Micéal Kearney & Neil McCarthy Take First & Second Place in 2007 B.A.F.F.L.E Festival Competition

Micéal Kearney has won this weekend's 2007 B.A.F.F.L.E Festival performance poetry competition with his poem Multi-cultural ethnic diversity and all that other stuff. http://www.baffle.ie/








Micéal also won this year's Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam. As part of his Cúirt prize he recently read his poetry at Slovenia's premier literary festival; and he will soon be off to read in Chicago's Green Mill, the birth-place of Slam poetry. Micéal was a Featured Reader at the September 2006 Over The Edge: Open Reading. He began writing seriously after taking a creative writing class with Susan Millar DuMars at G.M.I.T in the Autumn of 2005.


Neil McCarthy took second place.












Neil's work has been widely published. He was a Featured Reader at the October 2004 Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library. Neil also read at this year's Cúirt Festival/Over The Edge Showcase reading. http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/west47-27/over.html

Alan McMonagle awarded Arts Council Literature Bursary

Congratulations to Galway-based writer Alan McMonagle who has just been awarded a Literature Bursary by the Arts Council.

Alan is originally from Longford but now lives in Galway City. He writes both fiction and poetry. He recently completed an MA in Writing at NUI Galway. He was a Featured Reader at the March 2007 Over The Edge: Open Reading in Galway City Library.

http://www.artscouncil.ie/en/news/news.aspx?article=ee4f31b0-aa57-4904-b09b-c893337510f5

Lunchtime with Melanie Frances at Galway City Museum

The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
presents

Melanie Frances (Montreal)

To celebrate the Launch of "Anatomy of a Love Affair" (My Life in the Movies) Melanie Francis' latest collection, published by Salmon Poetry on Friday Oct. 26th in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Contribution: 5 Euro

Mélanie Francès was born in Paris on October 18th, 1972, with Canadian and French origins and grew up in France. As a young girl, she lived for four years in New Delhi, India, where she learned English and started a lifelong love story with the language. As a college student, she discovered her gift for writing and developed an interest in the arts and American literature. She later moved to Montreal, Canada to pursue her graduate studies at Concordia University and obtained an M.A. Degree in English and Creative Writing. In 2001, she published her first chapbook of poetry, The World is in your Head, with Ginninderra Press in Australia. She lives in Montreal where she works in communications and public relations and is currently working on her first novel about the immigrant experience and the birth of the movies at the beginning of the century in the USA.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
The poems of Anatomy of a Love Affair (My Life in the Movies) explore the constant interaction between everyday life and art and the imaginary space it provides all of us. In the first section which gives its title to the collection, a poetic sequence retells a real-life love affair from beginning to end, from the encounter to the break-up, through memories of love as it is remembered by the author and through the lens of pivotal and memorable movie scenes that seem to mirror her own experiences. With ritualistic cadence and use of the long line, the poems in this collection weave a web of stories that illustrate the ongoing interplay of personal experience and art, photographs, music and films that haunt us and make us who we are.

Rita Ann Higgins at North Beach Poetry Nights

Rita Ann Higgins reads at BK's.

A rare opportunity to hear Galway poet Rita Ann Higgins read as guest poet at North Beach Poetry Nights in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade.


Ever since the publication of Goddess on the Mervue Bus and Witch in the Bushes in the early 1980's, Rita Ann has become one of the foremost poetic voices in Ireland. She has read in most countries and at most of the famous universities in the world. Gerry Ryan and Pat Kenny have also had the pleasure of her "on-air" company.

Rita Ann's poetry is straight-talking and hard-hitting.
Her poetry readings are always memorable.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each. The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd.

The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's
poetry.

Thursday 25 October 9 pm
BK's Winebar
Spanish Parade, Galway

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Louis Jenkins, Tamar Yoseloff & Geraldine Mills at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Louis Jenkins

Over The Edge presents a reading by Louis Jenkins, Tamar Yoseloff & Geraldine Mills at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway
on Friday, October 19th, 8pm.
Tamar Yoseloff










Louis Jenkins was born and raised in Oklahoma and now lives in Minnesota. In addition to extensive experience as a poetry workshop leader, he has been a truck driver, farm-hand, ranch-hand, fisherman, librarian, construction worker, museum guard, gardener and shoe salesman. One of America's leading writers of prose poems, he’s a favourite on Garrison Keillor's popular radio show A Prairie Home Companion. His seventh book, North of the Cities, was published this year.

