(celebrating 696 nights of Poetry)
presents Five Words competition winners:
Derek Sellen (1st), Mary Anne Smith Sellen (2nd) & Laura Theis (3rd)
featuring Five Words Volume XVII and an open-mic for Only Other Poets’ Poetry
Derek Sellen (1st) is from Canterbury, UK, and has written poetry, short stories and plays over many years. He has written on a wide range of subjects from Indian cave-paintings to the myth of the Minotaur, from a Chinese street-seller to Spanish art. He has read his work widely, in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and, in better times. Russia.
His writing has won many awards over the years including first prizes in Poets Meet Politics, Poets Meet Painters, Rhyme International, the Wirral Festival Play Competition, and several other competitions. His work has twice won Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year and twice previously won Ó Bhéal Five Words. It has also won prizes in Poetry on the Lake, Bristol International Short Story Award and the National Poetry Competition among others.
His first collection was The Arch and its Shadow (2009) and he is currently preparing a third collection. His collection The Other Guernica – poems inspired by Spanish art was published by Cultured Llama Publishing in 2018 and was a finalist in the Poetry Book Awards 2020. It has been favourably reviewed: ‘This is a work of outstanding richness and variety, imagination, thought, storytelling …’ – Professor Janet Montefiore
Mary Anne Smith Sellen (2nd) is a poet and painter from Canterbury in Kent. Her work has been recognized in competitions including Sentinel Literary Quarterly November 2017 (1st), and the Ó Bhéal Five Words Competition 2019 (1st). She has been widely published, both in print and online, including Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Grey Hen Press, Confluence, Dream Catcher, Beautiful Dragons, Wildfire Words and Linen Press.
Mary Anne’s first full poetry collection The shape of our lives was longlisted in the 2023 Indigo Dreams First Collection competition. She is currently working on poems for a new pamphlet, themed around memories and photographs from her 1960s childhood. Mary Anne is a regular reader at events and festivals.
Laura Theis (3rd) writes poetry, songs, and fiction in her second language. Her work appears in POETRY, Oxford Poetry, Magma, Rattle, Aesthetica, Mslexia, and others, and has received accolades such as the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, the Oxford Brookes Poetry Prize, the Poets & Players Prize, the Hammond House International Literary Award, the AM Heath Prize, the Mogford Short Story Prize, as well as a Forward Prize nomination.
Laura’s poetry debut collection how to extricate yourself (Dempsey & Windle, 2020) was the winner of the Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize, an Oxford Poetry Library Book of the Month, and an Elgin Award nominee. Her collection A Spotter’s Guide To Invisible Things (Live Canon, 2023) won the Live Canon Collection Prize and received the Arthur Welton Award from the Society of Authors. A new poetry collection from Broken Sleep Books and her children’s debut Poems From A Witch’s Pocket are forthcoming in 2025.
This event will be both in-person, hosted in the Hayloft bar, upstairs in Long Valley, Winthrop St Cork, as well as on Zoom (which is limited to 100 people). Participation in the open-mic session and five word challenge is open to both in-person and virtual attendees. The session will be live-streamed at obheal.ie/live and via Ó Bhéal’s Vimeo, Facebook and YouTube channels. Note to Participants: Our hybrid events are recorded and remain viewable on video via these same channels.
We are no longer posting the zoom link via our social media channels. Upon written request to info@obheal.ie with a sentence outlining your reason for participation, a link to join the session will be emailed to you on the evening of the event, which is expected to run for between 2-3 hours.
7-7.45pm: Poetry-Films (random play from Ó Bhéal’s Poetry-Film comp archives – NOT STREAMED);
8.30pm: Five Word Challenge (max 30 – after the allotted 15 minutes writing time);
9.30pm: Competition Winners & Contributors to Five Words Vol XVII;
10:45pm: Open-Mic Session for other poet’s poetry (max 30).
(Entering a Zoom meeting is all explained here >>>. This link provides you with a step-by-step guide and YouTube tutorial if necessary. You should check this out if you’re unfamiliar with the Zoom platform – it also shows you where to download the zoom client/app for your computer/phone. Please Make sure to know where the chat box is and how to mute yourself to reduce background sound.)
The 12th Five Words International Poetry Competition runs from Tuesday the 9th of April 2024 (at midday GMT) for 42 weeks, until the 28th of January 2025.
The judge for 2024/2025 is Lauren O’Donovan. For submission guidelines and previous winners, visit the competition page here.
The launch of The Unfinished Book of Poetry 2024 takes place at Cork City Library on Grand Parade, on Wednesday 24th April at 1pm. The launch will be attended by transition year (TY) student writers (who will read their poems from the book), participating teachers, library staff and assisting writers (tutors). The book will be launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork. A limited number of free copies will be available to the public at the city library.
Twelve young poets from the book will also have their poems displayed in Cork City Library’s Poetry in the Parks project during the summer, via installations at Fitzgerald’s Park, Tramore Valley Park, Ballincollig Regional Park, Marina Park, Gerry O’Sullivan Park and Blarney Sanctuary Walkway. This will also be part of the 2024 Cruinniú na nÓg festival.
Four Faces of Cork City Spoken Word will be held on the outdoor stage at Elizabeth Fort, on Sunday 28th April from 4pm-5pm. Ó Bhéal presents this showcase of spoken word performances from four regular Cork City poetry events: Sling Slang, Ubuntu Sessions, The Underground Loft and Ó Bhéal.
