Happy Christmas

The outdoor crib at St Patrick's Church, Trim.

And here's a Christmas Song from Bob. Brilliant!

Christmas Poems

A great selection of Christmas poetry on the Poetry Foundation website. I particularly liked the two pdfs you can print out to hang on the fridge, wall, or tree. Quite a contrast: “Picture of a Nativity” by Geoffrey Hill and “Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree” by George Starbuck,
pictured above.

Also worth listening to is the Poetry off the Shelf podcast from the Poetry Foundation for Christmas called Poems to Fight Against the Dark. 

North West Words Poetry Prize Shortlist

At the night of my recent reading at North West Words in Donegal, last year's winner of the Donegal Creameries North West Words Poetry Prize, Averil Meehan, returned the trophy. Picture: Averil receiving the trophy last year.

The shortlist for this year's competition has just been announced:

Connie Roberts, USA, Pallas Lake
Gavan Duffy, Dublin, Breakdown
Ann O’Connell, Sligo, The Reek
Monica Corish, Leitrim, Back Where We Started      
Winifred McNulty, Donegal, Lloyd’s Lighthouse
Ellen Factor, Derry, Lovebirds
Guy Stephehson, Donegal, Veldtshoen
Edward O’Dwyer, Limerick, Texting God
Patrick Hull, Dublin, Windowseat
Brendan Kinnane, Dublin, Hammers
Bogusia Wardein, Poland, The First Letters of the Alphabet
Maurice Keady, Dublin, A Century of Poppies
Clare O’Reilly, Kildare, Bog Woman
Eithne Reynolds, Dublin, The Shed

Some very well-known names in there!

Winners will be notified in January and all shortlisted writers and winners are warmly invited to attend the prize-giving at North-West Words at 8.00pm on 30 January 2014, in Café Blend, High Road, Letterkenny.

The Manchester Writing for Children Prize

Under the direction of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy – Professor of Contemporary Poetry and Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University – the school is launching the brand new Manchester Writing for Children Prize.

The Prize is open internationally to both new and established writers aged 16 or over (there is no upper age limit) and invites the submission of a portfolio of poetry to be read by children within the age group of five to 12.

Portfolios should contain three to five poems, totalling no more than 120 lines. The entry fee is £12 per portfolio of poems.

Prizes include: Publication of selected pieces from long-listed entrants in a new anthology; an invitation to appear alongside Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy at a special event at the 2014 Manchester Children's Book Festival for the short-listed entrants; and a cash prize of £2,000 for the overall winner – to be announced at that event.

Details on the website where you can enter online or download a printable entry form for postal submission.

Deadline for entries: 28 February 2014. Judges: Mandy Coe, Imtiaz Dharker and Philip Gross (pictured above).

North West Words Poetry Reading

Last Thursday night's poetry reading in Café Blend, Letterkenny was one of the most enjoyable readings I've been at for some time. This North West Words Arts Night is a monthly event.

The venue is great, a nice size, a raised area for the performers, plenty of
Christmas decorations, lovely food, a sound system which worked perfectly, a most welcoming and efficient organising committee and a large and really lovely audience.

I followed Eoin, a brilliant saxophonist, who performs under the name Bob Bond and appeared on the recent Late Late Toy Show and I was followed by singers and musicians, Claire and Niamh Cuffe, also a lot younger than me so I felt under pressure to represent the talent of the more elderly.

I read for about twenty minutes, a selection of older poems and some new ones. The audience was great, reacting well to the humour and to the sadness which featured in the poems. I read my poem for my late sister, Ann, who once worked in Letterkenny as a telephonist. I also read a very recent one about my just arrived Australian grandson.

I met a number of writers we had included in Boyne Berries and some I have met at prize givings, readings and festivals here and there in the country. I got good feedback on my reading and sold a large number of Asking for Directions. Thanks Letterkenny!

The open mic was most enjoyable. We had a very funny version of a well known poem re-titled The Fright before Christmas and we ended with a Robert Frost poem, Stopping by Woods, read by a relation of the Georgian poet Lascelles Abercrombie who was a friend of Frost.

Letterkenny is a town well worth a visit. It has a great little second-hand bookshop called Universal Books and the Catholic Cathedral is a fine building designed by the same architect who designed Trim church, William Hague. The altars in both churches are also by the Pearses.