Tamar Yoseloff was born in the US in 1965 but now lives in London. Her first collection, Sweetheart (Slow Dancer Press, 1998) was a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation and the winner of the Aldeburgh Festival Prize. She received a New Writers’ Award from London Arts for her second collection, Barnard’s Star (Enitharmon Press, 2004). In 2005 she was Writer in Residence at Magdalene College, Cambridge, as part of their Year in Literature Festival. Her third collection, Fetch, was published recently by Salt Publishing.

Geraldine Mills, a native of Galway, began her writing career in Dublin where she lived for twenty years before returning with her family to settle in Rosscahill Co. Galway in 1995. Bradshaw Books published her two collections of poetry, Unearthing your Own(2001) and Toil the Dark Harvest (2004) She was the Millennium Hennessy/Sunday Tribune New Irish Writer Of The Year. Her first short story collection, The Lick of the Lizard, was published by Arlen House in 2005 and her second, The Weight of Feathers, is published very soon also by Arlen House.

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

Writers Group of the Year Award

As part of the second National Writers Group Festival, the Longford Arts Office invites entries for the Writers Group of the Year Award. For this, groups are asked to submit a portfolio containing one poem, one short story, one short short, and a group profile.

Judging the portfolios will be Jean O'Brien, author of two chapbooks and two poetry collections; Leo Cullen, winner of the 'PEN' Ireland & UK short story competition; Martina Devlin, award-winning journalist and author of five novels; and Kevin Higgins, co-organiser of the Over The Edge literary events in Galway and author of two poetry collections.

Prizes: First Prize: €500, Second Prize: €300, Third Prize: €150.
Entries must arrive on or before Friday 14th December 2007.

For a full list of competition rules and guidelines, visit http://virtualwriter.net

For further information, contact Anne Collins at acollins@longfordcoco.ie

Four poetry collections launched at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop by Over The Edge

Photos by Jessie Lendennie

Dave Lordan reads from The Boy In The Ring

Billy Ramsell reads from Complicated Pleasures

Alan Jude Moore

Alan Jude Moore reading from Mike Begnal's Ancestor Worship

Professor Brian Arkins introducing Knute Skinner

Knute Skinner reading from Fifty Years: Poem 1957-2007

Billy Ramsell

Dave Lordan relaxes

Susan Millar DuMars

Charlie Byrne and bookshop manager, Vinny Browne

Kevin Higgins with the Salmon anthology

Over The Edge facilitated the Galway launch of Ancestor Worship by Michael S. Begnal (Salmon Poetry); Fifty Years: Poems 1957-2007 Poems by Knute Skinner (Salmon Poetry);The Boy in the Ring by Dave Lordan (Salmon Poetry) & Complicated Pleasures by Billy Ramsell (Dedalus Press) http://www.dedaluspress.com/poets/ramsell.html

at Charlie Byrne's Bookshop Middle Street, Galway

on Friday 12th October.

Dave Lordan, Billy Ramsell & Knute Skinner read from their collections.

Mike Begnal was sadly unable to attend due to plane delays which left him stranded in the US.

Mike's good friend and fellow Salmon poet, Alan Jude Moore, stepped in to read a selection of poems from Ancestor Worship.

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

Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year': Winning Entry Published in West 47 Online

Kevin Lavelle from Barna in County Galway is the 2007 Over The Edge New Writer Of The Year.


'Bury Me In The Garden', the story which won Kevin Lavelle the competition is published in the latest issue of Galway Arts Centre's online literary quarterly West 47 online. It can be read at http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/west47/review.html

Over The Edge would like to thank Galway Arts Centre and especially Maura Kennedy for their support in publishing Kevin's winning story.

