Author Archives for IWC_admin

Join the Irish Writers Centre Board of Directors

February 13, 2025 5:01 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Would you like to contribute to the exciting growth of Irish Literature in Ireland? Join the Irish Writers Centre Board of Directors. Position: Board member Role type: Voluntary (unpaid) Time commitment: The board meets 6-7 times annually Closing date for applications: 28 February 2025, 5pm. About the Irish Writers Centre As the leading support and development organisation for writers in Ireland since 1991,  the Irish Writers Centre delivers a year-round programme of creative writing courses, a national mentoring programme, a vibrant calendar of literary events and competitions,  as well as administering a range of bursaries and residencies. We are proudly supported by our patron, President Michael D Higgins, and a host of ambassadors including John Banville, Anne Enright, Marian Keyes, Mick McCormack, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, Ciara Ni E and Joseph O’Connor. We are midway through our 2022-2026 strategy and under the stewardship of a new CEO... Read Moreread more.


New Masterclass Series

February 12, 2025 11:07 am Published by Leave your thoughts

This exciting new masterclass series is delivered by a range of experienced and critically acclaimed writers. Taking place in-person in the Irish Writers Centre (Dublin) on Saturdays, these masterclasses are ideal for writers looking to acquire the tools and confidence to take their practice to the next level. In our first series, we will be investigating historical fiction with Martina Devlin, writing through the lens of experience as a nonfiction writer with Caelainn Hogan, what it means to write a bestseller with Sheila O’Flanagan and examining the role of failure in the writer’s process with Mia Gallagher. Find details about each masterclass below. History That’s Not Musty Or Fusty: Masterclass with Martina Devlin Saturday 8 March, 2025 Time: 10.30am-4.30pm Level: Intermediate Cost: €115 (€103 members) Location: Irish Writers Centre Book here Historical fiction delivers emotional rather than literal truth, and among... Read Moreread more.


The Fragmentary Self: on Form and Identity with Alice Kinsella

February 6, 2025 12:28 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

‘The Fragmentary Self: On Form and Identity’ sketches Alice Kinsella’s journey from writing poetry to her first book of prose, Milk: On Motherhood and Madness (2023). Alice’s essay draws from her interviews with writers Colm Keegan, William Keohane, and Rúairí Conneely to discuss other approaches to literary form, and how the writer’s experience intersects with class, gender identity and race. Follow Alice Kinsella on Substack here. This essay was commissioned by the Irish Writers Centre as the inaugural National Mentoring Programme Alumni Lecture and was delivered at Cúirt International Literature Festival in 2024. Listen to the essay on Soundcloud or read the essay below.   The Fragmentary Self: on Form and Identity I have been tweaking my bio, it begins Alice Kinsella is a poet from. Already I’m getting tripped up twice. From, where am I from? I live, now, in Mayo,... Read Moreread more.


We are heading to Limerick! UL Creative Writing Festival (9 April – 12 April, 2025)

February 4, 2025 4:06 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We are very excited to be part of the University of Limerick Creative Writing Festival this April! Taking place across four days (Wed 9 April – Saturday 12 April), we are delighted to bring you two events scheduled for the final day of the festival. We will be hosting An Island of Many Nations, a panel discussion with writers Afric McGlinchey, Cauvery Madhavan, Suad Aldarra and Tapasya Narang and The Word on the Street, a performance showcase with Q&A featuring spoken word artists Cormac Mac Gearailt, Sheila Ryder, Lauren McNamara and Kev Kennedy. See you there!   Full line up below: Wednesday: 7:00pm – 8.00pm : Group reading by DONAL RYAN, JOSEPH O’CONNOR, SARAH MOORE, EMILY CULLEN and EOIN DEVEREUX. Thursday: 7.30pm – 8.30pm: MARIAN KEYES and JOSEPH O’CONNOR. Friday: 5.30pm to 6pm: KERRY NEVILLE in Conversation with EOIN DEVEREUX. 6.30 pm to 7.30 Booker Prize-winner PAUL LYNCH and SARAH GILMARTIN reading from their work. Saturday:... Read Moreread more.


Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme 2025

January 31, 2025 12:32 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Are you looking for feedback and a fresh perspective on your writing? Receive creative and professional support with an experienced Irish writer through the National Mentoring Programme. We are currently welcoming applications from Friday the 31st of January to Sunday 2 March 2025 at 5pm.  The National Mentoring Programme is an exciting opportunity to receive sustained creative and professional mentoring from an established Irish writer of your choosing. Writers living in all 32 counties are eligible to apply. The opportunity is available to writers of: Fiction Creative non-fiction Children’s / Young Adult fiction Poetry Each mentorship consists of three meetings with an experienced writer over a period of approximately 6–8 months. The mentor reads up to 10,000 words / 180 lines of poetry in advance, and will give creative feedback at each meeting. They may also provide professional information and... Read Moreread more.


What should I include in a writer’s CV?

January 29, 2025 3:24 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The writer’s CV is a great opportunity to give an overview of your writing interests and a snapshot of your writing career so far. This blog offers tips on layout, content and what we feel are the essentials to include in your writer’s CV. A writer’s CV differs from a work/regular CV in that it focuses solely on your literary journey. It is not an overview of your work experience or educational history, unless your education has had a focus on literature (or other relevant subject). Your writer’s CV might begin with a personal statement that highlights your literary objectives. This can be a short paragraph telling us who you are as a writer, your style, your genre and your goals; for example, are you aiming to have your first novel published by 2025? Are you working on a stage... Read Moreread more.


Opportunities for Writers: February 2025

January 29, 2025 12:53 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Check out the current opportunities available for writers. See a list below of late January/February deadlines for submissions, competitions, bursaries, residencies and other opportunities. For the full list of opportunities, check out: Competitions, submissions and other opportunities and Bursaries and funding  Irish Writers Centre Opportunities Deadline: 9th February 2025   Irish Writers Centre/Cúirt Young Writer Delegates Programme The Irish Writers Centre invites ambitious writers aged 18-26 to apply for this extraordinary opportunity to attend and contribute to Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2025 as Irish Writers Centre/Cúirt Young Writer Delegates. For writers aged 18-26 resident on the island of Ireland. Award: Spend five days (four nights) at the festival and receive free entry to events, mentoring support from local writer, Alan McMonagle, and an opportunity to read your writing at a public showcase. Accommodation is provided for three delegates from outside the Galway area,... Read Moreread more.


New Voices: North 2025

January 28, 2025 3:47 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre is delighted to invite applications for New Voices: North – a new, online development initiative funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The Irish Writers Centre New Voices initiative is a new pilot series offering ambitious, emerging writers the opportunity to further their burgeoning writing practice via the sustained support of an experienced mentor. Consisting of two strands – fiction and poetry – the first iteration, New Voices: North, will give five emerging writers living in the North of Ireland the opportunity to develop a new or existing work-in-progress under the guidance of an established writer-mentor. Following this mentorship, selected writers will participate in a group workshop hosted by their respective mentor, and later will read from their developed works at a showcase hosted by the Belfast Book Festival. Five writers will be selected for... Read Moreread more.


The Ten by Ten Workshop (presented by the Irish Writers Centre and The Stinging Fly)

January 28, 2025 11:26 am Published by Leave your thoughts

We are thrilled to announce The Ten by Ten Workshop, a new Saturday in-person workshop for fiction writers organised jointly by The Stinging Fly and The Irish Writers Centre (March – May 2025). The workshop will be led by Nicole Flattery and Cathy Sweeney. Deadline to apply is Monday 10 Feb 2025 at 5pm.  The Ten by Ten Workshop will provide a group of ten writers the opportunity to push forward with their writing over ten Saturdays. The Stinging Fly and The Irish Writers Centre want to enable the ten selected writers to develop their craft and engage more deeply with their work while working with a group of like-minded and similarly motivated individuals. Ideally this workshop is intended for writers already embarked on a specific fiction project, be that a short-story collection or a novel. The workshop will run... Read Moreread more.


