[L-R] Ann Atkins, Amy Rugg, Catherine Ronan and Cédric Bikond

In August 2024 Ó Bhéal welcomed Coventry poets Ann Atkins and Amy Rugg for two readings at Ó Bhéal and DeBarra’s Spoken Word as part of the twin cities exchange. Catherine Ronan and Cédric Bikond represented Cork for a reciprocal visit and were hosted for two readings in Coventry during early November, also with a visit to the Lord Mayor, hosted by Ó Bhéal’s partner Here Comes Everyone / Fire & Dust. Reviews, images and links from each poet follow.

We are delighted to announce that Anya Ryzhkova from Germany (ex Russia), with her powerful film 09.01.berkovich has won Ó Bhéal’s 12th poetry-film competition, as announced at the 12th Winter Warmer Poetry Festival awards ceremony.

09.01.berkovich was chosen from 174 submissions entered by 144 filmmakers in 29 countries. The 2024 shortlist represents 15 countries: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, UK and USA. The full shortlist and screenings are here.
 

Poem: Untitled

Synopsis – The film is based on a speech by the Russian theater director Evgenia Berkovich. Together with the playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, Evgenia Berkovich has been under arrest and jailed since May 2023 on charges of “public calls to terrorism”. On the ninth of January 2024, before the verdict was supposed to be announced, she read her final speech in verse.
 

Director: Anya Ryzhkova (Germany)

Anya (Anna) Ryzhkova is an independent animation artist and filmmaker. She was born in Kaliningrad in 1998. In 2007 she moved to Germany and grew up in Chemnitz. Since 2019 she is studying Media Art and Design at the Bauhaus University Weimar.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
“This poetry film grips you from the first, with its ironic, chilling tone. Juddering chalk drawings in primary colours create a discordant atmosphere akin to imprisonment, as courtroom noise permeates the background soundscape. The young Russian filmmaker and animator, Anya Ryzhkova has captured the subversive, insurrectionary atmosphere with her graffiti & typewriter-like fonts which stand out in size and intensity. It’s an important message. A wonderful piece of art.”

Ó Bhéal’s 12th Winter Warmer (and 4th hybrid) festival presented over 50 poets from seven countries. Most of the featured guests appeared in-person at Nano Nagle Place, with a few appearing virtually.

     
We are thrilled to announce the winners and shortlisted entries from Ó Bhéal’s 11th Five Words International Poetry Competition, judged by Theo Dorgan.

The 12th Five Words International Competition will commence at noon on Tuesday the 9th of April 2024, and will continue until the 28th of January 2025.

[L-R] Devjani Bodepudi, John Watson, Cathal Holden and Rosalin Blue

In August 2023 Ó Bhéal welcomed Coventry poets Devjani Bodepudi and John Watson for two readings at Ó Bhéal and DeBarra’s Spoken Word as part of the twin cities exchange. Cathal Holden and Rosalin Blue represented Cork for a reciprocal visit and were hosted for two readings in Coventry during early November, also with a visit to the Lord Mayor, hosted by Ó Bhéal’s partner Here Comes Everyone / Fire & Dust. Reviews, images and links from each poet follow.

We are thrilled to announce that Kate Sweeney from England, with her gorgeous film To Be Two has won Ó Bhéal’s 11th poetry-film competition, as announced at the 11th Winter Warmer Poetry Festival awards ceremony.

To Be Two was chosen from 208 submissions received from 168 filmmakers in 33 countries. The 2023 shortlist represents 14 countries: Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, New Zealand, Scotland, The Netherlands, UK, Ukraine and USA. You can view the shortlist and screenings here.

Poem: To Be Two

Synopsis – An origin story of becoming – two mothers, a son, a family. Bringing together the moments and the materials from the everyday, it focusses on the ways we, as a family formed through adoption, have made our bonds. To Be Two is a collage of video recordings, poetry, and animation painted with inks and dyes made from mud, rust, blackberries, nettle milk and river water gathered and adapted from my immediate and intimate surroundings. to describe how we imagine and manifest our selves through each other beyond the language of blood and DNA.

Director: Kate Sweeney (UK)

Kate Sweeney is an artist, video maker and writer based in the North East of England. Her video pieces have screened and been exhibited nationally and internationally including Sydney International Film Festival, Zebra Film Festival in Berlin, Manchester Animation Festival, AnimaTricks in Helsinki and International Poetry Festival in London. Kate is currently a research associate at Newcastle University, and has previously taught Fine Art, Animation and lectured in poetry-film. She has just completed her PhD exploring video practice in literary archives at Newcastle University, UK (2016 – 20).

 
“What struck us primarily was how the beauty of the words “richter white paint stroked through a candle/ time blown backwards by a brush” were as captivating as the visual journey of this film. The pacing was extraordinary, the stunning stop motion animation of a child on a pushbike coming towards you, and then you might have a sheet of white vellum paper just for a few moments, all under-layered with a child crying or laughing. One is transported into extraordinary shifts in perspective, via a striking variety of stylised animations and abstract videography. A fantastic and worthy winner. ”

Ó Bhéal’s 11th Winter Warmer (and 3rd hybrid) festival presented over 30 poets from seven countries. Most of the featured guests appeared in-person at Nano Nagle Place, while others appeared virtually.

      David Ross Linklater
We are delighted to announce the winners and shortlisted entries from our 10th Five Words International Poetry Competition, judged by Victoria Kennefick. Our warm congratulations to first place winner David Ross Linklater for his poem Lighthouse / Mother, to second place winner Alison McCrossan for her poem Walking alone and to third place winner Glyn Matthews for his poem Terms of Endearment.

The 11th Five Words International Competition will commence at noon on Tuesday the 11th of April 2023 and continue until the 30th of January 2024.

In August 2022 Ó Bhéal and Here Comes Everyone resumed our in-person twin cities exchange. Sujana Crawford and John Bernard were invited to Cork for readings at Ó Bhéal and DeBarra’s Spoken Word, along with a visit to the Lord Mayor’s chambers, while Dean Browne and Victoria Kennefick represented Cork for a reciprocal visit and were hosted for two readings in Coventry during early November, also with a visit to the Lord Mayor, hosted by Ó Bhéal’s partner Here Comes Everyone / Fire & Dust. Reviews, images and links from each poet follow.