Poet Moyra Donaldson wins 2007 Cúirt New Writing Prize

Moyra Donaldson reading at an Over The Edge event at Sheridan's Wine Bar this March.




Moyra Donaldon has won the 2007 Cúirt New Writing Prize
for her poem 'Nature Notes', which you can read at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/west4716.html

Moyra will be reading at the Cúirt Debut reading
alongside Mia Gallagher & Mojca Kumerdej
on Saturday, April 28th at 10am
in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway

Cúirt Festival 'Over The Edge' showcase

On Thursday April 26th at 11am in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway
The Cuirt International Festival of Literature presents
the Over The Edge showcase reading

featuring: Aoife Casby, Noel Duffy, Tom Duddy, Neil McCarthy and Siobhan Shine

Aoife Casby lives in Carraroe. Her poetry and fiction have been published in The Sunday Tribune, The Cork Literary Review, The Divas anthology (Arlen House) and The Cuirt Annual. In 2006 she completed an MA in Writing at NUI Galway, and was highly commended in the Start Poetry Chapbook competition. Aoife has been chosen to take part in this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions Readings.

Noel Duffy’s poetry has been published widely in Ireland and elsewhere. He was the winner of the START Chapbook Prize in 2003 for his collection, The Silence After, and more recently the Firewords Poetry Award. He holds an MA in Writing from NUI, Galway, and currently lives in Dublin.

Tom Duddy teaches philosophy at NUI Galway. In 2002 he published A History of Irish Thought. His poems have been published in Crannóg, Envoi, Magma, Other Poetry, Poetry Ireland Review, Smiths Knoll, The Irish Times, and The Shop. He recently published a poetry chapbook, The Small Hours, with HappenStance Press.

Neil McCarthy is originally from Cork but currently lives in Galway. His poems have appeared in numerous journals. In 2006 he did a series of readings in Graz, Prague, Nuremburg and at The Dylan Thomas Centre in Wales; and he published Voicing the Bell, a joint poetry collection with fellow Galway-based poet Stephen Murray. Neil has also been chosen to take part in this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions readings.

Siobhan Shine is originally from Dublin but now lives in Galway. She directed and co-wrote three plays with the Westside Mens’ Group. Her short play, On Beggars Bridge, received a rehearsed reading as part of the Firewords initiative by Writer-In-Residence, Ursula Rani Sarma. Her short stories have won awards in national competitions. She is a member of The Talking Stick writers group.

http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/cuirt.htm

Cúirt Grand Slam previous winners at North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights
presents Cúirt Grand Slam previous winners
Trish Casey, Kevin Higgins, Brendan Murphy and Stephen Murray
Thursday, 26th April at 9.30 pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway

MC Brendan Murphy

The North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam follows the usual format.

This special Pre-Cúirt Slam gives all the Grand Slam participants
the ideal opportunity to test their nerves (and size up the competition!)

Readers / performers / poets wishing to participate are asked to bring along two 3 minute original pieces. Newcomers are particularly welcome. Juries will be selected on the night from the audience.The prize is the honour and a bottle of wine generously donated by BK's.

Door: 4 Euro
Further info: John Walsh at 593290

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.

Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh launches Pádraic Ó Conaire books

Although his statue no longer sits in Eyre Square, Galway is still rightly proud of the writer Pádraic Ó Conaire. But two books to be launched in the city put a very different complexion on Sean-Phádraic. We know him best as a storyteller, but according to Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh, that's only half the story: he was also a revolutionary political thinker. He illustrates this side of Ó Conaire's life in his new book Réabhlóid Phádraic Uí Chonaire.

Ó Conaire condemned the social and economic system for putting profit before the people's interests, and he wanted it changed completely. Influenced by the Russian revolution from 1917 on, he was an out-and-out socialist. Ó Cathasaigh has discovered many previously ignored articles by Ó Conaire, and deals in depth with the turbulent times he lived through. As well as writing Ó Conaire's political biography, he has edited a collection of his socialist writings entitled An tAthrú Mór. Both books are published by Coiscéim, who say they will change our understanding of Pádraic Ó Conaire altogether. They will be launched by Seosamh Ó Cuaig, a county councillor with a keen interest in Ó Conaire's work, in Charlie Byrne's bookshop in Middle Street at 6 pm on Friday 20 April.

Love Poetry, Hate Racism

North Beach Poetry Nights &
Over the Edge
present

A Gala Performance Evening for
"Love Poetry, Hate Racism"
Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUIG
Friday April 20th, 8pm.

An impressive line-up of 25 poets, story-tellers and musicians take the stage to celebrate cultural diversity in Galway with performers from Argentina, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, South Africa and the USA.

Michael D. Higgins will open Galway’s contribution to Love Poetry, Hate Racism, which is taking place simultaneously in Belfast, Dublin and Galway and over 30 cities worldwide. For more see www.myspace.com/lovepoetryhateracism

Spearheaded by the Belfast Poets’ Group, the aim of the Love Poetry, Hate Racism event is to celebrate cultural diversity through the spoken word.

The organisers of Galway’s two leading poetry events North Beach Poetry Nights and Over the Edge have joined together to co-ordinate this evening in the Bank of Ireland Theatre.

“Support behind the scenes from all sides has been amazing,” John Walsh of North Beach Poetry Nights reports, “From the Arts people in the College, from the City Council, from Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and of course from all the performers. This will be a real Galway Gala Performance we will be proud of.”

Tickets at a token 5 Euro are going fast from Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and the Amnesty International Shop on Middle Street.

For further info: tel. John Walsh at 091-593290

Over the Edge and North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Galway City Council for this event.

The performers on the evening will be
Michael D.Higgins
Pete Mullineaux
Eva Bourke
Gerry Hanberry
Granam (music from Poland)
Lusanda Masombuka (songs from South Africa)
Niamh Ni Lochlainn
Bern Dunleavy
Rab Fulton
Leonor Silvestri
Miriam Dike
Neil McCarthy
Rose Tuelo Brock
Jim Mullarkey
Sharon Murphy
Miceál Kearney
Naomi Moran
Colette NiCaodha
Mary Mullen
Fiona Claire
Kevin Higgins
Elaine Feeney
Susan Millar DuMars
Gary King
John Walsh
Shannon Reeves
Marion Moynihan
Brendan Murphy

GTI offers Creative Writing Classes after Easter

Galway Technical Institute is offering a course in Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins. The course takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7.00-9.30pm for six weeks, commencing on Monday, 16th April. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €75. Kevin Higgins will provide writing exercises for, and give gentle critical feedback to, those interested in trying their hand at writing poems, stories or memoir.

Also on offer is a course in Intermediate Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars. This takes place one evening per week (Tuesday) from 7.30-9.30pm for eight weeks. It commences on Tuesday, April 17th. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €80. The course is for those who have an interest in writing stories or poems, and want the guidance and discipline of a weekly class to help them improve. Flexible exercises and work-shopping of assignments, together with the study of the works of published writers, will help each class member to find their own writing voice.

To book a place in either class contact GTI, Father Griffin Road, Galway, telephone 091-581342 or go to http://www.gti.ie/

Michael Gorman to read at Over The Edge: Open Reading

The next Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, March 29th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Michael Gorman, and four members of the Dark Gate Writers Group, Sean Donegan, Margaret Cullagh, Bernadette Tierney & Donal Grehan.

Michael Gorman was born in Sligo and educated at Summerhill College and University College Galway. His poetry collections include Postcards from Galway, Waiting for the Sky to fall and Up She Flew. One of his poems, The People I Grew Up With Were Afraid, was chosen by Pauline McLynn for inclusion in the anthology, Voices and Poetry of Ireland. He teaches poetry on the MA in Writing at NUI Galway. Michael Gorman is a hugely charismatic reader of his work; his readings are everything a good poetry reading should be.

