Census 3 Launched

A very well attended, enjoyable launch in the Irish Writers' Centre last evening. Thanks to Sarah and Oran of Seven Towers and to the Writers' Centre. The anthology is an impressive volume, with over 90 writers represented in the 200 pages. The usual great variety of material, poetry, story, drama, memoir from writers in Ireland, UK, Europe and the USA.

Eamonn Lynskey was the genial host. He also edited the anthology and read the final poem of the evening, his When People Say. It starts:

When people say "I'll try to be there",
wwwwthey won't turn up.
When people say "I won't forget about it",
wwwwforget about it

A great reading aloud piece.

Many familiar names in the volume, including some published in Boyne Berries. Seamus Cashman, Patrick Chapman, Ines Dillon, Edward O'Dwyer etc etc. Doghouse was well represented - the editor, Noel King, has two poems and other poets from the same stable (kennel maybe!) included are Greagóir Ó Dúill, Alan Garvey, Catherine Ann Cullen (Reading, above), Liam Aungier, John W. Sexton, Tommy Frank O'Connor and Monica Corish.

Three Boyne Writers are included, Orla Fay, Evan Costigan and myself. I was delighted to have two poems included, my found poem Invoice 15th August 1922 and What I'll Need for the Lecture.

Attendees were invited to put their names in a box from which a number were drawn to read. Both myself and Evan were drawn and I read my What I'll Need for the Lecture poem. It's a nice one to read because it demands a lecture style. One of those present said to me afterwards You just have been a teacher. I took that as a compliment for the way I read!

That same poem has been edited quite a bit for the collection and as I read it I began to have second thoughts about the changes. I'll see!

You can buy Census 3 The Third Seven Towers Anthology on the website. At 12 euro it's great value as a snapshot of the poetry and prose being written and performed at the moment.