Author Archives for IWC_admin

Announcing the Recipients of our Irish Language Writer-in-their-Residence scheme

October 19, 2020 9:29 am Published by Leave your thoughts

  We are delighted to announce the recipients of our Irish Language Writer-in-their-Residence scheme! Réaltán Ní Leannáin and Sadhbh Devlin will both be receiving financial support to develop an existing work in progress. Over the next few weeks, these two writers will also be documenting their experiences of creating work under the current restrictions.  The aim of this opportunity is to support writers in exploring the challenges of creating during this period, and to share their process with a wider audience. You can follow Réaltán and Sadhbh through the #WritersInTheirResidence hashtag on Twitter and Instagram. Réaltán Ní Leannáin Belfast-born Réaltán Ní Leannáin moved to Dublin in the 1980’s. She is living there since. She was Writer-in-Residence in DCU in 2019 and Other Words in 2016. Réaltán started writing a blog, Turas Amháin, in 2009. Since then she has published a poetry collection, Turas Ailse (Coiscéim, 2011), a... Read Moreread more.


Special Offer on IWC Membership

October 14, 2020 10:10 am Published by Leave your thoughts

  This week we are delighted to announce that we will be running a special offer on our Membership! Sign up to become an Irish Writers Centre member for €60 today and your membership will be valid until December 2021.  The Irish Writers Centre is a home for literature and writers, by signing up to become a member you are joining a robust network of writers in Ireland and abroad. Your membership also helps us to continue our work in providing vital supports to writers. Irish Writers Centre members will receive exclusive access to recorded information sessions, which offer advice on topics such as publishing contracts, applying for bursaries and submitting to literary journals. As a member, you will have the opportunity to promote your work to our network of writers through our bi-monthly members’ letter. Membership benefits also include discounts on... Read Moreread more.


Announcing our 2020 IWC/DBF Young Writer Delegates

October 14, 2020 10:10 am Published by Leave your thoughts

  We’re delighted to announce that the 2020 IWC/DBF Young Writer Delegates are Sophie Furlong Tighe, Conor Fallon, Sarah Little, and Seirce Mhac Conghail. Now in its third 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. We’re excited to announce that this year’s Dublin Book Festival Delegates will receive mentorship from acclaimed author Louise O’Neill!  You can keep up with the Young Writer Delegates on their Instagram page, and through the Irish Writers Centre and ILFD social media channels. Sophie Furlong Tighe is a poet and theatre student based in Dublin. They are the Editor of Icarus Magazine. Their poetry has been featured at the DU Players Resilience Festival, in Sonder Magazine, Variant Lit, and This Is Not Where I Belong* among others. Their debut zine, LIGHTWEIGHT, was... Read Moreread more.


Get 10% Off on Selected Autumn Courses

September 30, 2020 3:23 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Online writing courses are a great way to develop your creative writing safely from home. Our Autumn 2020 Programme is one of our most varied course programmes to date. We are now offering a special discount on a selection of our online Autumn courses! Just use the code AUTUMNSALE when you get to the checkout to receive your discount. Have a look at the courses below to see what’s on offer. Beyond Language: Creatively Writing in English as a Second Language with Sree Sen Hosted by journalist and author Sree Sen, Beyond Language is a 6-week course for writers who have English as a second language. Whether it is journalism, blogging or general creative writing, the course will focus on ways to embrace one’s cultural identity and navigate the ways of English language writing.  There will be discussions ranging from... Read Moreread more.


“You have everything to gain. Be brave.” – Olivia Fitzsimons on her Novel Fair journey

September 11, 2020 11:35 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Olivia Fitzsimons is a northerner living in Greystones, County Wicklow. She entered Novel Fair 2020 with The Quiet Whispers Never Stop and was subsequently signed by Brian Langan’s Storyline Agency.  Hi Olivia, Could you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m originally from Northern Ireland but now live in Wicklow. I worked in the film industry before taking time out to raise my kids. I’ve been writing fiction for three years and I wrote my first short story on my phone while my kids did junior athletics and sent it off to one free competition my friend saw in the paper. That was the Sunday Business Post/Penguin Short Story contest and my story was shortlisted. It didn’t win but it started my writing journey. Nothing happened for a year afterwards. Then I got accepted onto the Stinging Fly Six Month Fiction Course,... Read Moreread more.


Announcing New Irish Writers Centre Course Bursaries

September 9, 2020 2:26 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Irish Writers Centre Course Bursaries The Irish Writers Centre is pleased to introduce our new pilot scheme, the Course Bursary initiative. These bursaries will enable writers to develop their skills through funded places at Irish Writers Centre creative writing courses, and open up access to course entry by subsidising costs to individuals who may not otherwise be able to take a course.  The IWC is working towards the development of our first equality and diversity policy, and taking steps to promote equality of opportunity for all those living in Ireland, regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, civil or family status, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller Community, as well as socio-economic background.  Bursary recipients will receive course credit worth €165 towards a course at the IWC. We encourage writers from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Irish literature to... Read Moreread more.


Announcing the Cill Rialaig 2020 Recipients

August 26, 2020 11:10 am Published by Leave your thoughts

  We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2020 Cill Rialaig Residencies. This autumn marks the sixth consecutive year of Irish Writers Centre residencies with Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry. The recipients are Niamh Campbell, Úna-Minh Kavanagh, Lianne O’Hara, Damien Hasson, Justine Carbery, Oisín Kearney, and Carrie-Jade Williams. The purpose of this residency is to give writers the time and space they need to create new work. They will be situated in the beautiful surrounds of Cill Rialaig from 2 – 12 October, 2020. To see the  inspiring landscape of Cill Rialaig click here.   Lianne O’Hara is a poet and writer from Amsterdam. She was selected for the 2020 Poetry Ireland Introductions Series. Her work is published in Black Bough Poetry, Crossways, Amsterdam Quarterly, Dedalus Press’ Writing Home: The ‘New Irish’ Poets anthology, B O D Y, Splonk, Channel, and The Ogham Stone. She lives in Dublin, where she is currently... Read Moreread more.