Australian Poet Earl Livings at City Museum Lunchtime Reading & North Beach Poetry Nights

North Beach Poetry Nights and The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum present Earl Livings (Australia) on Thursday Oct. 11th in BK's Winebar, Spanish Arch at 9 pm and Friday Oct. 12th in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Earl Livings was born and educated in Melbourne. He is a poet, creative writing teacher and editor of Divan, Australia's first online poetry journal. His poetry, fiction and non-fiction have been published widely in Australia. He is also a frequent reader on radio. He currently teaches Creative Writing at Box Hill Institute, Northcote,Victoria. His latest collection is Further Than Nights.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each. The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar. Two finalists this

month automatically go forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd. The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry.

Thursday 11 October 9 pm Friday 12 Oct. 1 pm
BK's Winebar Galway City Museum
Spanish Parade, Galway

Check out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news.
You might be there! www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Greek Poet For September Over The Edge: Open Reading

The September ‘Over The Edge: Open Reading’ takes place in Galway City Library on Thursday, September 27th, 6.30-8.00pm. The Featured Readers are Greek poet and playwright Dimitris Lyacos and Galway-based poets Rita O’Donoghue & Geraldine Keane.

Rita O’Donoghue is originally from County Mayo and lived for many years in the UK, where she won an Eastern Arts Award for Poetry in 1993. She has now settled in Galway where she works at NUIG. Rita has previously read her work at Galway Arts Centre’s Nuns Island Studio, the Westside Library Summer Open-mic and the Over The Edge open-mic. She has taken part in the Advanced Poetry workshops at Galway Arts Centre.

Geraldine Keane is a Galway native and received her M.A. in Writing from NUI Galway in 2005. She has published several non-fiction pieces in the U.S. and Ireland, including travelogues in New York’s The Irish Letter. She performed in last year’s BAFFLE festival and was published earlier this year in ROPES. She is currently working on her first book.

Dimitris Lyacos was born in Athens in 1966. He is both a poet and a playwright. His trilogy Poena Damni has been translated into English, Spanish, Italian and German and has been performed extensively across Europe and the USA. A sound and sculpture installation based on his poetry collection Nyctivoe opened in London and toured Europe in 2004-2005. Lyacos’ work has been the subject of lectures and research at various universities, including Amsterdam, Trieste and Oxford.

There will be an open-mic after the Featured Readers have finished. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-6431748.

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

POSTCRIPT: There is a short review of the September Over The Edge: Open Reading on the website of one audience member, Maura McHugh. You can read it at http://splinister.com/blog/?postid=410

BACK WITH A SLAM!

GALWAY ARTS CENTRE’S POETRY SLAM! RETURNS

TUESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2007
7-8pm, The Ruby Room, The King’s Head

Take to the stage with your own 3-minute poem on any subject.

Need inspiration? See if you can write an ode (or haiku, sonnet, sestina…) to cryptosporidium. The best Crypto-poem will be published online on GalwayArts Centre’s website.

The overall winner goes forward to Cúirt FestivalGrand Slam (April 2008). If the muse doesn’t strike, come along and listen to the eight performers strut their poetic stuff - you may even be picked as one of our audience judges!

Resident MC Pete Mullineaux will keep order, admission is free andall are welcome.

For further information, please contact Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, Galway 091-565886 or info@galwayartscentre.ie

Lucy English at North Beach Poetry Nights and The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum

North Beach Poetry Nights
and
The Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
present
LUCY ENGLISH
on Thursday Sep. 20th in BK's Winebar, Spanish Arch at 9 pm
and on Friday Sep. 21 in the Galway City Museum at 1pm.

Contribution to each event: 5 Euro

Lucy English is a novelist and performance poet.

She has three novels published by Fourth Estate. As a poet she has toured Holland, Denmark, India, Sri Lanka and the U.S . She appeared with Big Word at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1999-2002 where she was titled, 'the hippy chick love mother sex goddess'. She was a member of the acclaimed 'Temptation' poetry tour in 2005 and artistic director for the 'Exposed' tour in 2006.She was a guest poet at the Calgary Litfest in 2006 and a finalist in the BBC radio Four poetry slam in Sept 2007. She is a senior lecturer in creative studies at Bath Spa University and runs the only UK module in performance poetry.

also

The North Beach Poetry Nights' 2 - Round Slam

Poets wishing to enter the Slam are requested to bring along 2 poems, max. 3 minutes each.