I've taken the composite picture above from the North West Word Facebook page. I'm in the background of the middle top picture. Thanks again to all for the great welcome and hospitality.

Poetry Reading in Letterkenny

I'm really looking forward to reading at North West Words at Café Blend in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal tomorrow, Thursday 12 December at 8pm. This Christmas special will also feature music and song (not by me) by Bob Bond and by Clare and Niamh Cuffe.

Admission is free; there is an open mic and there will be prizes. North West Words on Facebook here.

I'll have to look up my few Christmas poems and choose others that fit in with the holiday mood.

Francis Ledwidge International Poetry Awards Ceremony

The Francis Ledwidge International Poetry  Awards Ceremony 2013 will take place at Donoghues The Glen of Aherlow, 29 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin on next Tuesday 10 December at 8.00 pm.  All are welcome.

This year, the fifteenth year of the competitions, there were entries from  Canada, U.S.A, U.K. and Ireland.

This is always a very enjoyable evening, a very friendly atmosphere and great poetry. Last year we celebrated a victory by a Boyne Writer, Evan Costigan. This year we are delighted that a LitLab member, Mairéad Donnellan, is the winner. And member Pat Devaney was commended as well!

The Francis Ledwidge Award goes to Mairead Donnellan, Co. Cavan for her poem, Castlewellan Pillar Box. Second Place goes to Catherine Ann Cullen, Dublin 12 for The Shoe-Box Coffin, and  third Place goes to Mary Guckian, Dublin 4 for Corsets.

Highly Commended were: Neville Keery, Mary Turley Mc Grath, Adrienne Leavy, Elizabeth O’ Carroll, Louise Scott, Claire O Reilly, Liam Ryan, Susan Flynn, Kevin Murtagh and Davnet Heery.

Commended were: Ray Mullen, Patrick Conniff, James Conway, Anne Mc Crudden, Aine Lyons, Patrick Devaney, Willie Joe Meally, Patrick Waters, Gearoid De Briotan and Ian Harman.

Doire Press Anthology Launch

Doire Press have made quite an impression in the recent past with their publication of many significant prose and poetry volumes.

These include Deirdre Unforgiven, a dramatic work by Eamon Carr, End of Days, a debut short story collection by Aileen Armstrong, Consent, Kimberly Campanello’s debut poetry collection and Adam White’s collection Accurate Measurements which was shortlisted for the this year’s Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Doire Press launch their Fiction & Poetry Chapbook Anthology on Sunday 8 December, 7pm in Jack Nealon's Pub in Capel Street, Dublin.

The launch will feature readings by Alvy Carragher, Maurice Devitt, Mairead Donnellan, Susan Flynn, Paddy Halligan, Robert Higgins, Maeve Mulrennan, Máire T. Robinson and Shane Ward.

Two of our LitLab members, Mairéad Donnellan and Paddy Halligan, are included as a result of their collections being shortlisted for the Doire Press poetry and fiction competitions.

Well done!!

Prole Laureate Poetry Competition

The 2014 Prole Laureate poetry competition is now open for entries.

Prizes: Winner: £140, Publication in Prole 13 in April 2014. Publication on the Prole website.
Two runner up prizes of £30, possible publication in Prole 13. Publication on the Prole website

Judgeis Kate Noakes. Kate is an elected member of the Welsh Academi. She has taught creative writing for Oxford University. Her most recent collection is Cape Town from Eyewear Publishing (2012). I-spy and Shanty is forthcoming in 2014 from corrupt press. Her poem ‘Snow light’ was selected by Carol Ann Duffy for her Poetry Corner in The Daily Mirror in January 2010. She won the Owen Barfield Poetry Prize in 2009.

Competition entries open from Oct 7th 2013 to Feb 1st 2014. Winners will be announced in issue 13 of Prole in April and on the website by April 20th.

Fees: £3.00 for first entry, £2.00 for any subsequent entries.

Preferred entry via the website and email. Fee can be paid by PayPal.

Issue 12 of Prole magazine has just gone on sale and the group has just launched Wendy Pratt’s first poetry collection: Museum Pieces. Details on the website.

Magma’s 2013 Poetry Competition

The closing date for Magma’s 2013 Poetry Competitions is 12 December 2013.

