Leeanne Quinn
You can listen to Leeanne’s reading here.
Leeanne Quinn was born in Drogheda in 1978. She studied at University College Dublin, University College Cork, and has a PhD in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin. In 2008 she was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series and in 2010 she was the recipient of an Arts Council Bursary Award.
Leeane’s poems have been published in a variety of journals and magazines including The Irish Times, The SHOp, Crannóg and The Stinging Fly, and anthologised in The Bee-Loud Glade: a living anthology of Irish Poetry (Dedalus, 2011). Before You, her debut collection of poetry, was published by Dedalus Press in February 2012. She lives in Dublin.
Paul Jeffcutt
You can listen to Paul’s reading here.
Paul Jeffcutt grew up in a hamlet near the border between England and Wales. After living and working in three different continents, he settled in Northern Ireland in 1998: he lives in the Bronte Homeland of Co Down. Paul’s poetry has won awards and been highly commended in international poetry competitions, including the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Prize 2009. His poems have appeared in literary journals from the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA.
Latch, his debut collection of poetry, was published by Lagan Press in November 2010. It was chosen by Ulster Tatler as their Book of the Month for July 2011, ‘carefully crafted and passionate poems’ that ‘speak with insight and candour’. Paul has read his poetry on BBC Radio and at major arts festivals in Ireland and the UK. He is a long-standing member of the Writer’s Group at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry in Belfast.
For more see www.pauljeffcutt.net.
Ó Bhéal’s Fifth Anniversary
(250+ nights of Poetry) celebrates with
an Only Other Poets’ Poetry Night
and the launch of Five Words Volume V
You can listen to contributors from Five Words Vol V here.
Ó Bhéal’s Fifth Anniversary is being celebrated with the launch of Five Words Volume V, a mini-anthology of poems written during the Five-Word Challenges of the last fifty Ó Bhéal events. Poets reading from the anthology will read contributions by poets other than themselves.
As per the last two birthdays, there is to be a double-round open-mic on the night, where anyone is invited to read only other poets’ poetry, so bring a couple of your favourite poems, classical, contemporary or whatever you enjoy!
Fiona Clarke Echlin
You can listen to Fiona’s reading here.
London-born Fiona Clark Echlin has lived and worked in London, New York, Istanbul and not least, Limerick. Her recent solo volume From the Rib (Revival Press, 2012) a collection of sonnets and villanelles, has attracted much attention on the poetry circuit in Ireland, the UK and Australia. As well as being a poet, Fiona Clark Echlin is an award-winning playwright and story teller. Her poems, plays and stories are all coloured by her background, which has strong roots in the theatre. She taught for many years in London and Cambridge and now teaches Creative Writing, Communication Skills, Poetry and Drama in Limerick.
Best known as a Performance Poet, Fiona has read and performed her work at a wide variety of venues, occasions and festivals in both Ireland and the UK. Her distinctive delivery will be familiar to many and her voice has also been heard on radio, reading, performing and discussing her poetry and radio drama. Her one-act plays, Builders and Death Comes to the Grammarian have recently been staged in Ireland. Fiona is a director with the Gabhar Theatre Company which specialises in ‘micro’ theatre and promotes new writing for the theatre in association with the Limerick Writers’ Centre. She lives in Killaloe, on the shores of Lough Derg and is currently writing a novel.
Fiona will also be holding a wordshop entitled Releasing the Poet Within from 7.00pm to 8.30pm at Ó Bhéal. For more details click here.
Sheila Fitzpatrick O’Donnell & Joseph Healy
You can listen to Sheila’s reading here.
Sheila Fitzpatrick O’Donnell, from Shanagolden, Co. Limerick, was born into a family of poets and storytellers. She is a florist by trade, and has been published in The Stony Thursday Book, Revival Journal, The Poetic Journal and is one of the six poets who features in Sextet (Revival Press, 2011). In November 2011 she was crowned the new All Ireland ‘Limerick’ Champion by the Limerick Writers’ Centre. She secured the crown after a two round contest in which she overcame stiff opposition from runners up Tom McCarthy and Joe Healy.
She has read her work countrywide, in an Glór, the Féile Bheag Filíochta, Ó Bhéal in Cork and regularly at both The White House in Limerick and the On The Nail readings organised by The Limerick Writers’ Centre. She also contributed to Teri Murray’s reading in Slovenia in 2009. Sheila is currently working on her first collection of poems.
[Photo courtesy of LitPix 2012 – Western Writers’ Centre, Galway.]
