Category: events

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A gutted and distraught Rozzie cannot go to Faber launch event

Faber Socials is on the Saturday, 25th May and am so not going to miss it.

Except I am. It coincides with a big family event at home, in the West and my sister would cut me off if I missed it for a book launch.

But, this is not just any ol’ launch. It’s a brand new anthology of Irish short stories. Edited by the man,  Kevin Barry, Town and Country  is featuring contributors like Patrick McCabe,Paul Murray, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Eimear Ryan andMichael Harding.

Apparently, everyone is going to be there. Like, everyone.

One has to even buy a ticket to attend so it must be all very special. It’s going to be launched in the Clarence Suite in Dublin at 6 p.m.

Hey, wait a minute, I don’t have to be in the West until 10:30 a.m. the day after. I could go to the Faber event, mingle and quaff nice drinks for a couple of hours and then either travel to the West that evening, arriving after midnight. Or, I could get up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning and arrive in perfect time for the West event. A third option would be to make someone dress up as me for the West event and I would take their place at the Faber event. A fourth option would be to write to the Dublin Writers’ Festival and demand(ask) that they switch the event date to the Friday instead of the Saturday. The most important thing is that I am there.

The final option is that I don’t go and just go to the West and enjoy that family day, and I will enjoy it but I would love to have two enjoys.

What do you think I should do? Click on  the poll below to help me decide. [polldaddy poll=”7068965″]

 

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Dave Lordan’s First Frags Launch Night

Dave Lordan’s First Frags Launch Night was held in Mc Grattan’s off Baggot Street last night.

I had of course been made aware of the Dave Lordan last year in Bantry and he had also sent me a copy of his new Book of First Frags, which was launched last night.

I have read the Book of Frags but want to write a full review at some later point.

We headed in to Mc Grattan’s with a couple of mates and I started chatting to the gliteratti of the performance poetry world like Billy Ramsell, who was decked out in a smart suit. Sat in by another poet, Christoodoulous Makris, A poet who originally hails from Cyprus.

Karl Parkinson, who is a performance poet was the MC for the night and he introduced Sean O’ Reilly who gave an excellent and heart felt foreword to Dave’ new book.

Karl kicked off with  rap and a beat. I really liked him with his thick Dublin accent, he is quite the comedian. Extroverted man.

 

Dave, the man of the night, read two pieces from his Book of Frags- The Iron Lady and Bones. I may have picked other ones but everyone was riveted and entertained by his passionate reading.

Once, Dave had finished his pieces, he opened the floor up to everyone. There was a huge waiting list. Who knew poets weren’t shy?

We heard all sorts from Billy Ramsell “Stop the crowd” poetry and Colm Keegan’s honest and just plain lovely work. It was my first time hearing both poets read and they really did sooth the place into silence and listening.

There was singing, ranting, madness and nearly tears and the Carlow Writers or the “Carlow Trinity” (as Karl dubbed us) got to read after midnight. We did fine. Just fine. I was just thankful everyone was awake!

We caught the last bus home to Carlow, buzzing from a brilliant event that showed Dave’s love of the unique and out there.

Great stuff.

More.

 

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What’s the story event in Dundrum tomorrow night, 4th April

What’s the Story?

4th April

7:30 p.m. Mill Theatre, Dundrum and you can buy tickets here http://www.milltheatre.ie/shows/whats-story

Putting the short story in the spotlight Katy Hayes, DLR County Council Writer in Residence 2012/2013, hosts special guests in a close encounter with the short story form: Martina Devlin, author and journalist, Hennessy Award winner, NNI Columnist of the Year 2011, co-author of Banksters, won the VS Pritchett Memorial Prize 2012 for her short story “Singing Dumb”; Declan Meade, editor and publisher, founder of The Stinging Fly magazine and The Stinging Fly Press, publisher of exciting Irish new short fiction; and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, novelist and short story writer who teaches on the MA in Creative Writing in UCD, former Orange Prize shortlistee for The Dancers Dancing, and former judge on the Francis MacManus Short Story Competion.

Katy, Martina, Declan and Éilís will kick the short story round the auditorium for an entertaining evening of reading, probing and analysis.

I cannot make it, am gutted. Everything is always on when I am not in Dublin. Note: I must move to Dublin one day again.

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Bantry Lit festival 2013 is open for business!

The West Cork Literary Festival 2013 programme is out!

