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.