Magma Judge’s Prize:
For a poem of 13 to 80 lines. All poem entries of 13 to 80 lines will be entered for the Judge’s Prize which this year will be judged by award-winning poet Philip Gross. Philip Gross is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan.  He won the 2009 T S Eliot Prize with The Water Table (Bloodaxe) and the 2010 Wales Book of the Year award with I Spy Pinhole Eye (Cinnamon).

First Prize £1,000; Second Prize £300; Third Prize £150

Magma Editors’ Prize
This celebrates the short poem and is open to poems of up to 12 lines. The Magma Editors’ Prize reflects the magazine’s unique rotating editorship and poems of up to 12 lines will be judged by a panel of Magma Editors comprising Julia Bird, Rob Mackenzie, Ian McEwen, Laurie Smith and Karen McCarthy Woolf. The panel will select a range of poems for ‘special mentions’ as well as choosing first and s
econd prize winners.

First prize £1,000; Second Prize £300; Plus 10 Special Mentions £15 each

As part of the prize, all 15 winners will have their poems published in our Spring Issue 2014 and be invited to read alongside Philip Gross at Magma’s prize-giving event early next year.

The Magma website has full details and online entry.

Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize

Details of the Ballymaloe International Poetry Prize have been announced.

The Moth magazine teams up with Ballymaloe Cookery School for the third year to offer one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single poem. Prizes: 1st €10,000, 2nd €2,000, 3rd €1,000

The prize is open to everyone, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. The entry fee is €9 per poem, and you can enter as many poems as you like. Closing date: 31 December 2013 so you have plenty of time to write your ten thousand euro poem!

This year's judge is New York State Poet Laureate Marie Howe.

Full details on the website here.

Francis Ledwidge Poetry Awards Results

Now in its 15th year, the FRANCIS LEDWIDGE International Poetry Awards 2013 attracted entries from Canada, U.S.A., U.K. and Ireland.

The results have just been announced and we in LitLab are delighted that Mairéad Donnellan, one of our members, has won the award. Well done Mairéad! Another member, Pat Devaney, has been commended. Mairéad's poem was recently critiqued at a LitLab meeting. I'm trying desperately to remember what I wrote about it!

The Francis Ledwidge Award: Mairead Donnellan, Bailieborough, Co. Cavan.
Poem:  Castlewellan Pillar Box

Second Place: Catherine Ann Cullen, Dublin 12.
Poem: The Shoe-Box Coffin
                                                           
Third Place: Mary Guckian, Dublin 4                                        
Poem:  Corsets

Highly Commended
Neville Keery,Co, Dublin; Mary Turley Mc Grath, Co Donegal; Adrienne Leavy,  Phoenix, Arizona; Elizabeth O’Carroll, Dublin 5; Louise Scott,  Navan; Claire O Reilly, Maynooth, Kildare; Liam Ryan, Portlaoise, Co Laoise; Susan Flynn, Co Dublin; Kevin Murtagh, Celbridge, Co Kildare; Davnet Heery, Co. na Gaillimhe

Commended
Ray Mullen, Tallaght, Dublin; Patrick Conniff, Dublin 14; James Conway, Dublin 6; Anne Mc Crudden,  Co Dublin; Aine Lyons, Tallaght, Dublin 24; Patrick Devaney, Virginia Co. Cavan; Willie Joe Meally, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny; Patrick Waters,  Dublin 16; Gearoid De Briotan,  Teach Mealog; Ian Harman, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

The Awards Ceremony will take place at Donoghues The Glen of Aherlow, 29 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin, on Tuesday, 10th  December, 2013  at 8.00 pm.  All are welcome. Enquiries to Liam at l_omeara@yahoo.co.uk

Marie MacSweeney: Letters From A Recalcitrant Woman

Marie MacSweeney will launch her new book, Letters From A Recalcitrant Woman (Letters to Editors and Talk Show Hosts, 1974 to 2013), at the High Lanes Gallery, Laurence Street, Drogheda on Thursday, 28 November at 8pm.

Michael Reade of LMFM will officially launch the book and refreshments served.

Marie MacSweeney is a Drogheda-based writer, a ‘Kerrywoman born in Dublin and living in County Louth’, as she describes herself.

