Author Archives for IWC_admin

‘It was a dream come true of about ten years in the making’ – Kealan Ryan on his Novel Fair journey

September 22, 2021 10:51 am Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Kealan Ryan is a novelist, actor and filmmaker. His debut novel, The Middle Place, was published by Mercier Press (2019) and was a winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2015. He wrote, produced and stared in Amazon Prime’s award-winning feature film LIFT (2018). He has also written for the Irish Times and has had work published by the O’Brien Press. His film, The Anderson Corporation Will Change Your Life, was a Grand Prix Irish Short Selection at the 65th Cork International Film Festival (2020). He is currently in-development of his next feature film, Through the Silent Lands. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  I worked in various jobs for a number of years before finally deciding in my 30’s to pursue a career in writing and acting. I started working on my novel, The Middle Place, as... Read Moreread more.

Gavin Corbett, Cauvery Madhavan and Neil Hegarty Announced as the Novel Fair 2022 Judges

September 14, 2021 2:26 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Gavin Corbett, Cauvery Madhavan and Neil Hegarty Announced as the Novel Fair 2022 Judges We are delighted to announce the judges of Novel Fair 2022. Gavin Corbett, Cauvery Madhavan and Neil Hegarty are set to judge the international writing competition this year. Novel Fair offers unpublished writers the chance to pitch their manuscripts directly to top publishers and agents from across Ireland and the UK. The Novel Fair judges will sift through entries from all over the world to select 12 finalists to take part in what has been described as a ‘Dragon’s Den for writers’. Each of the Novel Fair judges will bring a wealth of experience in the literary world to the Fair. Gavin Corbett is the author of three novels: Innocence (2003), This Is the Way (2013) and Green Glowing Skull (2015). This Is the Way was named 2013 Kerry Group Irish Novel of... Read Moreread more.

Cill Rialaig Residency 2021 Awardees

September 15, 2021 9:36 am Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

We’re delighted to announce the 7 awardees of our Cill Rialaig Residencies 2021. We received many applications of a very high standard this year, all of which were reviewed and finalists selected by judges David Butler and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne. Michelle Gallen was born in Northern Ireland in the mid-1970s and grew up during the Troubles a few miles from the border between what she was told was the “Free” State and the “United” Kingdom. She studied English literature at Trinity College Dublin, then survived what doctors now suspect was autoimmune encephalitis in her mid-twenties. Her debut novel, Big Girl, Small Town was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. She now lives in Dublin with her husband and kids. A.M. Cousins is a Wexford based writer.  She published her debut collection of poetry – REDRESS (Revival Press) – in 2021. She also... Read Moreread more.

Opportunities & Competitions: August 2021

August 10, 2021 9:29 am Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Each month we update our Competitions & Submissions page to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities.  Here are a few we wanted to highlight this August!  The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award  Deadline: 19th August 2021 The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection of poems in English is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. Other previous winners include Eileán Ni Chuilleanáin, Paul Durcan, Thomas McCarthy, Peter Sirr, Sinead Morrissey, Conor O’Callaghan, Celia de Freine and Joseph Woods. The award will be presented on Friday 24th September 2021 the opening evening of the annual Patrick Kavanagh Weekend at the Patrick Kavanagh Centre. Literature Project Award  Deadline: 19th August 2021 The Arts Council has introduced a Literature Project Award in recognition of the changing... Read Moreread more.

Opportunities & Competitions: September 2021

September 6, 2021 1:27 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

 Each month we update our Competitions & Submissions page to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities.  Here are a few we wanted to highlight this September!  Kavanagh Fellowship 2021 Deadline: 10th September 2021 The Trustees of the Estate of Katherine Kavanagh intend to offer the Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship, normally of up to €8,000, again in 2021. The Fellowship is specifically for Irish poets in their middle years. Poets in order to be eligible must have published a substantial body of work, and show that they are in particular need of assistance. The Moth Nature Writing Prize Deadline: 15th September 2021 The prize is open to anyone over the age of sixteen, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. The winning piece will be published in the winter issue of The Moth, and... Read Moreread more.

