmed but classes will be offered from:-

Ciaran Carson
Leontia Flynn
Medbh McGuckian
Gerald Dawe
Sinéad Morrissey
Glenn Patterson
Ian Sansom
Fran Brearton
Ed Larrissy
Eamonn Hughes
John McGuckian
Paul Maddern

Fees: £200 tuition only
with B&B £315.50

Payment due in full by end of May! There was a bursary on offer too but that was also deadlined end of May.

They don't say what type of classes they will be. Is it creative writing or literature studies or what?

Irish Writers' Centre Open Public Meeting

The Irish Writersw' Centre has been in crisis mode since losing its funding. It's looking from direction from the arts communities.

When: Saturday 27 June at 3:30 p.m.

Where: In the Irish Writers' Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1

What: To discuss the future Irish Writers' Centre

For the last few weeks the Board of the Irish Writers' Centre has been consulting widely with individual writers and with people interested in literature and the arts generally. It has also been engaged with sister organisations in the literature field. The purpose of this extensive consultation is to ascertain what role, if any, the Irish Writers' Centre should play in the cultural life of the country in the future. At a meeting on the 14 July, the Board will consider all the options and all the recommendations submitted.

If you have any recommendations regarding the future functions, activities, responsibilities, etc, of the Irish Writers' Centre and have not had a chance to submit them already, this open meeting will offer you the opportunity of doing so.