The winner of the Slam receives a bottle of red wine courtesy of BK's Winebar and automatically goes forward to the North Beach Poetry Nights' Grand Slam on December 22nd. The prize for the winner of the Grand Slam is the publication of a collection of the winner's poetry. Thursday 20 September 9 pm Friday 21 Sep. 1 pm BK's Winebar Galway City Museum Spanish Parade, Galway

Check out the NEW!!! North Beach Poetry Nights MySpace for all the news.
You might be there! www.myspace.com/northbeachpoetrynights

Info: john walsh at 091-593290

Large crowd at Sheridan's Wine Bar for Galway launch of 'Revival' magazine and reading by Sara Byrne, Ed Boyne & Matthew Sweeney

To view a full slideshow of the Revival magazine launch click on http://whitehousepoets.blogspot.com/2007/09/launch-of-revival-4-at-over-edge-galway.html

Matthew Sweeney to read at Sheridan's Wine Bar

Over The Edge presents a reading by Matthew Sweeney, Sara Byrne & Edward Boyne, plus the Galway launch of the latest issue of the Limerick-based poetry magazine Revival at Sheridan’s Wine Bar, 14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, September 14th, 8pm.


Sara Byrne was born in 1980 in Dublin, where she survived for 18 years before escaping, relatively unharmed to Galway. In 2003 she started to publish some of her poetry. In 2004 she co-founded the North Beach Nights Poetry Slam, which she hosted until relocating to London to pursue a glittering career in sandwich making. In this she has been very successful. In London she continues to read her work to whoever will listen. She is currently completing a BA in Creative Writing.

Edward Boyne is a poet and fiction writer. He has been short-listed for the Hennessy award in both poetry and fiction and for the Francis McManus short story competition. His work has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies. He read at the inaugural Cuirt Festival/Over The Edge showcase reading in April 2006. He lives in Galway.

Matthew Sweeney was born in Donegal, Ireland in 1952. He moved to London in 1973 and studied at the Polytechnic of North London and the University of Freiburg. His poetry collections include A Dream of Maps (1981), Blue Shoes (1989), Cacti (1992), and A Smell of Fish (2000). Selected Poems, representing the best of 10 books and 20 years' work, was published in 2002. He won a Cholmondeley Award in 1987 and an Arts Council Writers' Award in 1999. He has also published poetry for children. Matthew Sweeney has held residencies at the University of East Anglia and the South Bank Centre in London, and was Poet in Residence at the National Library for the Blind as part of the ‘Poetry Places’ scheme run by the Poetry Society in London. His latest poetry collections are Sanctuary (2004) and Black Moon (2007).

This reading will be preceded by the Galway-launch of the latest issue of the Limerick-based poetry magazine ‘Revival’.

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.

Brendan Murphy in final of BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam

Brendan Murphy is second from right. Also pictured are Denise Heneghan, Steve Murray and Micéal Kearney.

2006 Cúirt Grand Slam Winner, Brendan Murphy, recently took part in the Semi-final of the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam in Manchester. Brendan is representing Ireland, having won the Irish heat which took place in Belfast back in May. With some ease Brendan qualified for the Final which will take place in Bristol on Saturday, September 8th, when there will be five other finalists.

Brendan's winning semi-final performance was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday, September 6th at 11pm. To listen to it click on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/poetry_slam.shtml

Sheila Phelan launches poetry collection

'Washington, D.C.', a first collection of poems by Shela Phelan, published by Lapwing, will be launched on Wednesday 26th September at 6.30pm in the Galway City Library.

The speaker will be Michael O'Loughlin, Galway City Council's Writer in Residence.

All are welcome.



Sheila Phelan was born in Dublin in 1971 and now lives in Galway. She has worked with the Baboro Childrens Festival and with Galway Civic Trust. She was awarded an Arts Council Bursary in 2002 and was runner up inthe Patrick Kavanagh Competition in 2005. She is a graduate of the NUI, Galway MA in Writing. Sheila read at the inaugural Over The Edge/Cúirt Festival showcase reading in April 2006.