Joe Healy is a resident of West Limerick and has always loved writing. Poetry readings organised by the Arts Office of Limerick County Council in 2002 were the catalyst to inspire Joe to write more and try out his poems in public. He has enjoyed reading his work at venues such as the Whitehouse in Limerick City and at many venues across Munster. Previous work has been published by Soft Newsletter, Weekly Observer Newspapers and Revival Press. In December 2011 Joe was featured in Sextet – A Poetry Anthology (Revival Press).
Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge presents
Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin
Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin was born in Rush, north County Dublin. She moved to West Kerry in 2003, where she began to write in the Irish language. Coiscéim have published two volumes of her poetry, An Teorainn Bheo (The Shifting Boundary) (2007), and Púca Gan Dealramh (Good-for-nothing Pooka) (2010). She is currently working on a third collection, commissioned by Foras na Gaeilge/Coiscéim.
AnnÓg in Dingle have staged her first short drama Port na Mammies. Her poetry has won her 2nd place at Strokestown Poetry Festival (Duais Cholmcille, 2007) and she’s on the Strokestown Poetry shortlist again this year. Her first book of poems earned her an Oireachtas award (2007) and in 2010 she was awarded an Arts Council Bursary.
Saolaíodh Ceaití Ní Bheildiúin i Ros Eo, i dtuaisceart Chontae Átha Cliath. Bhog sí go Ciarraí Thiar i 2003, áit a spreag chun pinn í. Tá dhá chnuasach filíochta aici, An Teorainn Bheo (Coiscéim, 2007) agus Púca Gan Dealramh (Coiscéim, 2010). Léirigh AnnÓg gearrdhráma dá cuid, Port na Mammies, i Lab na Mainistreach, 2010. Bronnadh duais uirthi ag Féile Filíochta Bhéal Átha na mBuillí (2007) agus shaothraigh a céad chuasach filíochta duais Oireachtais (2007). Fuair sí sparántacht ón gComhairle Ealaíon i 2010 is tá sí ar an ngearrliosta arís i bhFéile Béal Átha na mBuillí i mbliana do Dhuais Cholmchille.
Fergal Gaynor
You can listen to Fergal’s reading here.
Fergal Gaynor , born in Cork in 1969, is a writer, independent scholar, co-editor of the journal Enclave Review, and a member of Art / not art. His VIII Stepping Poems & Other Pieces was published by Miami University Press (Ohio) and New Writers’ Press (Dublin) in 2011.
Educated in Cork, Sheffield, and Swansea, he was awarded a doctorate in 2002 for a thesis on D.H. Lawrence, Cézanne and modernism. Since 2000, when he co-founded the art interventionist group Art / not art, he has been continually involved in the arts, especially in his native city: regularly performing and collaborating, curating (e.g. the Cork Caucus in 2005), assisting with the SoundEye Festival, devising (e.g. The Avant: Ten Days of the Progressive Arts), editing (ER : Enclave Review) and writing criticism (chiefly for Circa Contemporary Art Magazine).
Roger Hudson
You can listen to Roger’s reading here.
Roger Hudson lives in Drogheda and was, until recently, facilitator of the Drogheda Creative Writers group. He co-edited their anthologies Drogheda Writes in 2007 and Drogheda Writes 2 in 2009 and organized and hosted their poetry slams and Amergin Awards ceremonies. His collection of poems Lifescapes was published in Side-Angles (Pagan Publications, 2005) and his solo collection Greybell Wood & Beyond by Lapwing Publications, Belfast, in 2010. Another collection will appear this year. He has read and performed his poems at Aspects Literary Festival in Bangor, Limerick, Balbriggan, San Francisco and in the Amergin Literary Weekend, Drogheda, in Dublin at Glor Sessions, Tonguebox, 50 cent Sessions, Chapter & Verse, Wurm im Apfel and elsewhere. Recently curated an experimental series including multi-voice readings and poetry with improvisational music in Drogheda. Roger is also a novelist and filmmaker. .
Ó Bhéal in association with Foras na Gaeilge presents
Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin
You can listen to Séamus’ reading here.
Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin was born in London and raised in North Kerry. He is a busker, headcase and practitioner of Gaelic Zen. Winner of the 2011 All Ireland Poetry Slam, he works as one half of a performance poetry act named de Leprosarium/An Lobharlann with his tribal cousin Conor Maloney.
Saolaoídh i Londain, tógadh Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin i gCiarraí Thuaidh. Buscálaí, gealt agus scríbhneoir haiku fén haigo buachallán buí é; Tá comhghnó filíochta aige darb ainm ‘An Lobharlann/De Leprosarium’ lena chol cheathrar Conor Maloney.
