Boyne Berries 12 Launch

‘If you could be any animal, what would you be?’ is the intriguing first line of a wonderful story by student, Emma Clarke, written from the point of view of a young person who has been diagnosed with autism, published in Boyne Berries 12. This magazine, published by Boyne Writers Group, Trim, will be launched on Thursday 27 September at 8pm in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim.

The sixty or so pages of the magazine contain a wealth of prose and poetry from local and international writers on a wide variety of topics. A quick glance at the titles gives a flavour of the contents: Farewell Quaintsville, The Magi, Lenny – The Dog that Could Lick your Mind, Kings and Queens of Yard Sales, Crossing the Border, A Memory of Facial Hair, Piracy, 1980’s Style, Nothing’s as Simple as it Seems.

There are many gems in the issue including the egg-shaped poem, At the Cold Buffet by Kate Dempsey, three poignant poems which deal with the problems associated with old age; Clare McCotter’s Early Dementia; Susan Kelly’s Room 41; Her True Colours by Honor Duff; Louis Moran’s family saga Nothing’s as Simple as it Seems; and Maeve O’Sullivan’s topical White Star dealing with the Titanic disaster, the centenary of which is being marked this year.

This issue will be launched by Professor Gregory Castle of the Department of English, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Professor Castle (pictured above) teaches courses in British and Irish literature, modernism, postcolonial studies, and literary and critical theory. He is the author of a number of books including Modernism and the Celtic Revival (2001) and The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory (2007). He has had poems published in previous issues of Boyne Berries.

“It is a measure of the status the magazine has gained that we have submissions from every corner of the globe,” said Paddy Smith, Boyne Writers Group chairperson and member of the editorial board. “We are especially delighted to have a writer and academic from the USA to launch this issue.”

The Boyne Writers Group are to be congratulated on the continued appearance of this publication. The group was founded in 2006 and meets fortnightly in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim. Members have had their work published in magazines in Ireland and abroad, have had pieces read on Sunday Miscellany and have been awarded prizes for their work in literary competitions. They have contributed to the annual Trim Swift Festival, competing in the annual Battle of the Books satire competition at that festival, and have read poetry around the town. The group also hold regular poetry readings for residents in St Joseph’s and Knightsbridge Homes in Trim.

Local writers are well represented. Tommy Murray’s poem, Friendly Fire, is a caustic look at the abuse of language in modern warfare, and Orla Fay writes about Leaving Oz. Lesley Carty writes about Lagore Crannóg and Adrienne Leavy about Blackrock Golf Club Revisited.

Many of the contributors will attend and read their work at the launch. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Boyne Berries 12 costs €8 but will be on sale at a reduced price at the launch. It will also be available in Antonia’s Bookshop, and in SPAR Trim or can be purchased through the website www.boynewriters.com.