Sean Donegan has published poems in Poetry Ireland Review, Time Haiku and the anthology, The Backyards of Heaven. A selection of his haiku will appear in an anthology to be published by Pillar Press, Kilkenny next year. He is a member of The Dark Gate Writers Group.

Margaret Cullagh is originally from Tipperary, but currently lives in Galway. She is the facilitator of The Dark Gate Writers Group. She is a writer and creative writing tutor and has read her work at both the Westside Arts Festival and the Project 06 Festival.

Bernadette Tierney is a Galway native. She was a volunteer worker for many years with the Simon Community. Her poems have appeared in Riposte. She is a member of The Dark Gate Writers Group.

Donal Grehan is originally from Mountmellick in Co. Laois and has been living in Galway for 20years. He writes poetry and short stories. His poems have been published in Bealtaine. He is a member of The Dark Gate Writers Group.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Sheridan's Wine Bar packed for reading by Martin Mooney, Moyra Donaldson, John Walsh & Leonor Silvestri

The reading was recorded by the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University, which is creating a digital archive of poetry readings.

Australian poet Geoff Page to read at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Over The Edge presents a reading by Australian poet, Geoff Page, at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, March 23rd, 8pm. He will read alongside a trio of Galway based writers Stephen Shields, John O’Regan & Brendan McNally.

Geoff Page is an Australian poet who has published seventeen collections of poetry as well as two novels, three verse novels and several other works including anthologies, translations and a biography of the jazz musician, Bernie McGann. He has won several awards, including the Queensland Premier’s Prize for Poetry. His work has been translated into Chinese, German, Serbian, Slovenian and Greek. He has read his work in Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Britain, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Singapore, China, Korea, the United States, New Zealand and is delighted to be coming to Galway.

Stephen Shields writes poetry and prose. His poems have been published in Crannog, West 47, The Cuirt Annual and he has poems forthcoming in The Shop and Agenda. He has had stories published in Turbulence: A Corrib Anthology and Splinters, the journal of The Bill Naughton Short Story Competition. He was also shortlisted for the Cloch Poetry Competition 2006. He was a featured reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library in August 2004.

John O’Regan was born in Waterford, where he was artist in residence at Garter Lane Arts Centre. He worked in journalism before turning to writing fiction and drama. He has had four plays staged in Galway, The Gallery, Cold Storage, The Painting Lesson and Septuagenarians. His fiction has been published in The Stinging Fly, West 47 and The Cuirt Annual. He was a featured reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library in September 2003.

Brendan McNally hails from Monaghan but has lived in Galway for many years. His wry and witty stories are often based on his experience of growing up in a border county during the sixties and seventies. He has had a number of his short stores published in magazines and was a featured reader at an Over the Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library in August 2003.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council.

Leading Irish Performance Poet To Read at North Beach Poetry Nights

Máighréad Medbh reads at North Beach Poetry Nights

Thursday, 15th March at THE NEW TIME of 8pm in BK's Winebar.

Máighréad Medbh was born in Newcastle West, County Limerick. Since the publication of her first collection, 'The Making of a Pagan' (Blackstaff Press), in 1990, she has become widely known as a performance poet. The voice in Máighréad's poetry is consciously channeled via the body, whose senses and rhythms are the originators and interpreters of concepts. She has performed at many venues in Ireland, Great Britain and the United States, and also on the broadcast media. Máighréad's other collections are: 'Tenant' (Salmon Publishing 1999) and 'Divas' (Arlen House, June 2003). Poems have also been included in a wide range of anthologies and journals. A commissioned text for children, set to music, is to be broadcast by Lyric FM early in 2007. A new poetry collection is also in the pipeline for 2007.

MC for the evening is TRISH CASEY.

The North Beach Poetry Nights' Slam follows the usual format. Readers / performers / poets wishing to participate are asked to bring along two 3 minute original pieces. Newcomers are particularly welcome. Juries will be selected on the night from the audience.The prize is the honour and a bottle of wine generously donated by BK's.

Place: BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway
Time: 8pm !!!NEW TIME!!!!
Door: 4 Euro
Info: John Walsh at 593290

North Beach Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Poetry Ireland and Galway City Council for this event.

Poets from Belfast & Buenos Aires

Over The Edge in association with
Poetry Ireland presents
Moyra Donaldson,
Martin Mooney,
John Walsh
& Leonor Silvestri
at Sheridan’s Wine Bar,
14-16 Church Yard Street,
Galway
on Friday, March 9th, 8pm.

Moyra Donaldson was born in Newtownards and educated at Queen’s University. Three collections of her poems have been published by Lagan Press, Snakeskin Stilettos (1998), Breaking the Ice (2001) and The Horse’s Nest (2006). Snakeskin Stilettos was reprinted in 2002 by CavanKerry Press, New Jersey, and shortlisted for the ForeWord Book of the Year Award.

Martin Mooney lives in Co. Antrim. He has published three acclaimed collections of poetry: Grub, winner of the 1994 Brendan Behan Memorial Award (Blackstaff 1993, reissued in the USA by Cavankerry in 2002), Rasputin and his children (Blackwater 2000, reissued by Lagan in 2003), and Blue Lamp Disco (Lagan 2004).

John Walsh is originally from Derry, but has lived in Galway for some years now. His first collection of poems, Johnny Tell Them, was published by Guildhall Press in December. He is the organiser of the popular North Beach Poetry Nights.

Leonor Silvestri is an Argentinian poet currently living in Galway. Her poems have been widely published in her native land. She is currently editing an anthology of Argentinian poetry for Dedalus Press and an anthology in translation of Irish Women Poets for distribution in Argentina.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council, Poetry Ireland and Galway City Council.

Galway poets selected for Poetry Ireland Introductions readings

Four Galway poets, Neil McCarthy, Mary Madec, Aoife Casby & Susan Millar DuMars, have been selected for this year’s Poetry Ireland Introductions Readings. All four are closely associated with the popular Over The Edge poetry events.

Neil McCarthy, Mary Madec & Aoife Casby have all been Featured Readers at Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library, while Susan Millar DuMars is co-organiser of the reading series.

Over The Edge co-organiser, Kevin Higgins, said: “It is heartening to see the outstanding poetry scene, which exists in Galway at the moment, being recognised in this way by Poetry Ireland. Galway is awash with talented new poets right now. In years to come we may well look back on this as a kind of golden age for literary Galway. Not since Mary O’Malley, Moya Cannon, Eva Bourke & Rita Ann Higgins began publishing in the late Eighties/early Nineties have there been so many talented writers coming through at the same time.”

Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner to read at Over The Edge

The next Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, March 1st, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Enda Coyle-Green, Alan McMonagle & Aideen Henry.

Enda Coyle-Green lives in County Dublin. Widely published in magazines and anthologies, her work has also been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and Lyric FM. Prizes for poetry include a Hennessy Award nomination in 2002. Her first collection, Snow Negatives, received the Patrick Kavanagh Award in 2006.

Alan McMonagle lives in Galway. His work has appeared in Southword, The Cuirt Annual, west47online and Crannog. Last year he took second place in the Sean O'Faolain short story competition and was also short-listed for the Fish Story award. He is currently pursuing an MA in Writing at NUI Galway.

Aideen Henry lectures at NUI, Galway. She began writing poetry quite recently and has had poems published in West 47 and Crannog magazine. Aideen has taken part many times in the Over The Edge open-mic. She is currently attending a poetry workshop at Galway Arts Centre.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council

Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase

The 22nd Cúirt International Festival of Literature will take place from Tuesday 24th - Sunday 29th April 2007 and will once again bring authors of international, national and local repute to Galway. Over the course of its history, the Cúirt Festival has hosted a dazzling array of literary talent, including Nobel Prize winners, J.M. Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, Derek Walcott and Seamus Heaney.

The Cúirt/Over The Edge showcase reading, which took place for the first time at last year’s festival – and was a big success – is to become an annual event. The reading - an official part of the Cúirt programme - will give four emerging writers the opportunity to showcase their work at Ireland’s foremost literature festival.