IWC/WCLF Young Writer Delegates Showcase

July 19, 2021 9:49 am Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Now in our fourth year, the Young Writer Delegate Programme has partnered with the West Cork Literary Festival for the first time. At this showcase, our four selected IWC/WCLF Young Writer Delegates will share some of the creative work developed during the festival with their mentor Eimear Ryan. This year’s Young Writer Delegates are Ava Lynch, Shane Murphy, Niamh O’Connell and Ross Walsh. Join us for a lunch time reading, hosted on Zoom on Friday 23rd July at 1pm. Register for free here. read more.

Announcing our 2021 IWC/WCLF Young Writer Delegates

June 30, 2021 11:52 am Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

We are happy to announce that the 2021 IWC/WCLF Young Writer Delegates are Niamh O’Connell, Ross Walsh, Ava Lynch and Shane Murphy. They will be mentored by author, columnist and co-founder of the literary journal Banshee, Eimear Ryan. Now in its fourth year, the IWC Young Writer Delegates Programme gives young writers an opportunity to immerse themselves in an (online) literature festival and to contribute to it as active participants. You can keep up with the Young Writer Delegates on their Instagram page, and through the Irish Writers Centre and WCLF social media channels. Niamh O’Connell Niamh is a Cork based poet. Her poetry has appeared in Irish publications such as The Quarryman and Bealtaine magazine. She holds an MA in Writing Poetry from Newcastle University, having graduated in 2020. Niamh often volunteers running children’s creative writing workshops and is a volunteer with Rebel Reads, a community... Read Moreread more.

IWC Evolution Programme: A New Strand of Combined Supports for Professional Writers

June 23, 2021 3:28 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

 Deadline Extended until Friday 16 July at 5pm We are delighted to announce the IWC Evolution Programme as part of our 30th Anniversary. This Programme is a new strand of combined supports for professional writers. About the Irish Writers Centre The Irish Writers Centre is proud to celebrate 30 years of services and supports to writers at all stages of their career since the opening of its doors in Parnell Square in 1991. Over the last years, the Irish Writers Centre has expanded its provision of supports to writers in many ways, including professional development workshops, information webinars, residencies, bursaries for courses, mentor/mentee support, international opportunities and the invitation to becoming a member of our literary community. We acknowledge that we have been particularly supportive of beginner and emerging writers at the start of their career. As we have grown... Read Moreread more.

Young Writer Delegates reflect on ILFD 2021

June 15, 2021 12:01 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Last month, book lovers across the country tuned in to the International Literary Festival Dublin 2021. Attendees were treated to 10 jam-packed days full of readings, conversations, debates, screenings, guided walks, events, podcasts and broadcasts, spanning the genres of fiction, poetry, non-fiction, theatre, music and screenwriting. Now in its second year operating online, the programme was immersive, exciting and definitely did not disappoint.  Among the attendees were our IWC/ILFD Young Writer Delegates Grace Banks, Fadilah Salawu, Emer O’Hanlon, and Olamide Alao. Here is what they thought of the experience.  Everyone is Talking About Patricia Lockwood & Roisin Kiberd, review by Grace Banks On Day 3 of ILFD 2021, Adrian Weckler interviewed Patricia Lockwood and Róisín Kiberd on their respective internet-themed books, “No One Is Talking About This” and “The Disconnect: A Personal Journey Through the Internet”. We often talk of... Read Moreread more.

Upcoming Competitions & Opportunities: June 2021

June 8, 2021 2:29 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Each month we update our Competitions & Submissions page to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities.  Here are a few we wanted to highlight this June!  The Emma Press: Essay Collections Submissions  Deadline: 27th June 2021 We are excited by the essay format, and we are looking forward to seeing what you send us! We imagine they could include memoir, food writing, travel writing, meditations on various subjects, or even something more experimental. We’re expecting these to be mostly non-fiction, but something that plays with the genre could be fun too. The main things we’ll be looking for are extremely deft prose and captivating subject matter. Fingal Poetry Prize Deadline: 30th June 2021 As part of the Fingal Poetry Festival, due to take place from September 16th – 19th 2021, we are delighted to announce that... Read Moreread more.