Lapwing is an independent publisher based in Belfast. In Irish folklore the lapwing is a bird that symbolises hope. Excerpts from 'Washington, D.C.' can be viewed on Google Booksearch

Galway City Museum Lunchtime Reading

Colette Nic Aodha's most recent poetry collections,
'Sundial' and 'Between Curses / Bainne Géar'
are published by Arlen House.



Her work is included in the Field Day Anthology
of Irish Writing and The White Page /
An Bhileog Bhán, among other anthologies.
She is a member of the Board of Directors
of Poetry Ireland and of the Irish Language
Festival, IMRAM. She works in the National
University of Ireland, Galway.

The Galway City Museum Poetry Reading
takes place on the special date
Sept. 07 / 07 at 1 pm.

A contribution of 5 Euro is welcomed.

For more information contact John Walsh
on 091 593290 or johnwa@iolfree.ie

Winner of Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year' competition

Kevin Lavelle Over The Edge 'New Writer of The Year' 2007

Over The Edge New Writer of the Year competition sponsored by Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop



The winner of the inaugural Over the Edge New Writer of the Year competition is Kevin Lavelle, from Barna, County Galway, for his story Bury Me In The Garden. The winning story will appear in the Oct.-Dec. issue of the Galway Arts Centre's journal, West 47 online. Kevin will be a featured reader at the November 22nd, all-fiction Over the Edge: Open Reading.

Second place was taken by poet Cate Huguelet, while joint third place went to fiction writers Aidan Hynes and Claire Anderson-Wheeler.

A short-list of eight was chosen from the long-list of sixteen.

The short-listed writers were

Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Paris, France
Megan Buckley, Galway City
Paul Duffy, Dublin
Cate Huguelet, Cork City
Aidan Hynes, Dublin
Kevin Lavelle, Galway County
Alan McMonagle, Galway City
Grace Wells, County Tipperary


The writers who made the long-list were

Claire Anderson-Wheeler, Paris, France
Megan Buckley, Galway City
Evan Costigan, Co. Kildare
Philip Crymble, County Dublin
Paul Duffy, Dublin
Vincent Flannery, County Galway
Aideen Henry, Galway City
Cate Huguelet, Cork City
Aidan Hynes, Dublin
Maureen Kelly, County Galway
Miceál Kearney, County Galway
Kevin Lavelle, County Galway
Alan McMonagle, Galway City
J.K. Morrissey, Dun Laoghaire
Neil Ward, Dublin
Grace Wells, County Tipperary

The winner was announced at the first Over The Edge: Open Reading after the Summer break in Galway City Library this Thursday, August 30th, 6.30pm.

The competition judge was Alan Jude Moore, a Featured Reader at the reading on Thursday. His reading was sponsored by Poetry Ireland. The other Featured Readers were Margaret Faherty and Tom Lavelle.

The competition was a great success, yielding 116 submissions. We're very grateful to the contestants, our judge and Charlie Byrne's bookshop for their sponsorship.

Micéal Kearney to read at Vilenica Festival, Slovenia

Miceál Kearney, winner of this year's Cúírt Poetry Grand Slam is off this week to read at Slovenia’s 22nd Vilenica International Literary Festival on September 8th, 11am at the Štanjel Literary.








Micéal also won the inaugural Cuisle Festival Poetry Slam in Limerick last October. Poems of his have recently been accepted for publication in The Shop and The Cork Literary Review. He will also feature in a forthcoming anthology from Cinnamon Press.

Australian Poet at Galway City Museum

Friday Lunchtime Reading Series in Galway City Museum
August 31st at 1pm.
Miceál Kearney (Winner Cúirt Grand Slam '07)
and Mark O'Flynn (Australia).

Miceál Kearney, poet and performer,takes to the road in September for Brighton,Chicago and Slovenia.He is taking this opportunity to give us a preview of the set he will be performing at the Green Mill in Chicago and at the Literary Festival in Slovenia.

Mark O'Flynn, is a poet, novelist and playwright from Australia.He has had 7 plays produced back home in Australia and his third collection of poetry is due out this year. At present he is at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre working on his third novel and is coming to Galway especially for his reading in the Galway City Museum.

Contribution: 5 Euro
Info: John Walsh @ 593290