The four writers to be showcased at this year’s festival in April will be chosen from a shortlist of those who have been Featured Readers at the popular monthly Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library.

In a joint statement Over The Edge organisers, Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins, said: “We would like to thank the Cúirt Festival Committee for their support. The fact that the Cúirt/Over The Edge showcase reading is now to be on ongoing part of the festival each year provides an excellent opportunity for new poets and fiction writers, both in Galway and nationally. We are delighted to play our small part in what is without doubt the best literary festival in the country.”

http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/cuirt.htm

2007 Galway Poetry Book Showcase at Sheridan's

The 2007 Over The Edge Poetry Book Showcase featuring Mary O’Malley, Dolores Stewart, Tom Duddy, Colette Nic Aodha, Stephen Murray, Marion Moynihan, Celeste Augé, John Walsh, Andy Johnston & Neil McCarthy will take place at Sheridan's Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, February, 9th at 8pm. In this annual retrospective of the year just past, every Galway-based poet who published a new collection of poems during 2006 will read three poems from the collection in question. The first Poetry Book Showcase took place last year and was a big success.

All welcome. For further details phone 087-6431748

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of The Arts Council and Galway City Council

'Against The Wall' edited by Dave Lordan

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - Against The Wall

Deadline - 30th April 2007




Against The Wall is a poetry project designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the occupation of Gaza and West Bank by the Israeli Defence Forces, and to raise awareness of the cultural boycott of Israel initiated by John Berger and 93 other international artists in December 2006.

Submissions are open to poems in any style and any length to writers who support this boycott, which you can read more about at www.pacbi.org. Against The Wall will initially be an e-book, followed by a pamphlet or book. There will be associated readings- anyone who wishes organise an Against The Wall reading should go ahead and do so, just let us know. The launch of the e-book will take place in June 2006. Send submissions in the body of the e-mail to againstthewall2007@hotmail.com

ROPES 2007 seeks submissions

Want to get Published?

The editors of ROPES are currently accepting submissions for the 2007 edition. ROPES is the annual NUIG Review of Postgraduate Studies

With the theme of “In Knots”, this edition will be a collection of emotions: the way you feel when you see the people you love, the apron strings that were never cut, just tangled, the pain in your side after a proper belly laugh, and most importantly to the mess of jumbled ideas on the page after a flash of inspiration. Knots are the imperfections that make life interesting.Celebrate them.

Short-stories, poetry, critical and academic essays up to 3000 words in length, as well as photography and artwork now welcome for the 15th annual edition of ropes. Submissions please in Microsoft Word format to ropesgalway@gmail.com

Closing date Friday, 16 February 2007.

New issue of west 47 online & article in Poetry Ireland News

The January-March issue of west 47 – the literary web magazine of Galway Arts Centre – is now online at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/index.html

The new issue includes fiction by John McKenna, Gerry Boland, Harry O’Neill and Susan Millar DuMars; poems by Robert Jocelyn, Leeanne Quinn, Mary Mullen, Jean Andrews and Christopher Barnes; and a translation from the original Macedonian, by Nicola Madzirov, of a poem by Magdalena Horvat.

Poems and stories published on west 47 are eligible for inclusion in The Cúirt Annual and for the Cúirt New Writing Prize.

Submissions for future issues should be sent to Maura Kennedy, Assistant Editor, west47 online, Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway, Ireland.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of Poetry Ireland News includes an article on the subject of poetry readings by Over The Edge co-organiser, Kevin Higgins, Helping Irish Poetry Break Out Of The Victorian Drawing Room.

This is an abridged version of a paper Kevin delivered to the International Irish Studies Conference at NUI Galway last June. http://www.nuigalway.ie/cis/images/conference_programme_2006.pdf

The full paper can be read at http://www.poetryireland.ie/news/opinion.asp#Kevin%20Higgins

Over The Edge celebrates fourth birthday with reading by Todd Swift

The first Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2007 takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, January 25th, 6.30-8pm.







The Featured Readers are Elaine Feeney, Mary Mullen & Todd Swift. The reading is a special occasion for co-organisers, Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins, as it is the fourth anniversary of the series, which began in January 2003.

Elaine Feeney was born in Galway in 1979. She teaches English at St. Patrick’s College, Tuam. She has performed and read her poetry at various readings and festivals, including the Cuirt Festival Poetry Slam. Elaine has poems forthcoming in both The Shop and Nthposition.com. According to 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner, Dave Lordan: “Her performances are notable for their fearless confrontation with the controversial truth of women’s lives in the new Ireland.”

Mary Mullen is an Alaskan-born writer who has lived in County Galway for the last decade. Her work has been published in We Alaskans, Sunday Miscellany 2003-2004, The Stinging Fly, the Cork Literary Review, Galway Now, West47online, the Anchorage Daily News, and a chapbook ‘The Whole Building Could Be On Fire’. She is working on a collection of personal history essays and short stories. Mary is a graduate of NUIG’s MA in Writing.

Todd Swift is the Canadian-born author of three poetry collections, Budavox, Café Alibi and Rue du Regard. He currently lives in London. Todd is an editor of many poetry anthologies, including 100 Poets Against The War. He also compiled the recent audio CD Life Lines: Poets for Oxfam. His latest publication is Natural Curve, a pamphlet of poems from Rubicon Press, Alberta. He has co-edited a major collection of essays on Anglo-Quebec Poetry, Language Acts, to be launched spring 2007 in Montreal. His New and Selected Poems, 1987-2007, edited with an Introduction by Kevin Higgins, is forthcoming from Salmon Publishing in 2008.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council

Creative Writing Classes & Poetry Workshops starting in January 2007

Galway Technical Institute presents creative writing classes for the New Year

Creative Writing for Beginners with Kevin Higgins takes place one evening per week (Monday) from 7.30-9.30pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Monday, 15th January, 2007. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €100. Kevin Higgins will provide writing exercises for, and give gentle critical feedback to, those interested in trying their hand at writing poems, stories or memoir.

Intermediate Creative Writing with Susan Millar DuMars takes place one evening per week (Tuesday) from 7.30-9.30pm. (10 weeks) It commences on Tuesday, 16th January, 2007. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €100. A course for those who have an interest in writing stories or poems, and want the guidance and discipline of a weekly class to help them improve. Flexible exercises and work-shopping of assignments, together with the study of the works of published writers, will help each class member to find their own writing voice.

To book a place in either class contact GTI, Father Griffin Road, Galway Telephone 091-581342
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Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Presents Creative Writing for Beginners with Susan Millar DuMars.

The course takes place one evening per week (Wednesday) for 8 weeks from 7.30 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. It commences on Wednesday, January 31st, 2007. Advance booking is essential. Places cost €120.00. During the eight weeks Susan Millar DuMars will give support, instruction and feedback to students who are interested in writing either fiction (short stories, novels) or poetry. For further details or to book a place contact GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway. Telephone 091 753161.
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Poetry workshops with Kevin Higgins at Galway Arts Centre

In January Galway Arts Centre is offering aspiring poets a choice of three poetry workshops, all facilitated by poet Kevin Higgins, whose best-selling first collection, ‘The Boy With No Face’, published by Salmon Poetry, was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish poet. Kevin Higgins is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students have gone on to achieve publication success.

Each workshop will run for ten week, commencing in the week of January 22nd.They will take place on Tuesday evenings, 7-8.30pm; Wednesday afternoons, 2-3.30pm; and on Thursday afternoons, 2-3.30pm.

The Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon workshops are open to both complete beginners as well as those who’ve been writing for some time. The Thursday afternoon workshop is an Advanced Poetry Workshop, suitable for those who’ve participated in poetry workshops before or had poems published in magazines. The cost to participants is €100, with an €90 concession rate.