She has, over a period of forty years, engaged in public debate by means of Letters to the Editor and Emails to current affairs programmes. This book contains a selection of these letters on topics as diverse as blasphemy, capital punishment, the Paisleys, peanuts, Bertie’s make-up, the Irish language, divorce, cruelty to animals, Adam and Eve, St. Patrick, Marilyn Monroe and much more.

Best known for her short stories and poems, Marie wrote her first letter to the press over four decades ago and in reading these letters today it becomes obvious that she always had something specific to say and said it frankly and sincerely.  Hers is a unique voice which both challenges and subverts. It is unlikely that the reader will agree with everything in this book, but hopefully will conclude that she argues well, and entertains.

Marie MacSweeney has published Our Ordinary World and Other Stories in 2004. She also published two collections of poems, Mother Cecily’s Music Room (2005) and Flying During the Hours of Darkness (2009). Her stories and plays have been transmitted by RTE Radio One, where she also broadcasts occasional talks.

Tom Dredge Chapbook Launched

Chapbook 4 in our series of Boyne Chapbooks, The Path of Progress by Tom Dredge was launched in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim on Thursday 21 November. We were delighted with the numbers who turned out for this, thanks especially to those who travelled long distances.

Thanks also to the members of Meath Writers Circle who attended and it was also nice to see some former (lapsed?) members of Boyne Writers Group present.

Paddy Smith did his usual lively, amusing introduction and Tom introduced and read six of the poems from the chapbook.

This was followed by an Open Mic in which over twelve participated. Good prose and poetry, well delivered to an appreciative audience.

The evening ended with tea, coffee and biscuits and the important chats about the nature and future of poetry, the future of publishing, the state of the country and importance of groups like Boyne Writers.

The photograph is by Paddy Smith of Tom Dredge reading at the event. More photos on Facebook.

Boyne Chapbook Launch

On next Thursday, 21 November, Boyne Writers Group will launch Chapbook 4, The Path of Progress, by Tom Dredge, in its series of Boyne Chapbooks.

Tom Dredge is a  member of Boyne Writers Group since 2008. His poetry has been featured in Boyne Berries, Revival and in the WOW! Anthology.

In 2012 he was commended in the Gregory O’Donoghue Poetry Competition and in 2013 he came third in the English section of the Frances Browne Multilingual Poetry Competition.

Tom is also a member of Bealtaine writers group based in the Irish Writers’ Centre, Dublin and is pictured reading with that group in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin as part of the Bealtaine Festival 2013.

He is a native of Dublin but has lived in Leixlip, Co. Kildare since 1982.

The launch takes place in the Castle Arch Hotel, Trim at 8pm on Thursday 21 November and Tom will read from his chapbook. This will be followed by an Open Mic open to all.

All welcome, no entry charge.

Irish writer, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, writes about chapbooks in the Irish Times recently.

Tales from Bellinter - Mary Lavin

As part of the Mary Lavin Season, Tales from Bellinter returns to Bellinter House Hotel with a new adaptation of Lavin's In the Middle of the Fields. Wed 20 - Fri 22 Nov, 8pm & Sun 24 Nov, 3pm & 8pm.

Deirdre Kinahan (Bogboy, These Halcyon Days) has adapted this story and Happiness for the stage. The plays are directed by Padraic McIntyre (The Night Joe Dolan's Car Broke Down) and star Clare Barrett, Mike Sheehan and Steve Blount.

Last year's Tales from Bellinter booked out quickly so early booking is strongly advised.

"Mary Lavin is a powerful, adept and beautiful story-teller. Deeply psychological, she excavates the trials, tribulations, petty-jealousies, superstitions and joys of ordinary Irish people with an extraordinary perception. Her stories are intrinsically dramatic so adapting them to the stage is a joy." Deirdre Kinahan

Tickets: €15 / €12. Bellinter House offer Pre-Theatre Dinner, Afternoon Tea and B&B packages. For more information on packages contact 046 9030900 directly

Book through Solstice Arts Centre: 046 9092300

Poetry Collection Launch in Westport

Geraldine Mitchell's new poetry collection, Of Birds And Bones, will be launched on Saturday 16 November in Westport, Co. Mayo as part of the Rolling Sun Book Festival.

Geraldine Mitchell lives near Louisburgh. Her first collection of poems, World Without Maps, was published by Arlen House in 2011.

As well as writing poetry, Geraldine has worked as a journalist and is the author of two novels for children and of Deeds Not Words, the biography of ICA stalwart, Muriel Gahan.