My must do and sees(for now) are:

Sunday evening/night

  • The opening of the Festival with Ruth Padel and her new poem for the festival and the J. G. Farrell Award.
  • Open mike with Paul O’ Donoghue-I love these and I think Paul is the perfect chilled out and mannerly, listening Chairperson for these events. They are on every evening and great fun after a few 7-ups in the Maritime Bar.
  • Dave Lordan and Karl Parkinson with the funky sounding Dropping the Act present the Freedom Poetry Show. Only thing is it is at 11:30 and a girl has got to get her sleeps but so like the sound of this!

Monday

  • 4-The Letter Café will provide complementary stationery, pens and postage, and will be open all week. Last year the WCLF posted over one hundred letters. Phillip Hensher opens this. This is a really sweet event. Last year, I wrote letters to my Aunt in Canada and she was happy! This opens in the yummy Letter Cafe in Organico’s. Food and ambience is spot on here. Just go!

Tuesday

  • Ann Enright-an evening with. The only event I might pay into. Bantry can work out expensive when you factor in week long workshop, lunch, dinner and soda water and limes. She would be worth it!

Wednesday

  • Deborah Levy-free event and reading- The title story of her most recent work of fiction, Black Vodka: ten stories, was shortlisted for the 2012 BBC International Short Story Award. Oh, yes, get me there and I will buy a book or two!
  • Fish anthology 2013 launch-say no more but one thing,its on in the Maritime Hotel this year not the lovely church..

Thursday

  • Jamie O Connell reads but at 11:15 in the morning. Should he not be sleeping? Anyway, I am at a workshop so cannot make it but I am going to write to him with a petition demanding(asking) if he will switch to 4, please?
  • Louise Doubty speaks about writing a novel in a year. Could be fun.

Friday

  • Writer idol-this is where you send a piece of your work anonymously to Bantry folk before a date in May. one-page samples of work, submitted anonymously in advance, will be read by actor and author, Kate Thompson, and when members of the panel have heard enough, they will raise one hand. Two hands up – the reading will stop and the panel will discuss the piece. Last year, bestselling author Anita Shreve, who brought Writer Idol to Ireland, commented that the quality of submissions was so high in Bantry that the panel were slow to raise their hands. This was not her experience on other WI panels. As a result, we were unable to read all of the entries, but the panel offered excellent tips pertinent to anyone hoping to be published. Wanted to go last year but didn’t. Scary stuff.

And then home….Some of the highlights, there are loads more on http://www.westcorkmusic.ie/literaryfestival/programme Be sure to check it out and get your tickets quickly as they will go…

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John Mac Kenna is booked for Bantry and a lot of reading to do

I have booked my workshop for Bantry and the excitement is building already! Simon booked in for the Ruth Padell workshop so I felt under pressure to book too!

I am going to the John Mac Kenna “Short story” workshop. It sounds active, which is important for me and John is very, very well respected as not only a writer but as a teacher.

I always try to read the teacher’s or the speaker’s work before I see them, it makes sense, doesn’t it? I was delighted that Carlow town Library had all 3 of John’s short story collections-namely, the River Field, A year of our lives and The Fallen. Couldn’t believe my luck!

I have started on A year of our lives and John certainly likes the raw love scenes. I always feel embarrassed writing about sex scenes so maybe, John will have some tips for me!

I also spotted Nuala Ni Chonchuir’s Flash Fiction workshop with the Big Smoke Writing Factory. It’s on in May and it looks brilliant. The only problem is my above policy states that I should read all of the teacher/author’s work and Nuala just has billions of books! And I don’t really read poetry! Hmmm, maybe. I will just read a very old one of hers and I’ve read Mother America so surely that is acceptable?

How bad anyway.

 

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Party hard:We get our first challenge from David Lordan on RTE Arena

Party hard!

The party

You have till 21st December. If you missed out on Radio 1 Arena programme with David Lordan, then check out the link here http://www.rte.ie/radio1/arena If you click on New planet cabaret, you will hear the clip related to it.

New Planet Cabaret – Arena’s Creative Writing Course

Dave Lordan launched the first ever on-air creative writing course which Radio 1 is calling ‘New Planet Cabaret’. Writers can send their stories to arena@rte.ie with ‘creative writing’ in the subject title. They are looking for stories on the theme ‘The Party’ before December 21st .

David spoke about the title of the course in that he is looking for writing that is alive, well-travelled/multi reflective and of a cabaret-entertainment style! Some really good concepts there to keep in mind.

The party theme is a great prompt. David spoke about the fertility of lies and how we should use this in our fiction writing. He questions that people think telling lies in writing is morally wrong. To try to break out of this, he urges people to ask our friends about an interesting party that you have been to-wake, wedding, house party. Listen to the story and then tell the story from their point of view. He recommends that you add in at least three lies to the story! Keep in mind that you are writing for an intelligent audience around the 700 word mark, which will last for about a couple of minutes. David gives us a song to inspire us at the end of the podcast. It is a personal favourite of Simon and I-Party hard by Pulp.