Places must be paid for in advance. To reserve a place contact Victoria at reception at Galway Arts Centre. Phone091 565886 or email victoria@galwayartscentre.ie or margaret@galwayartscentre.ie

GTI Creative Writing Students Reading

Participants in the Autumn 2006 Beginners & Intermediate Creative Writing Courses facilitated at Galway Technical Institute, Fr. Griffin Road by Susan Millar DuMars & Kevin Higgins will be reading their work at Galway City Library on Thursday, January 11th, from 6.30pm.

For further details contact 087-6431748.

Belfast Poets at North Beach Poetry Nights

The BELFAST POETS kick off the season at
North Beach Poetry Nights
in BK's Winebar,
Spanish Parade, Galway
Thursday January 18th 2007. 9pm


MC for the evening is Elaine Feeney.

This touring group of 3 female and 2 male poets follow on their
2006 successful tour of Australia with a poetry tour of Ireland,
taking in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Dublin, Derry and Belfast.

The touring poets, Phatbob, Aisling Doherty, Chelley Mclear, Ellen Factor and Gordon Hewitt emerged from the various open mic nights held over the last few years in Belfast and the Sunday Session performance spaces in Derry.

Gordon Hewitt, spokesperson for the Belfast Poets Touring Group says,

“Too often we get told that poetry is something that people cannot get into, that it can’t be accessible or easily understood. We write about the world in which we live. We comment on Iraq, Lebanon, racism, paramilitarism, policing and the Peace Process, but we also write about everyday experiences, love, relationships, clubbing, even shopping, so that our show has something for everyone. Last year we were equally successful performing to other writers and performance poets at Festivals as well as working class pubs in places like Darwin or Perth, We want what we do to be powerful poetry but which anyone can enjoy. “

The North Beach Poetry Nights Slam follows the usual format.Please bring along two three minute (max.) pieces for Round 1 and 2 of the slam.North Beach Poetry Nights especially welcomes newcomers to take thestage.The prize is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar. Location: BK's Winebar, Spanish
Parade, Galwayat 9pm. Admission: 4 Euro

Coming Events:

February 15th
Guest Poet: KEVIN HIGGINS MC: Gary King

March 15th
Guest Poet: MAIGHREAD MEDBH MC: Trish Casey

April 26th
North Beach Poetry Nights special Pre-Cúirt Grand Slam event
with performances by the 4 former Cúirt Grand Slam winners
and the 2007 competitors.
MC: Brendan Murphy

May 24th
Guest Poets: KEITH ARMSTRONG and PAUL SUMMERS
MC: John Walsh

NBPN gratefully acknowledges the support of Poetry Ireland and Galway City Council.
Info: John Walsh at 091-593290

Kevin Higgins to edit Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet

Call for Submissions: Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet Issue 7

The Arts Office of Kilkenny County Council is delighted to announce the publication of the seventh issue of the very popular Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet. The aim of the publication is to give local writers a platform for their work. Each poem selected is included in the broadsheet which will be for sale throughout the County.

Kevin Higgins will edit the seventh issue of Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet. Kevin is a poet based in Galway City. He facilitates poetry workshops at Galway Arts Centre and along with his wife Susan Millar DuMars they organises the Over The Edge readings in Galway City Library. His first collection of poems, The Boy With No Face, was published by Salmon in 2005 and was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish Poet. His second collection is forthcoming.

We are now accepting submissions from poets born or based in Kilkenny City and County.

Closing date for receipt of submissions is no later than 4pm on Friday 9th February 2007.

Application forms and submission rules are available from the Arts Office, No. 72 John Street, Kilkenny T: 056 7794138 E: niamh.finn@kilkennycoco.ie

Large crowd in Galway City Library for final Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2006

Poets Medbh McGuckian, Hugh Doyle and Cate Huguelet
read to a packed house at Galway City Library

Susan & Kevin presented with Christmas hamper

After reading her poem, open-mic participant, Aideen Henry, surprised Susan Millar DuMars & Kevin Higgins by presenting them with a Christmas hamper on behalf of a group of Over The Edge regulars as a gesture of gratitude for the work Susan and Kevin have done throughout the year.

Galway launch of Johnny tell Them

Derry launch of John Walsh's debut poetry collection

Medbh McGuckian to read at December Over The Edge: Open Reading

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Medbh McGuckian

The final Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2006 takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, December 14th, 6.30-8pm.


The Featured Readers are Cate Huguelet, Hugh Doyle & Medbh McGuckian.

Cate Huguelet was raised on Chicago’s South Side and moved to Ireland in 2005. Her writing has appeared in various publications in Ireland and the US. Her collaboration with visual artist Emma Petterson featured in the 2006 Cúirt Document exhibition. After completing an MA in Writing at NUI, Galway, Cate has relocated to Cork, where she is working on a first collection of poems.

Hugh Doyle lives in Spiddal. He was a finalist in this year’s Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam and was also selected for Mark Doty's poetry master-class during the Cúirt Festival. He has read his work at the launch of the Oxfam Life Lines poetry CD during the Project 06 festival in Galway, at the Clare Island Festival and at the Newcastle Irish festival in the UK.

Medbh McGuckian was born in 1950 in Belfast. She is one of Ireland’s most critically acclaimed poets. She has been Writer-in-Residence at Queen's University, Belfast, the University of Ulster, Coleraine, and Trinity College, Dublin. Among the prizes she has won are England's National Poetry Competition, The Rooney Prize, and The Forward Prize for Best Poem. She is the author of twelve poetry collections; the most recent The Currach Requires No Harbours was published by Gallery Press earlier this year. http://www.gallerypress.com/news.html

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council, Poetry Ireland and The Arts Council

new issue of Crannóg literary magazine

Issue no. 13 of Crannóg, the literary magazine of Galway Writers Workshop, will be launched at the Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway on Friday, December 8th at 6.30pm.

The new issue includes poems by emerging local writers such as Jean Folan, Aideen Henry and Alan McMonagle, and much much more.

The launch will feature music by well known local poet, Gerry Hanberry, and readings by some of the contributors.

To buy a copy see http://www.crannogmagazine.com/buy%20Crannog.htm

'Slam hits you between the ears' by Dave Lordan

There is a thoughtful article by Dave Lordan in the latest issue of Socialist Worker about Ireland's growing poetry slam scene. A number of slam participants well known to Over The Edge audiences receive favourable mention.

http://www.swp.ie/socialistworker/2006/sw265/sw-265-11.htm

Dave Lordan won the 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award for Poetry. His first collection of poems, The Boy In The Ring, will be published by Salmon Poetry.

Galway poets feature in new issue of The Shop: A Magazine Of Poetry

Emerging Galway poets, Miceál Kearney and Lorna Shaughnessy, both have poems in the new issue of The Shop: A Magazine Of Poetry.

Miceál's wry satire on poetry writing, {insert title}, is on page eighteen, while Lorna's beautifully written, Disarray, can be found on page twenty six.

Miceál was a Featured Reader at Over The Edge in September and won the inaugural Cuisle Festival Poetry Slam in Limerick in October. Lorna read at the 2006 Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge Showcase reading in April. Her first collection of poems was recently accepted for publication by Salmon Poetry.

The Shop, edited by John & Hilary Wakeman, is one of Ireland's leading poetry magazines.

Subscriptions and submissions should be sent to The Shop: A Magazine Of Poetry, Skeagh, Schull, Co. Cork, Ireland.

http://www.theshop-poetry-magazine.ie/

Chloe Poems at North Beach Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights is proud to present

Chloe Poems

Britain’s Manchester-based first gay, socialist transvestite poet
will be special guest poet
on Thursday 23rd November
in BK’s Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway at 9pm.





Chloe Poems is performance poetry at its most daring, outrageous,
brilliant and best!
A one-person poetry revolution in gingham and pearls!

Guest MC: TRISH CASEY, Rattlebag and Cúirt Slam winner.

The North Beach Poetry Nights Slam follows the usual format.
Newcomers welcome!
Please bring 2 three minute performance pieces with you
and come early to put your name on the list.
The prize is the honour and a bottle of red wine,
generously donated by BK’S.