Geraldine won the Patrick Kavanagh Award in 2008 and has been widely published in journals here as well as in the UK and N.America.

The collection is published by Arlen House and it will be launched by American writer and poet Justin Hopper.

Justin writes poetry and nonfiction that explores the intersection of landscape, memory and myth. Originally from Pittsburgh, USA, he currently lives in London.

Lukas Szczerbak will provide atmospheric café music on the accordion at the launch which takes place in The Cobbler's Bar, Wyatt Hotel, Westport at 5pm on Saturday 16 November.

New Book to Honour Peter Fallon

A new book from Irish Academic Press will be launched on Friday 15 November, 6pm to 8pm, in Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College, Dublin.

The guest speaker will be Maureen Kennelly, the Director of Poetry Ireland. All are welcome. Email info@iap.ie

Peter Fallon: Poet, Publisher, Editor and Translator, edited by Richard Rankin Russell, contains contributions from Medbh McGuckian, Paul Muldoon, Derek Mahon, Ciaran Carson, Dennis O’Driscoll, Conor O’Callaghan and the late Seamus Heaney, amongst many others.

A stunning array of esteemed writers honour a man who has had an immense influence on Ireland’s artistic life since 1970 with a history of more than forty years of literary output in Ireland and USA.

We at Boyne Writers were delighted to have had Peter Fallon launch two issues of our Boyne Berries magazine including our special tenth issue.

For those who can't attend the launch the book is available at a special price on the website.

SENTINEL ANNUAL POETRY & SHORT STORY COMPETITIONS 2013

SENTINEL ANNUAL POETRY COMPETITION 2013 - CLOSING DATE: 30 NOVEMBER 2013
Now in its 4th year, this competition is for original, previously unpublished poems in English Language, on any subject, in any style, up to 60 lines long. Poets of all nationalities, age or gender, living in any part of the world are eligible to enter.

Judge: Roger Elkin - author of Marking Time.
Prizes: £500 (First), £250 (Second), £125 (Third), £25 x 5 (High Commendation)
Fees: £5 per poem (1st 2 poems), £3.50 per poem thereafter (£5/1, £10/2, £13.50/3, £17/4, £20.50/5, £24/6, £27.50/7, £31/8, £34.5/9, £38/10 poems.)
Enter and pay online at: on the website.

SENTINEL ANNUAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2013 - CLOSING DATE: 30 NOVEMBER 2013.
Now in its 2nd year, this competition is for original, previously unpublished short stories in English Language, on any subject, in any style, up to 2000 words long. Authors of all nationalities, age or gender, living in any part of the world are eligible to enter.

Judge: David Caddy - Editor of Tears in the Fence.
Prizes: £500 (First), £250 (Second), £125 (Third), £25 x 5 (High Commendation)
Fees: £5 per story (1st 2 stories), £3.50 per story thereafter (£5/1, £10/2, £13.50/3, £17/4, £20.50/5, £24/6, £27.50/7, £31/8, £34.5/9, £38/10 stories.)
Enter and pay online at the website.

This is a Story.... Flash Fiction Competition

This is a Story competition invites entries of original unpublished work of  to 500 words.  Titles, epigraphs and dedications are not counted as part of the word count.

The entry fee is €5 per entry (3 entries for €10). Entrants may enter any number of  flash fictions.

There are no theme or subject limitations and entries will be judged anonymously by celebrated Galway author Mike McCormack.

Send your details on a separate sheet.

You can enter by by post, by e-mail or by Facebook and the deadline is February 14, 2014.

Flash fiction is a style of fictional literature of extreme brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of the length of the category.

If you want confirmation of a postal entry please include an SAE with your submissions and entry form, which is then posted back to you. Email  entries will be confirmed by email shortly after you submit entry and payment.

Please send postal entries to GRCC, "The Lodge" Forster Court, Galway with cheques/postal orders made out to Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

You can also enter and pay the entry fee via the website using a credit card or by sending a paypal payment to coordinator@galwayrcc.org

Competition winner will be informed around late February but the official announcement is made at the time of the prize giving – this year it will mid March 2014.  Check the website after this date or send an SAE for the list of winners and judges’ reports.

For further informatiob please email Aoife Ní Laoi at fundraiser@galwayrcc.org