John Walsh and Miceál Kearney
You can listen to John’s reading here.
John Walsh is from Derry. He has published two collections, Johnny Tell Them (Guildhall Press 2006) and Love’s Enterprise Zone (Doire Press 2007).
He is the organizer of the North Beach Poetry Nights’ Slam in Galway, Ireland’s longest running Poetry Slam, and Director of the new poetry press, Doire Press. John is an engaging reader and performer of his work.
Miceál Kearney, 28, lives in the West of Ireland. Writing since 2001, his poetry has been published in Ireland, England and America. He is the winner of the Cuisle, Cúirt, Baffle and North Beach Nights‘ Poetry Grand Slams. Miceál also won the Kiltimagh Poetry Slam at the In Sight of Raftery Festival in November 2008.
Kearney was short-listed for the 2007 Cinnamon Press Poetry Collection Award. His debut collection, Inheritance, was published by Doire Press in May.
Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge presents a bi-lingual evening with
Alan Titley
You can listen to Alan’s reading here.
Alan Titley is the author of four novels, four collections of stories, many plays, works of scholarship and some poetry. Although born and educated in Cork, he has lived abroad in Dublin and elsewhere for many years. Most of his work is in Irish, although it has been extensively translated into several European languages.
His novels include An Fear Dána (‘The Man of Poetry’) on the life of the thirteenth century Irish and Scottish poet, Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh, and Méirscrí na Treibhe (‘Tribal Scars’), a political novel set in an African country. One of his collections of short stories Leabhar Nóra Ní Anluain (‘Nora Hanlon’s Book’) contains more that one hundred stories, and some of these have been translated in his English collection Parabolas.
Alan’s Tagann Godot (‘Godot Turns Up’) is a sequel to Beckett’s play, and was produced in the Abbey Peacock. It has been translated into Italian, Russian and French. He is the recipient of many literary awards for his work including The Pater Prize for International Radio Drama, The Stewart Parker Award from the BBC, The Butler Prize of the Irish-American Cultural Institute, The Éilís Dillon Award for Children’s Fiction, as well as awards at Listowel Writers’s Week, The Francis McManus Short Story Competition and many Oireachtas prizes.
He also writes a weekly column on current and cultural affairs for The Irish Times. His poetry has been published intermittently, but has recently appeared in An Guth, Irish Pages, and THE SHOp. He is professor of Modern Irish in UCC.
Patrick Cotter
You can listen to Pat’s reading here.
Patrick Cotter was born Cork in 1963 and is a writer and publisher educated at UCC. Cotter’s poems can be found in such journals as Poetry Durham, Oxford Poetry, The Salmon, The Shop, Poetry Ireland Review and many other places. He has published several chapbooks of his poems including The Misogynist’s Blue Nightmare (Raven Arts Press), A Socialist’s Dozen (Three Spires Press) and The True Story of Aoife and Lir’s Children & other poems (Three Spires Press).
His work has appeared in the anthologies Separate Islands: Contemporary British and Irish poetry (Quarry, Ontario), Irish Poetry Now (Wolfhound), Jumping off Shadows – Some Contemporary Irish Poets (Cork University Press), The Irish Eros (Gill & Macmillan), The Backyards of Heaven (Newfoundland), Something Beginning with P (O’Brien Press) and in The Great Book of Ireland. He has published short fiction in Cyphers, New Irish Writing and elsewhere.
Cotter’s translations of the Estonian poet Andres Ehin are collected in the book Moosebeetle Swallow (Southword Editions). His play Beauty and the Stalker was produced at the Granary Theatre, Cork in 2000. In 1984 he was shortlisted for a Hennessy Award. Cotter was runner-up in the Patrick Kavanagh award in 1988. His poems have been translated into Estonian, Italian, Norse, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. He has given readings of his work in Ireland, California, Germany, Estonia, Norway, Italy and India. After leaving college in the mid 80s Cotter worked as Literature Officer at the Triskel Arts Centre before embarking on a long career as a bookseller which ended in 2002. He currently directs the Munster Literature Centre, where he works as a publisher and festival programmer.
Patrick’s first full-length collection of poems Perplexed Skin was published by Arlen House in 2008.
Dave Lordan
You can listen to Dave’s reading here.
Dave Lordan is one of the pioneers of Ireland’s now burgeoning live poetry scene and has been writing, performing and organising gigs since his time at UCC in the early 1990’s. Lordan’s work, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, deals head on with some the most controversial and difficult issues of our time including suicide, alcoholism and drug addiction, war and resistance and the oncoming collapse of human civilisation.
Dave will be reading poems from his upcoming second collection, Fighting in the Dancehall, Fucking in the Street.