Amission: 4 Euro

North Beach Poetry Nights gratefully acknowledges the support
of Galway City Council.

Over The Edge receives increased funding from Arts Council

Over The Edge has just been informed that we are to receive increased funding from the national Arts Council to support the literary events we organise in Galway City Library and at Sheridan’s Wine Bar.




Over The Edge will receive € 4, 000 from the Arts Council under the Small Festivals Scheme to support our 2007 programme of literary events.

In a joint statement Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins said: “The increase in our Arts Council grant is a big boost obviously. We have an exciting programme of readings by poets and fiction writers planned for 2007. In January we celebrate Over The Edge’s fourth anniversary with a reading by well known Canadian poet, Todd Swift, in Galway City Library.”

Exciting mix of poetry & fiction at November Over The Edge: Open Reading

The November Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, November 23th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Adrian White, Joan McBreen & Fiona Claire.

Adrian White moved from Manchester to Galway in 1990. He has worked as abookseller, a barman, a painter and decorator, a removal man and a car park attendant. His first novel, An Accident Waiting to Happen, was published in 2004and his second, Where the Rain Gets In, came out in March 2006. Both are published by Penguin Books. Man Dog Bitch is the title of his third book.

Joan McBreen is from Sligo and now lives in Tuam. She edited The White Page - Twentieth Century Irish Women Poets (Salmon Publishing). Joan has published three collections of poetry; the most recent Winter in The Eye - New and Selected Poems, was published by Salmon in 2003. In 2004 she launched a CD, The Long Light on the Land - Selected Poems by Joan McBreen with Traditional Airs and Classical Music.

Fiona Claire is an actress and writer who lived for many years in Los Angeles, but recently moved to County Galway. She has worked in numerous television shows, including Third Rock From The Sun, Star Trek Voyager, and King of Queens, and in films such as L.A. Confidential, and Contact. She has written a collection of fables for adults, one novel and is working on a second.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council

Launch of Tornadoes for the Weathergirl by Celeste Augé

Tornadoes for the Weathergirl,
a chapbook of poems by
Celeste Augé,

published by The INVINCIBLE Poetry Pamphlet Press,
will be launched by
poet Mary O'Malley
at Sheridans on the Docks,
Galway,

Thursday 16th November, 6.30pm.

All welcome

Celeste Augé read at the 2006 Cúirt Literature Festival Over The Edge Showcase Reading.

The INVINCIBLE Poetry Pamphlet Press acknowledges the financial support of by Galway County Council

Gala evening of poetry at Sheridan's Wine Bar, Galway

Paul Perry, whose second poetry collection The Orchid Keeper
is just published by Dedalus Press





Over The Edge presents a reading by Paul Perry, Neil McCarthy, Alan Jude Moore & Anthony Daly at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, November 3rd, 8pm.

Paul Perry was born in Dublin in 1972. He has won the Hennessy New Irish Writer of the Year Award and The Listowel Prize for Poetry. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the TLS, Granta and The Best American Poetry 2000. His first book The Drowning of the Saints was published in 2003, by Salmon, to critical acclaim. The Orchid Keeper, published by Dedalus, is his much-anticipated second collection of poems.

Neil McCarthy is a Cork-born, Galway-based poet and English Teacher. His poems have appeared in numerous magazines and journals around the world. He is a hugely entertaining and engaging reader of his work. Neil recently completed a series of readings in Graz (Austria), Prague, Nuremburg and at The Dylan Thomas Centre in Wales. He has just published, Voicing the Bell, a joint poetry collection with fellow Galway-based poet Stephen Murray.

Alan Jude Moore was born in Dublin in 1973. His poetry has been widely published in Ireland, Europe and the USA, and in translation by Italian annual Pelagos. His fiction has twice been short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Award. His first collection of poetry, Black State Cars, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2004. A selection of poems from it was published earlier this year in translation by Russian literary journal, Novaya Junost.

Anthony Daly was born in Galway in 1979. He is currently studying Classics and History at N.U.I. Galway. In March 2005 he was a Featured Reader at an Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library. Anthony is also a regular and popular participant in both the North Beach Nights poetry slams and the Cuirt Festival Grand Slam. In 2003 his poetry featured in the Tribe of Scribes collection. More recently one of his poems appeared in Galway Xposed.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council

Eclectic trio of poets for October Over The Edge: Open Reading

The October Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, October 26th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Yvonne Green, Brendan Murphy & Niamh Ní Lochlainn.

Yvonne Green lives in London, where she practised at the English Bar for 20 years before stopping to concentrate on her poetry. Her poems have appeared in leading UK poetry magazines such as Poetry Review, Magma, Modern Poetry In Translation, The London Magazine, European Judaism, The Jewish Quarterly and Arete. She has read her work at the The National Portrait Gallery, the Institute for Contemporary Arts and on BBC Radio 4.

Brendan Murphy was born in Liverpool to English parents and Irish grandparents. He is a graduate of Sheffield University, where he studied the History of Art, Film and Design. His first performance was a Saturday night slot with a friend at his local pub, with whom he developed an improvised repartee on the week’s news. Brendan has lived in Galway for the last eight years. He won the 2006 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam, and recently performed at the famous Green Mill in Chicago.

Niamh Ní Lochlainn grew up in Dublin with Irish as her first language, spending her summers in the West Kerry Gaeltacht. She has been living and teaching in Connemara for the last four years. She was a prize-winner in the 2005 Strokestown Poetry Competition and her first collection Guth ón dTobar, (A Voice from the Well) was short-listed for the Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish Poet at the 2006 Poetry Now Festival in Dun Laoghaire.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council

Young Galway poet to read at Brighton Poetry Festival after Poetry Slam Triumph

Young County Galway poet Miceál Kearney, who only started writing seriously just over a year ago, has won the inaugural Cuisle Limerick City International Poetry Festival Poetry Slam. Micéal was born in 1980. He works on the family farm in County Galway. He has recently had poems accepted for publication in both The Cork Literary Review and The Shop. In September Micéal was a Featured Reader at the Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library. His work has been described in The Galway Advertiser as “unbelievable”. Micéal’s prize for winning the Limerick Slam is a trip to read at the Brighton Poetry Festival in May 2007. He is currently taking part in a poetry workshop at Galway Arts Centre facilitated by Kevin Higgins.

http://whitehousepoets.blogspot.com/

http://www.galwayartscentre.ie

Three women for Sheridan's Wine Bar evening of poetry

London-based poet Martina Evans
reads at Sheridan's Wine Bar











Over The Edge presents a reading by Martina Evans, Marion Moynihan & Aoife Casby at Sheridan's Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, October 13th, 8pm.

Martina Evans was born in Cork but has lived in London since 1988. She has published three novels and three collections of poetry. Her third novel No Drinking No Dancing No Doctors came out from Bloomsbury in 2000. Her third book of poetry Can Dentists be Trusted was published by Anvil in 2004. Martina teaches creative writing at the City Literary Institute and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Queen Mary University of London.

Aoife Casby is a writer and visual artist living in Carraroe. Her poetry and fiction have been published in Northwords, The Cork Literary Review, Whispers and Shouts, The Divas anthology (Arlen House) and The Cuirt Annual. Aoife recently completed an MA in Writing at NUI Galway, was short-listed for the Cuirt/Over The Edge Showcase reading and was highly commended by judge Mark Roper in the 2006 Start Poetry Chapbook competition.

Marion Moynihan is originally from Kanturk, in North Cork. In 2002 she completed an MA in writing at NUI Galway. In 2005 Marion won the Galway County Firewords Award for her poetry. In 2006 she was awarded the Publication Assistance Award by Galway County Council, and was also short-listed for the Cuirt/Over The Edge showcase reading. Her first collection of poems, The Moon’s Daughter, has just been published by Doghouse Press.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council

Louis de Paor at North Beach Poetry Nights

NORTH BEACH POETRY NIGHTS is pleased to present LOUIS De PAOR as SPECIAL GUEST POET on Thursday October 19th at 9pm at BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway.