Party Hard by Pulp

He has given some more prompts and brilliant pieces to read, art to look at, films to see that will inspire you on the theme of parties. You can find this at his website http://davelordanwriter.com/2012/12/05/the-party-decembers-writing-prompt-fpr-new-planet-cabaret/ 

Ways to enter and get involved can all be found at David’s website, I am officially excited!

 

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RTE Radio 1 Arena is to run on-air creative writing course

For the last month, I have noticed the name of David Lordan springing up everywhere! Dave is very well known in literary circles, he teaches creative writing at Mater Dei Institute amongst millions of other things, I’m sure!
He is running a certified course for creative writing in Mater Dei in January 2013 and I am definitely looking into this.
So, when I flicked to RTE news ap and saw the following news, I felt a warm, Christmas, creative writing glow! Brilliant idea from RTE and David. Now, I must find out if they do an app or a podcast download!

RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena programme is to run an on-air creative writing course, with opportunity for submissions to be broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 and published by New Island Books.

Sean Rocks
The course begins on Tuesday December 4 at 7.30pm on the programme and continues on the first Tuesday of the month thereafter throughout 2013.

The course, which is being run in association with New Island Books, is entitled New Planet Cabaret and features writer, poet, performer and creative writing teacher Dave Lordan discussing, deconstructing and demystifying the process of writing poetry, short story writing, novel writing, writing for theatre, crime fiction, song lyrics.

Each month, Dave will set out assignments for followers of the course, who will then be invited to send their submissions in to arena@rte.ie for review by Dave Lordan and the Arena team.

Dave Lordan currently teaches contemporary critical theory and poetic practice on the MA in Poetry Studies at Dublin City University. He also teaches creative writing at primary, secondary, third, and adult education levels. An internationally-acclaimed poet, he was the first to win Ireland’s three national prizes for young poets.

Lordan is also the current holder of the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary Award and previous winner of both the Patrick Kavanagh and Strong Awards for poetry.

New Planet Cabaret will feature guest contributions from acclaimed writers, including Nick Kelly, Colm Keegan and Kathy D’Arcy to name but a few. Arena is presented by Sean Rocks.

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Learn how to teach creativity with David Lordan

It is a bit of a debate in the the teacher world and at teacher conferences-Can we teach children how to be creative?

I really enjoy teaching children how to write, no matter what level they are at. I also love motivating children to want to read! David Lordan, who is a creative writing guru, poet and writer of all things creative, is going to be giving a course that will help teachers learn how to teach children how to be creative in their writing! The details are below, I have to footnote Nuala Ni Chonchuir as she revealed this information first on her blog- http://womenrulewriter.blogspot.ie/

This course is going to be accredited and it sounds delish!

Teaching creativity

Here is something new and exciting for those who want to become teachers of CW. Or for those who already teach and want to gain new skills. A Teaching Creativity course taught by Dave Lordan, one of our most innovative young writers. His new book of short fiction First Book of Frags will be out shortly. I’ve read it and it’s a cracker. The course is great value at €200 for four sessions. Details:

Teaching Creativity is an innovative new course in which anyone interested in becoming a teacher of Creative Writing can acquire the fundamental skills and inspiration to do so. The module will be taught by poet Dave Lordan on behalf of The Irish Centre for Poetry Studies at the Mater Dei Institute, and will cover the teaching of creative writing in primary, secondary, adult and community contexts, areas in which he has acquired an abundance of experience over the years.

As well as boosting the CVs of participants and enhancing their teaching abilities, it will also provide specific opportunities for particular groups of people:

Qualified teachers will discover new inspiration for the integration of creativity into the design and delivery of curriculum, as well as how to design a short course in creative writing, enabling a confident response to the increased  emphasis on creativity in the Junior Cert, for example.

Community educators and youth workers will be able to develop the potential for incorporating creativity into their work.

Writers, both aspiring and established, can develop the skills that will enable them to do creative teaching work that will complement their craft.

Participants will be asked to produce a short course and lesson plans. A certificate will be issued to all participants. The course can also be taken for credit as part of MDI’s Masters in Poetry Studies, as long as an expanded assessment piece is presented.

The module will be taught over four Saturdays at the Mater Dei Institute: January 19th, February 2nd, March 9th and April 13th. Sessions will run from 9.45a.m- 12.45p.m. The course fee is €200. The module co-ordinator, Michael Hinds, is happy to answer any enquiries: michael.hinds@materdei.dcu.ie