Nollaig na mBan 2025: Women of Magic and Science

January 15, 2025 12:32 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Last Monday we kicked off the new year with one of our favourite dates in the Irish calendar, Nollaig na mBan. Originally a day off for Ireland’s hard-working women immediately after Christmas, each year we reimagine this tradition by showcasing extraordinary women writers in Ireland. In this blog, scroll through a series of photos which were taken on the night.  “Women practiced magic until they were able to forge the tools and win the education to rename that magic science.” – Jessica Traynor We had a great time conjuring writers and artists for this year’s theme: Women of Magic and Science. We would like to thank award-winning poet, Jessica Traynor, who hosted the evening’s celebration which took place for the first time at Pearse Street Library, Dublin. We were also delighted to hear a wee preview from Jessica’s upcoming poetry... Read Moreread more.


Opportunities for Writers: January 2025

January 9, 2025 3:53 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Take stock of the current opportunities available for writers this weekend. See a list below of January/early February deadlines for submissions, competitions, bursaries, residencies and other opportunities. For the full list of opportunities, check out: Competitions, submissions and other opportunities and Bursaries and funding  Submissions:   Deadline: 31 January 2025 (Poetry) 28 February 2025 (story story) Southword New International Writing (Journal) Southword: New International Writing is a print literary journal published twice a year by the Munster Literature Centre. They welcome submissions of up to four poems per submission period. If your work has been published in Southword before, they ask that you please don’t submit again for at least one year after publication. The poetry editor is Patrick Cotter. Accepted forms: Poetry and short story Writer’s fee: €50 – €30 More Information here: munsterlit.ie Deadline: 3 February 2025 Ragaire Literary Magazine... Read Moreread more.


12 Aspiring Novelists Selected for the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2025

December 18, 2024 2:49 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We are thrilled to announce the twelve writers selected for Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2025. Congratulations to Ben Bland, Ciara Broderick, Jill Bronfman, Andrew Cunning, Stephen Doyle, Ronan Fitzgerald, Aidan Furey, Matthew Hornsby, André Mangeot, Amanda Moloney, Dónal O’Leary and Pauline Ryan. With a record number of submissions (546!!) to Novel Fair this year, we had the most competitive selection process so far.   About the award Each September, we have an international call out for manuscripts from unpublished (and unsigned) novelists who are searching for a home for their novels. The twelve Novel Fair 2025 winners will be invited to participate in a two-day event where they will pitch their novels to national and international publishers and literary agents. This competition has been a career-changing opportunity for writers across the island of Ireland and worldwide, with entries this... Read Moreread more.


Novel Fair 2025: Runners-Up and Highly Commended

December 18, 2024 2:44 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Each September, we have an international call out for manuscripts from unpublished (and unsigned) novelists who are searching for a home for their novels. With a record number of submissions (546!!) to Novel Fair this year, we had the most competitive selection process so far. Our five judges, Declan Burke, Roe McDermott, John Patrick McHugh, Lia Mills and Aiden O’Reilly who selected this year’s twelve winners, also selected 12 runners-up and 12 highly commended.   Runners-up Pat Boran Sara Brown-Moore Sinead Creedon Catherine Crichton Carolyn Gutierrez Nigel Kelly Fiona McCann Gary McKeever Ralph Mills Anne O’Leary Dónal O’Sullivan Judith Pasztor Duffy Highly-Commended Kristin Adams Jaya Agrawal Brian Belefant Ken Cockburn Grainne Daly Cristina Ferrandez Miriam Forde Catherine Higgins-Moore Mike Murray Ann Neary Rachael O’Brien Eoin O’Donnell How can I enter Novel Fair 2026?   Submit up to 10,000 words of your... Read Moreread more.


Novel Fair 2025: Meet the Judges

December 16, 2024 4:34 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Thank you to our five judges, Declan Burke, Roe McDermott, John Patrick McHugh, Lia Mills and Aiden O’Reilly who read each entry and selected the 12 winners, 12 runners-up and 12 highly commended for the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2025. Read about the judges and their experience of selecting this year’s winners below. Keep your eyes peeled on Wednesday (18th December 2024) for the announcement of this year’s winners!   About the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair Each September, we have an international call out for manuscripts from unpublished (and unsigned) novelists who are searching for a home for their novels. Described by the Irish Times as ‘A Dragons’ Den for writers,’ the twelve Novel Fair winners will participate in a two-day event where they will pitch their novels to national and international publishers and literary agents. Meet this year’s... Read Moreread more.