Louis de Paor is one of Ireland's foremost Irish language poets. Born in Cork in 1961, he emigrated to Australia in 1987, where he lectured at the University of Sydney, returning to Ireland in 1996. Louis is the author of several acclaimed collections of poetry; the most recent - Clapping in the Cemetery - was published last year by Clo Iar-Chonnachta. He is Director of the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway.

The Poetry Slam follows the usual format and welcomes newcomers. Please bring along two 3 minute pieces.

Admission 4 Euro. Info: John Walsh 091-5932390

NBN gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.

Leading Australian poet to read at Over The Edge

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland

The October Over The Edge: Open Reading takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, September, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Miceál Kearney, Robyn Rowland & John Throne.

Miceál Kearney was born in 1980. He works on the family farm in County Galway. His poems have appeared in his parish newsletter and in The Shop; his poem ‘Ink Stains’ was included in the Heritage Week photography exhibition. Miceál’s work has been described in The Galway Advertiser as “unbelievable”. A finalist in this year’s Cúirt Grand Slam, Miceál is a three times winner of the North Beach Nights poetry slam, and also recently won the monthly Baffle competition in Loughrea.

Robyn Rowland lives in Melbourne and is a leading Australian poet. Her fifth collection of poems, Silence and its Tongues, was launched recently. She has read her poetry at a glittering variety of literary festivals worldwide. Previously Professor of Social Inquiry at Deakin University, Robyn is a well-known critic of reproductive technology. She published Living Laboratories: Women and Reproductive Technology in 1992; and in the1996 Honours List was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for her contribution to women’s health and higher education.

John Throne is a writer and political activist, now living in Chicago. He was a member of the Bogside Defence Committee in Derry in 1969, and spent the next 25 years of his life as an organizer for the socialist movement internationally. John has written extensively on political issues. But The Donegal Woman is his first book. It tells the story of his grandmother, hired out as a child to a farmer who raped her and made her pregnant. The novelist Jennifer Johnston has said: “The story is relentless in its savagery…but he also has a wonderful lyrical quality to his writing.”

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.


Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council, Poetry Ireland and The Arts Council

http://www.poetryireland.ie

Babylon Burning: 9/11 five years on

Nearly 90 poets from around the world have contributed to Babylon Burning: 9/11 five years on, an anthology of poems on the Twin Towers atrocity and its consequences. But we are aiming for more than pious hand-wringing: the anthology will be free, but there is a request to donate to the Red Cross, which works tirelessly to help people caught up in disasters and conflicts, wherever and whoever they are.

Enjoy Babylon Burning, then please give something to the Red Cross.
Please feel free to host it on your site, or email it to friends and colleagues and ask them to consider donating. Like nthposition's other anthologies, it's copyleft, so pass it on, spread the word and raise some money...

A paperback version of the anthology will also be available, with all profits going to the Red Cross.

http://www.nthposition.com

Michael D. Higgins reads at North Beach Nights poetry slam

North Beach Poetry Nights is pleased to present as Guest Poet Michael D. Higgins On Thursday September 14th at 9pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway with guest MC: Dave Lordan

Michael D. Higgins is a Labour TD for Galway West and has twice been Mayor of Galway. From 1993 to 1997 he was Minister for Arts, Cultures & The Gaeltacht. He is currently Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for The Labour Party. He has published three poetry collections, The Betrayal, published by Salmon, The Season of Fire, published by Brandon, both illustrated by Mick Mulcahy, and An Arid Season published in 2004 by New Island Books. He has read his poems on a number of radio and television programmes. He was a featured reader at Over The Edge in September 2004 and also read at the Baffle Festival last year.

Michael D has always been a strong supporter of inovation in the arts, and this reading is a first for the poetry slam movement internationally. It is the first time anywhere in the world that a former Government minister has taken part in a poetry slam.

The North Beach Nights Slam is open to everyone. Newcomers are welcome.

Please bring two max. three minute performance pieces and be there early to get your name down. The prize for the winner is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar.

Admission: 4 Euro C

oming events: October 19th: Guest Poet: Louis de Paor Guest MC: Neil McCarthy

November 23rd: Guest Poet: Chloe Poems Guest

MC: Trish Casey December 21st North Beach Solstice Night

And remember! The Galway Arts Centre Ruby Room Slam returns at the King's Head on Tuesday 26th September at 7pm. Don't miss it!

North Beach Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council. info: John 091 593290

Poetry Performance Showcase Reading

Over The Edge presents a reading to showcase some of the best performers on Galway’s poetry scene. It will take place at Sheridan’s Wine Bar (above Sheridan's Cheesemongers) 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, September 8th at 8pm. The poets taking part are Elaine Feeney, Stephen Murray, Trish Casey & Tim Emlyn Jones.

Elaine Feeney was born in Galway in 1979. She teaches English at St. Patrick’s College, Tuam. She has performed and read her poetry at various readings and festivals, including the Cuirt International Literature Festival Poetry Slam. According to 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner, Dave Lordan: “Her performances are notable for their fearless confrontation with the controversial truth of women’s lives in the new Ireland”

Trish Casey is a performance writer and voice/performance coach from the harbour town of Cobh in Co. Cork . She won the 2004 Cúirt Poetry Grand Slam and coached both the 2005 and 2006 winners. Her work appears in the second Divas anthology (Arlen House) and in the Leaving Cert geography textbook Today’s World. Over the past few years Trish has established herself as one of Ireland’s leading performance poets.

Stephen Murray was born in Dublin in 1974. He was educated in Richmond, Surrey and was three times award winner in the WH Smith and Observer Young Writer of the Year Award. In April 2005, he won the Cúirt International Festival of Literature Poetry Grand Slam. In October Stephen embarks on a European tour during which he will perform in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Tim Emlyn Jones is a Welsh artist and writer. His early poetry originated within performance art and he has appeared in several anthologies, including Grandchildren of Albion, and Routes Through English, the latter being a reader for the GCSE secondary school examination in the UK. Tim is now an art professor who runs the Burren College of Art in Co Clare. His interest in art education began as a student revolutionary at the Hornsey College of Art sit-in in 1968.

All welcome. For further details contact 087-6431748.


Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council

Louis de Paor to read at first Over The Edge: Open Reading on new season

Louis de Paor
to launch
Over The Edge
Irish language initiative







The Over The Edge: Open Reading series returns to Galway City Library after the summer break on Thursday, August 31st, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Dolores Stewart, Colm Brady & Louis de Paor.

Dolores Stewart writes poetry in both English and Irish. Her English language collections are In Out of the Rain (1999) and Presence of Mind (2006), both published by Dedalus Press. Her Irish language collections are Sé Sin Le Rá (2001) and An Cosán Dearg (2003), both published by Coiscéim. With their lightness of touch and wry wit Dolores Stewart’s poems manage the rare double of being both profound and entertaining.

Colm Brady writes fiction. His story ‘Britney’ recently appeared on the Virtual Writer website. He is originally from Longford, but now lives in Galway City, where he has been a serial student in several creative writing classes. Colm says he has “now graduated from being an accountant who writes to a writer who works at anything.” At Cuirt 2006 he took part in the Fiction Masterclass with Booker Prize winner DBC Pierre.

Louis de Paor is one of Ireland’s foremost Irish language poets. Born in Cork in 1961, he emigrated to Australia in 1987, where he lectured at the University of Sydney, returning to Ireland in 1996. Louis is the author of several acclaimed collections of poetry; the most recent Clapping in the Cemetery was published last year by Clo Iar-Chonnachta. He is Director of the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI Galway.