Featured performers include: From Sling Slang (emcee: Richard Pierce, poets: Philip Spillane and Joanne Hackett; from Ubuntu (emcee: Outsider YP, poets: Cliff Masheti and Raphael Olympio); from The Underground Loft (emcee: Cian Walsh, poets: Em Egan Reeve and Ciarán Shanahan); and from Ó Bhéal (emcee: Rosie O’Regan, poets: Jim Crickard and Cathal Holden).
Sling Slang is a monthly spoken word night that is based on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in Maureen’s Bar in Cork city. Ubuntu Sessions is run by Sauti Studio crew, at The Haven Cafe in Cork City Centre, every Friday from 6 to 8pm. The Underground Loft is a poetry and storytelling open mic event that takes place every 2nd Thursday in The Liberty Bar on South Main Street.
The 12th Ó Bhéal International Poetry-Film Competition will be open for submissions from 1st of May 2024 until the 31st of August 2024.
The judges for 2024 are Colm Scully and Paul Casey. For submission guidelines and previous winners, visit the competition page here.
Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge presents
a hybrid bi-lingual event with
Joanne McCarthy and Eoin Mc Evoy
Joanne McCarthy writes in Waterford. Her work can be read in various publications, including the collections Lampa ar Lasadh: Gradam Máire Mac an Saoi & Hold Open the Door: The Ireland Chair of Poetry Anthology. Her poems were published in various magazines, including Comhar, Aneas, The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review and Rattle. She won the An Fhéich Dhuibh competition, 2023. The Arts Council awarded her two bursaries. She is co-editor of The Waxed Lemon magazine.
Scríobhann Joanne McCarthy i bPort Láirge. Tá a saothar le léamh i bhfoilsiúcháin éagsúla, ina measc sna cnuasaigh Lampa ar Lasadh: Gradam Mháire Mhac an tSaoi & Hold Open the Door: The Ireland Chair of Poetry Anthology. Cuireadh dánta dá cuid i gcló ar irisí éagsúla – Comhar, Aneas, The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review agus Rattle ina measc. Bhuaigh sí comórtas An Fhéich Dhuibh, 2023. Bhronn An Chomhairle Ealaíon dhá sparánachtaí uirthi. Is comheagarthóir í ar an iris The Waxed Lemon.
Eoin Mc Evoy is a poet, playwright, translator and spoken word artist. His works can be read in Comhar, The Stinging Fly, Trumpet, Cyphers, Howl, Aneas, Feasta and in the book Green Carnations and his works have been broadcast on Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió na Life and BBC Gaeilge. Eoin was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions 2021 scheme and was among the winners in the REIC 2020 competition. He won first prize in the Foras na Gaeilge 2020 poetry competition and in the Chraobh Aimhirghin 2014 poetry competition, one of the Oireachtas’ literary competitions.
Eoin works in Scoil na Gaeilge, Celtic Studies and Folklore UCD, where he teaches courses in translation and creative writing, and deals with educational technology. He who set up the first German branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in Berlin (2011) and he has been the co-host of the social group LADTA+ the Queercal Comhrá with Brian Mac Muiris since 2019. Eoin is one of the Co-Directors of AerachAteachGaelach.
Is file, drámadóir, aistritheoir agus ealaíontóir focal é Eoin Mc Evoy. Tá saothair dá chuid le léamh in Comhar, The Stinging Fly, Trumpet, Cyphers, Howl, Aneas, Feasta agus sa leabhar Green Carnations agus craoladh saothair leis ar Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió na Life agus BBC Gaeilge. Roghnaíodh Eoin do scéim Poetry Ireland Introductions 2021. Bhí sé i measc na mbuaiteoirí i gcomórtas REIC 2020 agus ba é a bhain an chéad duais i gcomórtas filíochta Fhoras na Gaeilge 2020 agus i gcomórtas filíochta Chraobh Aimhirghin 2014, ceann de chomórtais liteartha an Oireachtais. Tá Eoin ar dhuine de Chomhstiúrthóirí AerachAiteachGaelach.
This event will be both in-person, hosted in the Hayloft bar, upstairs in Long Valley, Winthrop St Cork, as well as on Zoom (which is limited to 100 people). Participation in the open-mic session and five word challenge is open to both in-person and virtual attendees. The session will be live-streamed at obheal.ie/live and via Ó Bhéal’s Vimeo, Facebook and YouTube channels. Note to Participants: Our hybrid events are recorded and remain viewable on video via these same channels.
We are no longer posting the zoom link via our social media channels. Upon written request to info@obheal.ie with a sentence outlining your reason for participation, a link to join the session will be emailed to you on the evening of the event, which is expected to run for between 2-3 hours.
7-7.45pm: Poetry-Films (random play from Ó Bhéal’s Poetry-Film comp archives – NOT STREAMED);
8.30pm: Five Word Challenge (max 30 – after the allotted 15 minutes writing time);
9.30pm: Featured Guest Poets (20 minutes each);
10:20pm: Open-Mic Session for original poetry (max 30).
(Entering a Zoom meeting is all explained here >>>. This link provides you with a step-by-step guide and YouTube tutorial if necessary. You should check this out if you’re unfamiliar with the Zoom platform – it also shows you where to download the zoom client/app for your computer/phone. Please Make sure to know where the chat box is and how to mute yourself to reduce background sound.)