Irish Writers Centre Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Treasurer

May 19, 2021 3:06 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Irish Writers Centre Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Treasurer Position Deadline: Extended until 14th June at 1pm The Irish Writers Centre (IWC)  is seeking to add a new Treasurer to its Board of Directors as it enters into a new and exciting phase of strategic planning which will lead the organisation from 2022- 2026.  The current strategy 2017-2021 can be found here. We are looking for those with a passion for the Arts and an interest in the literary landscape in Ireland. This Call seeks individuals with skills and experience in one or more of the following areas, having regard also to gender, diversity, and age balance: Financial reporting; Financial planning and budgeting; Statutory accounts audit; Tax; and/or Fund-raising.  Background The Irish Writers Centre is a flagship resource organisation for writers. It offers professional supports to meet the needs of writers at... Read Moreread more.

Announcing our 2021 IWC/ILFD Young Writer Delegates

May 17, 2021 3:24 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

We’re delighted to announce that the 2021 IWC/ILFD Young Writer Delegates are Emer O’Hanlon, Olamide Alao, Fadilah Salawu and Grace Banks. They will be mentored by award-winning poet, creative writing teacher and dramaturg Jessica Traynor.  Now in its fourth year, the IWC Young Writer Delegates Programme gives young writers an opportunity to immerse themselves in an (online) literature festival and to contribute to it as active participants. You can keep up with the Young Writer Delegates on their Instagram page, and through the Irish Writers Centre and ILFD social media channels. Emer O’Hanlon Emer is a writer and PhD student from Belfast. When not researching her thesis on 18th-century women and ancient nude statues, she also reviews books for the Irish Independent. Her short fiction has appeared in Wretched Creations, The Honest Ulsterman, and ROPES. She is currently working on her first novel. Olamide Alao Olamide... Read Moreread more.

Announcing the new members of the Irish Writers Centre Board of Directors

May 12, 2021 2:27 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

We are delighted to announce that Áine Denn, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Jess Majekodunmi and Breda Brown will be joining the Irish Writers Centre‘s Board of Directors.  Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan (She/Her) is a Dublin-based arts manager, writer, and performer from India. Her work has been published in Writing Home: The ‘New Irish’ Poets from Dedalus Press, The Ireland Chair of Poetry Hold Open the Door anthology by UCD Press, the Green Carnations: 25 Young LGBTQ+ Poets from Ireland anthology by Book Hub Publishing, Banshee, Honest Ulsterman, Impossible Archetype, and Poetry Ireland Review. In 2020 Chandrika won 3rd place in the Fingal Poetry Prize. Chandrika is editor of Poetry Ireland’s Trumpet issue 9, and book reviewer for Children’s Books Ireland’s Inis magazine. By day she is Marketing and Development Manager for Fishamble: The New Play Company. Twitter: @Chandrikanm Instagram: @chandrikanm.art Breda Brown is Co-founder and Communications Director... Read Moreread more.

Upcoming Competitions & Opportunities: May 2021

May 12, 2021 3:23 pm Published by IWC_admin Leave your thoughts

Each month we update our Competitions & Submissions page to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities. Here are a few we wanted to highlight this May! The Stinging Fly Summer School  Deadline: 14th May 2021 The 2021 summer school will run from Monday June 28th until Friday July 2nd. Tutors include Wendy Erskine, Mia Gallagher, Sean O’Reilly, Roisin Kiberd and Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe. This year’s summer school will take place online and consists mainly of separate workshops in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. With support from the Arts Council and their patrons, they are offering one free place on each of our workshops. These will be awarded to writers who are either unwaged or on low income. Live Cannon 2021 International Poetry Competition Deadline: 21st May 2021 Guest judge for this year is Jennifer Wong. Previous winners include Inua... Read Moreread more.