As usual there will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Cuirt Grand Slam Winner, Brendan Murphy, at North Beach Nights Poetry Slam

North Beach Nights Poetry Slam continues on Thursday August 24th at 9pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway with special guest performer: Brendan Murphy and guest MC: Mags Treanor

Admission: 4 Euro

Brendan Murphy is 2006 Cúirt Grand Slam Winner (and winner of the July North Beach Nights Slam.) Brendan is gearing up for his perfomance trip to the Green Mill in Chicago and other U.S. venues. This will be our opportunity to get him live before he takes off for the States and to give him our full encouragement and support.

The Slam follows the usual format and is open to everyone. Please bring two max. three minute performance pieces and be there early to get your name down. The prize for the winner is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar.

Coming events:

September 21: Guest Poet Michael D. Higgins Guest MC Dave Lordan

October 19: Guest Poet Louis De Paor Guest MC Niall McCarthy

North Beach Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.

info: john 091 593290

Over The Edge Irish language initiative

Cuirfidh Over the Edge, sraith imeachtaí liteartha a bhfuil cáil uirthi i nGaillimh agus tóir dá réir, tús le sraith ar leith imeachtaí liteartha Gaeilge, ag tosú ag Over the Edge 31 Lúnasa. Léifidh an file Louis de Paor saothar dá chuid an lá sin. Tugtar cuireadh do scríbhneoirí a scríobhann i nGaeilge agus ar mhaith leo léamh ag ceann d'imeachtaí Over the Edge a saothar a chur faoi bhráid Over the Edge. Toisc gurb í aidhm Over the Edge spreagadh a thabhairt do scríbhneoirí atá ag tosú amach, tá Kevin Higgins agus Susan Millar DuMars, an lucht eagraithe, ag súil le teagmháil a dhéanamh le scríbhneoirí Gaeilge nár foilsíodh saothar leo fós.

Is é an t-iriseoir agus an scríbhneoir Alex Hijmans a dhéanfas comhordnú ar shraith Gaeilge Over the Edge. Ba cheart do scríbhneoirí ar suim leo a gcuid próis nó a gcuid filíochta a léamh ag an tsraith seo a saothar a chur faoi bhráid Over the Edge ag 3 Bóthar Cairbre, An Caisleán Nua, Gaillimh. Beidh an chéad cheann de na léamhanna Gaeilge mar chuid de shraith imeachtaí Over the Edge i Leabharlann Chathrach na Gaillimhe, ar Shráid Aibhistín, Déardaoin an 31 Lúnasa, ag 6.30. Beidh an file Dolores Stewart agus an scríbhneoir próis Colm Brady ag léamh i gcuideachta Louis de Paor.

Eamonn Wall, Moya Cannon, Michael Heffernan & Catherine Hunter: four poets at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Eamonn Wall with fellow Salmon poet, John Meneghan who read at Sheridan's Wine Bar in May




Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Eamonn Wall, Moya Cannon, Michael Heffernan & Catherine Hunter at Sheridan's Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, July 7th 9pm.

Eamonn Wall, born and raised in Co. Wexford, has lived in the US since 1982 and is now settled in Missouri. His poetry collections are Dyckman--200th Street (1994), Iron Mountain Road (1997), The Crosses (2000), and Refuge at Desoto Bend (2004) all published by Salmon. From the Sin-é Café to the Black Hills (2000), a volume of essays on the Irish Diaspora, received the Michael J. Durkan Prize from the American Conference for Irish Studies for excellence in scholarship. Eamonn Wall teaches at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Moya Cannon was born in Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal in 1956 and now lives in Galway. She has published two collections of poems, Oar, (Salmon Press, Galway,1990; Poolbeg Press, Dublin, 1994; Gallery Press, Meath, 2000) and The Parchment Boat (Gallery Press, 1997). A third collection, Carying the Songs will be published by Carcanet Press in 2007. She has been an editor of Poetry Ireland Review and writer-in-residence at Trent University, Ontario and at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris. A recipient of the Brendan Behan Award and of the Lawrence O Shaughnessy Award, she was elected to Aosdana in 2004.

Michael Heffernan lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he teaches poetry at the University of Arkansas. His seven books include The Back Road to Arcadia and Another Part of the Island from Salmon Publishing, and The Night Breeze Off the Ocean, published last year by Eastern Washington University Press. He has received three grants in poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts (US). His long acquaintance with Galway involved several years of association with NUIG’s International Writers Course, which he founded in 1989.

Catherine Hunter is a poet and novelist who teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. Her books include the thriller The Dead of Midnight and the poetry collection Latent Heat, which won the "book of the year" award in her home province of Manitoba.This will be her first visit to Ireland.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748.

Salmon poetry in association with Over The Edge

Salmon Poetry

in associaton with

Over The Edge







Over The Edge in association with Salmon Poetry presents a reading by Ron Houchin, Susan Millar DuMars & A.E. Stringer at Sheridan's Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, June 23rd 9pm.

Ron Houchin has taught literature and creative writing in public schools and colleges in the US for the past 30 years. Ron has read his poetry in Ireland on many occasions, most recently at the 2001 Dublin Writers' Festival. His first collection ‘Death and the River’ was published by Salmon in 1996. His latest collection, ‘Moveable Feast’, was published by Salmon in 2002.

Susan Millar DuMars is originally from Philadelphia, but has lived in Galway for some years now. Her collection of poetry, ‘Everyone Loves Me’, was published by Lapwing in 2005. In 2005 she also received an Arts Council Bursary for her collection of short-stories ‘Stupid Slim-neck Audrey Hepburn Dreams’.

Art Stringer is the author of 'Channel Markers' and has published poems in many journals in the U.S. including The Nation, Antaeus, Shenandoah, Denver Quarterly, Ohio Review, Poetry Northwest, and others. He teaches writing at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

All welcome. For further information contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Galway City Council

Sara Berkeley reads at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Sara Berkeley
reads at
Sheridan's Wine Bar








Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Sandra Bunting, Sara Berkeley and Patricia Burke Brogan at Sheridan's Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, June 2nd, 9pm.

Sandra Bunting is originally from Canada, but has lived in Galway for many years. She is a member of the Galway Writers Workshop and on the editorial board of Crannóg magazine. She recently published two collections of poetry: Lake of Phantoms was published by Mercutio Press, Canada; while Identified in Trees was published by Marram Press, Galway.

Sara Berkeley grew up in Dublin and graduated from Trinity College in 1989. She now lives in a village northwest of San Francisco with her husband and daughter. She has published four collections of poetry: her most recent being Strawberry Thief (Gallery, 2005). She has also a published a collection of short stories The Swimmer in the Deep Blue Dream (Raven/Thistledown, 1992) and a novel Shadowing Hannah (New Island Books, 1999).

Patricia Burke Brogan is a painter, poet and playwright. Her poetry collection, Above The Waves Calligraphy, and her acclaimed play, Eclipsed, were both published by Salmon Publishing in 1994. To date there have been sixty-one productions of Eclipsed on three continents. Her most recent play, Requiem of Love, had its debut at the Town Hall Theatre last November, and its script was published and launched at this year’s Cuirt Festival by Wordsonthestreet. All welcome.

For further details phone 087-6431748

Over The Edge to receive Arts Council funding

Over The Edge has just been informed that we are to receive funding from the national Arts Council to support the literary events we organise in Galway City Library and at Sheridan’s Wine Bar.



In a joint statement Over The Edge organisers Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins said: “It’s great to have the Arts Council acknowledge the work we do. We’d like to thank everyone who has participated in, or in any way supported Over The Edge during these past three years. There is a really vibrant literary scene in Galway right now, by far the best in the country. The Arts Council’s decision to support Over The Edge will help us make it even better. We’re delighted.”

Novelist Mike McCormack at May Over The Edge: Open Reading

Mike McCormack

After the huge success of the Over The Edge showcase reading at the Cuirt Festival in April, the May ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ will take place on Thursday, May 25th, 6.30-8pm in Galway City Library. This month’s Featured Readers – Mike McCormack, Jan Schlegel & Mags Treanor - are all fiction writers.