Rick O’Shea, Madeleine Keane and Yan Ge Announced as the Novel Fair 2021 Judges

August 24, 2020 3:29 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

  Rick O’Shea, Madeleine Keane and Yan Ge Announced as the Novel Fair 2021 Judges We are delighted to announce the judges of Novel Fair 2021. Madeleine Keane, Yan Ge, and Rick O’Shea 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. Yan Ge is a renowned writer of fiction in both Chinese and English. She is the author of thirteen books in Chinese, including six novels.... Read Moreread more.


Announcing 20 Subsidised Novel Fair Entries

July 22, 2020 3:55 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

  We are happy to announce that we will be offering 20 subsidised entries for Novel Fair 2021. The usual entry fee of €55 per manuscript will be waived for these writers.  Novel Fair offers writers the unique opportunity to pitch their work to some of the top publishers across Ireland and the UK. It has been described as a ‘Dragon’s Den for writers’ and has resulted in many successful publishing deals, including Michelle Gallen’s Big Girl, Small Town, Caitriona Lally’s Eggshells and many more. Have a look at our video for a taste of what you can expect from the Fair.  These subsidised entries will be for BIPOC, Traveller and working class writers. Though we encourage Novel Fair entries from across the globe, these subsidised places will be limited to writers currently living across the island of Ireland.  The... Read Moreread more.


Statement on Plans for Reopening of the Irish Writers Centre

July 22, 2020 2:42 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Statement on Plans for Reopening of the Irish Writers Centre 22 July 2020 Updated 8 October 2020 Thank you for your support and patience throughout 2020 as our usual services have been radically changed in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. As of October 2020, the IWC building remains closed to the public but we continue to deliver our courses, opportunities, mentoring and other activities for you online.  We aim to ensure a safe and warm welcome to you all, whilst providing a safe workplace for our team who have been working remotely throughout the pandemic period to continue to deliver our services. I’m also delighted to say that our online remote delivery of creative writing courses piloted in March will continue.  Our plans for reopening have been made in accordance with the Government’s “Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business”... Read Moreread more.


Information Session: Applying for Residencies and Bursaries with Hilary Copeland

July 3, 2020 4:32 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland recently announced their Support for the Individual Artists Programme (SIAP), and they are accepting applications for General Arts Awards. If you’re an artist or writer thinking of applying to this or any other opportunity, then have a look at this webinar from 25 June 2020 on applying for residencies, grants and bursaries.      This session will take you through the following topics: Drafting a cover letter Common mistakes to avoid Writing your CV Planning your budget Hilary Copeland is the Acting Director of the Irish Writers Centre, she has worked in arts management for over ten years, for festivals, arts and theatre companies and nonprofits in Edinburgh and Belfast. She has worked across business management, strategic planning, creative programming and event delivery.read more.


Novel Fair Information Session with Anthony Glavin

June 19, 2020 3:54 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Last week, former Novel Fair judge Anthony Glavin ran an information session on Novel Fair 2021. Submissions for Novel Fair 2021 are now open until Friday 25 September. This year, we have introduced a new online submissions system. This means that aspiring novelists from all over the world can submit to us for the opportunity to be fast-tracked into the Irish & UK Publishing world. This online info session that will take you through everything you need to know when it comes to submitting to the Novel Fair. Described by The Irish Times as a ‘Dragon’s Den for writers’, the Novel Fair is an Irish Writers Centre initiative which aims to introduce up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents, giving novelists the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, pitch their ideas and place their synopsis and sample chapters directly into... Read Moreread more.


The Irish Writers Centre Statement of Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement

June 2, 2020 4:43 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre would like to offer our solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.  It is vital that when we address racism in Ireland, we also address the racial inequality across the literature sector in Ireland. We recognise that as the national resource centre for Irish writers, we have a responsibility to ensure that Black voices are uplifted, that Black writers are supported across the island of Ireland. We commit to listening to the voices of Black people and people of colour. We will critically reflect on our programmes, our physical spaces and our actions, and work to identify and confront racism and unconscious bias. We commit to identifying our own shortcomings and blind spots. We will prioritise anti-racism research and training, and examine the ways in which the Irish Writers Centre can meet the needs of marginalised writers through... Read Moreread more.


Reflections on a Digital Festival – Young Writer Delegates at Cúirt 2020

May 1, 2020 3:39 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Last weekend, book lovers across the country tuned in to the world’s first online literary festival. Cúirt‘s digital programme filled the space that had been left missing in many of our literary calendars since social distancing measures were put in place. It encouraged a sense of community among audiences and facilitated deeply engaging conversations among writers, at a time when their voices and insights have been most needed.  Among those in virtual attendance were our Young Writer Delegates, Tegan Forde, Martin Sykes, Niamh Elliott-Sherridan and Andrew Maguire. Here’s how they got on. Tegan Forde – “Mothertongues” with Ciara Ní É, Ifor ap Glyn and Padraig MacAoidh The first event of Cúirt 2020, “Mothertongues”, brought together three revered indigenous language writers from Ireland (Ciara Ní É), Scotland (Pàdraig MacAoidh), and Wales/London (Ifor ap Glyn). The diverse background of each of these writers, and their differing introduction to... Read Moreread more.