PJ Brady and Lisa Marie Johnson
You can listen to PJ and Lisa reading here
PJ Brady who is an actor, writer, director and poet founded the Dry Bread Theatre Company which ran from 1987-2002. He is currently working on his next collection of poetry entitled Spiritual Chemistry. Some of his other work was featured in a radio documentary, The Music of Words presented by Des Gerrathy.
In 2003 he presented his multi-media production of the story of The Phoenix Dawn at Cavan Crystal Hotel. Brady specialises on the life and times of Patrick Kavanagh and his contribution to Irish poetry. He also read some of Patrick Kavanagh’s poetry, being studied for the Leaving Certificate course, on RTE’s Radio Arts programme. This programme was entitled The Enchanted Way and was presented by poet and novelist Pat Boran.
Brady’s poetry has been featured in the arts magazine Drumlin produced by Cavan Arts Office. Some other poems were published in the regional newspaper The Anglo Celt. Many more appeared in Aislinn Stories and other similar arts journals.
He has also acted in 15 Irish-made Hollywood movies from 1987 to the present time.
Lisa-Marie Johnson, is an artist based in Dublin originally from Co. Carlow, Ireland. She is currently researching a masters at Ncad in sculpture. She has shown a new piece of work, ‘Human error’, as part of Liverpool biennial , november 08, She has performed poetry as part of Ra collective, and Kavanaghs celebration’s curated by PJ Brady, 08. She curated and devised The Violence Couch with collaborations from acedemics Tina Mcveigh, Ailbhe Smith and Journalist Frank Connolly. Johnson’s Film work was selected to be shown as part of ‘The Social Forum’ Brazil 09. She has shown her work in fringe festival Dublin 02, 03, 05, nominated for the best fringe show 2002. Johnson received best student Documentary with Titson productions 2000 at Irish film Centre, Dublin. She has shown her work in Eigse 06 and EVA 06, Her work was reviewed on Rte news, her work was about post-natal depression , It was then reviewed on Rte’s Nationwide April 06, She has performed ,curated and organised events with artist Seamus Nolan , for Hotelballymun 07. She performed in Tulca performance festival 2006, 2007. She performed at Harburg-Hamburg museum of modern art 2006, She is designing a book from her work with artists in London. She is collaborating on a new work with film-maker Vivienne Dick , She has been selected to show Anonomom in Wharf Holland Sep 08, She was selected by Common Ground for a studio Residency, Dublin, 08. She has been selected to represent her work in Slovenia in summer 08, She has received bursaries from the Arts Council for her work, she has received The Carlow arts award 07 and 08. Her work is powerful, a real punch in the stomach’, Katrina Gregos, International Curator
Lisa-Marie is influenced by her immediate environment such as ‘Home and the everyday’, her subjects in her poetry are biographical and autobiographical , she is interested in the outsider and the vulnerability of human form, The vagueness of our existence within social terrains. Humor , play and remnants of Gothic and punk aesthetic. Lisa-Marie is a mother , artist and activist, she is interested in writers like Patti smith, Patrick Kavanagh, Pj harvy and Pj Brady, Lydia Lunch, Aine Philips, Arthur Rimbaud, Sylvia Plath, Sarah Kane, Pipi lotti Rist , Kim Gordan,Patrick Galvin, Dave Lordan and many more.. ‘Lying naked on four speeds, she stopped , she roared and she began again..’lisa-marie 08
Grace Wells
You can listen to Grace’s reading here.
Grace Wells is an English poet living in Co. Tipperary. Her first book, Gyrfalcon, a novel for children, won the Eilis Dillon Best Newcomer Bisto Award and was an International White Ravens’ Choice. A second childrens’ novel Ice-Dreams has recently been published. Her poetry and short stories have appeared widely.
Wells reviews Irish poetry for the University of Chicago’s online Contrary Magazine. She was selected for Poetry Ireland’s Introductions Series 2003, was shortlisted for the Start Chapbook Prize 06, the Charlie Byrne New Writer of the Year ’07, took third place in the ’07 Patrick Kavanagh Award and is currently working on a first collection, When God has been Called Away to Greater Things.
Grace will be holding a workshop entitled Influences & Themes from 6.00pm to 7.30pm at Ó Bhéal. For more details click here.
Alan Jude Moore
You can listen to Alan’s reading here.
Alan Jude Moore was born in Dublin. His poetry has been widely published in Ireland and abroad and his fiction has been twice short-listed for the Hennessy Literary Award for New Irish Writing. His work has been translated into Italian and Russian. Two collections of poetry, Black State Cars (2004) & Lost Republics (2008), are published by Salmon Poetry.
Alan’s blog can be found online here.