Mike McCormack is a Mayo-man and was born in 1965. He studied English and philosophy at UCG, as it was then, and has published three books, Getting it in the Head, 1996 - a collection of short stories – and two novels Crowe's Requiem, 1998 and Notes from a Coma, 2005. For the last three years he has been writer in residence at NUI Galway and is currently finishing a book of short stories.

Jan Schlegel grew up in the north of Germany. She currently lives in Galway City, where she works as a translator. She writes short-stories and is a regular contributor to the monthly Fiction Clinic, facilitated by Susan Millar DuMars. A chapbook of Jan’s short-stories, One to Five, was published last year by Over The Edge. Her work has also been published in Stories From The Half-Lit Hours – the Fiction Clinic Chapbook.

Mags Treanor writes prose, short stories and slam poetry. She is currently working on an autobiographical novel, Girl Racer. Her work has been published in The Cuirt Annual, anthologised by New Island Press, and broadcast on RTE Radio. In her spare time Mags works as a business consultant, single-handedly parents three young children and takes leisurely strolls on the Prom.

There will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council

John Menaghan & John Walsh at Sheridan's

On Friday, May 5th, 9pm, there will be a poetry reading by American poet John Menaghan and Derry-born, Galway-based poet John Walsh at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, Galway.

John Menaghan was born in New Jersey to Irish-American parents. He teaches literature and creative writing at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he also serves as Director of both the Irish Studies and Summer in Ireland programs and runs the annual Irish Cultural Festival. His most recent collection of poems, ‘She Alone’ - a book-length poetic sequence, which traces the life of an imaginary woman from birth to death and beyond – is published by Salmon Poetry.

John Walsh was born in Derry. He lived in Germany for many years, but has now settled in Galway. He is an accomplished singer-songwriter, and MC and organiser of the hugely successful North Beach Nights poetry slam. His poems have been published in the Black Mountain Review, Flaming Arrows and Crannog magazine. His first collection of poems, ‘Between Morning and the Noon-Day Tide’, is forthcoming from Marram Press.

Brendan Murphy, who won the Cuirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam on Saturday has agreed to come along and read his winning poem during the half-time break.

All welcome. For further details phone 087-6431748.

Cúirt Debut presents the Over the Edge showcase reading

Cúirt International Festival of Literature, Galway

Cúirt Debut presents the Over the Edge showcase reading

Featuring Celeste Auge, Edward Boyne, Jim Mullarkey, Sheila Phelan and Lorna Shaughnessy

Town Hall Theatre, Galway Date: 27 April 2006

Time: 11.30am

Venue: Town Hall Theatre, Courthouse Square, Galway
Phone: +353 91 569777

Celeste Auge was born in Canada, but moved to Ireland when she was twelve years old. Her poems have appeared in various Irish literary journals. She now lives in County Galway. Celeste was an ‘Over The Edge’ featured reader in February 2005.

Edward Boyne lives in Galway, and has published poetry and fiction in a number of journals. He has been short-listed for the Francis McManus Award and the The Hennessy Award for both poetry and fiction. Ed was an ‘Over The Edge’ featured reader in September 2005.

Jim Mullarkey lives in Galway. He has been short-listed for the Raymond Carver Short Story Award and the Fish Short Story Competition. His story ‘Heaven’ was runner-up in the 2002 RTE Francis McManus Award. Jim was a featured reader in January 2003.

Sheila Phelan was born in Dublin in 1971, but has lived in Galway since 2000. She has been short-listed for the Hennessy Award and the Fingal Scribe Award. She received an Arts Council Literature Bursary in 2002, and was runner up in the Patrick Kavanagh competition in 2005. Sheila was an ‘Over The Edge’ featured reader in January 2005.

Lorna Shaughnessy was born in Belfast and lectures in the Spanish Department of NUI, Galway. Her poetry has appeared in many Irish poetry magazines and anthologies. In June 2005, Song of the Forgotten Shulamite, a pamphlet of her poems was published by Lapwing Press. Lorna was an ‘Over The Edge’ featured reader in December 2003.

The Over the Edge: Open Reading series began in January 2003. Each month, Over the Edge puts the spotlight on emerging poets and fiction writers - sessions end with an open mic, where anyone can get in on the act. Co-organisers Kevin Higgins and Susan Millar DuMars (host) are grateful for the continued support of Galway's City Council and the city's artistic community - and to the many, many talented writers who have gone Over the Edge with us so far. For further details about Over The Edge phone 087-6431748 or write to 3, Carbry Road, Newcastle, Galway.
Related Link: http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/

North Beach Nights Cúirt Mega-Slam

North Beach Nights proudly presents

Trish Casey (Cúirt Grand Slam Winner 2004)
Kevin Higgins (Cúirt Grand Slam Winner 2003)
Stephen Murray (Cúirt Grand Slam Winner 2005)
and Sponsored by Poetry Ireland John W. Sexton.

The Grand Slam Winners will perform their winning Poem and new material.

Special Guest Reader John W. Sexton: Poet, short story writer, dramatist, children's novelist, radio scriptwriter, broadcaster and performer. He is the author of three collections of poetry, The Prince's Brief Career, Foreword by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, (Cairn Mountain Press, 1995), Shadows Bloom / Scáthanna Faoi Bhláth, a book of haiku with translations into Irish by Gabriel Rosenstock, and most recently Vortex (Doghouse, 2005). He also created and wrote The Ivory Tower for RTE radio, which ran to over one hundred half-hour episodes. His novels based on this series, The Johnny Coffin Diaries & Johnny Coffin School-Dazed are both published by The O'Brien Press, and have been translated into Italian and Serbian. Under the ironic pseudonym of Sex W. Johnston he has recorded an album with legendary Stranglers frontman, Hugh Cornwell, entitled Sons Of Shiva, which has been released on Track Records. His ballad the streets beneath the ocean was recorded by Cannery Row and appears on their cd No Homes under the title Underwater Girl. He has also appeared live on stage with The Frames.

PLUS North Beach Nights Mega-Slam We are happy to give all the entrants for the Cúirt Grand Slam on Saturday 29th this opportunity to test their nerves, their performance and what we are up against. Two poems max. 3 minutes each. The winner on the night could be the next Cúirt Grand Slammer winner on the way to Slampappi in Chicago!! So be there on Thursday 27th April BK's Winebar Spanish Parade, Galway at 9.30 pm

North Beach Nights appreciates and acknowledges the support of Galway City Council and Poetry Ireland

Three poets go Over The Edge

The next Over The Edge: Open Reading will take place on Thursday, March 30th, 6.30-8pm in Galway City Library. This month’s Featured Readers are Tom Duddy, Susan Lindsay & Jarlath Fahy.

Tom Duddy was born in Ramolin in Co. Mayo, but has lived in Galway since the early 1970s. He teaches philosophy at NUI Galway. His book A History of Irish Thought was published in 2002. In recent years Tom returned to writing poetry after “writing like mad” in his youth. His poems have appeared in The Irish Times, Magma, Poetry Ireland Review & The Shop.

Susan Lindsay was born in Dublin but now lives in Galway. She has attended poetry classes at Galway Arts Centre, and read her poems at the Over the Edge open-mic, the Baffle Festival, the Cuirt Poetry Slam and North Beach Nights. In December Susan won the RTE Carol of Our Times competition, and her depiction of Christmas was put to music by the RTE Concert Orchestra.

Jarlath Fahy is a native of Tuam. He is a member of Galway Writers Workshop and the editorial board of Crannog magazine. His poems have been published in Criterion and Crannog. Jarlath is a highly entertaining reader of his work, and has read his poems at Galway Arts Centre’s Nuns Island Studio and the Voices from the Tower readings in summer 2005.

There will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a poem or story to share. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.


Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council

Stories From The Half-Lit Hours

Fiction Clinic participants at the launch of 'Stories From The Half-Lit Hours'-The Fiction Clinic Chapbook in Galway City Library in September 2005.

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