Author Archives for IWC_admin

Happy Birthday Mrs. Dalloway: A Conference Celebrating 100 Years of Virginia Woolf’s Masterpiece

June 3, 2025 11:57 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, which turns 100 this year, depicts a single day in June from the perspective of a number of characters. To mark the centenary, writer Belinda McKeon presents a day of panels and discussions in the Irish Writers Centre (Dublin) on Saturday 7 June 2025 from 11am to 3pm, with novelists, poets and essayists for whom Woolf’s novel remains a deeply important influence.  Tickets cost: €50 (€40 Members/Concession). Book online. Event Details: Join us for conversations about memory, expression, writing the city, and much else besides. The morning will start with tea and coffee and there will be an hour interval for lunch. The panelists will include Claire-Louise Bennett, Mary Cregan, Naoise Dolan, Belinda McKeon, Nuala O’Connor and Emilie Pine. TIMETABLE: Welcome: 11.00 – 11.15am Join us for light refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) and an opportunity to... Read Moreread more.


Announcing our 2025 Young Writer Delegates at Belfast Book Festival

June 6, 2025 10:30 am Published by Leave your thoughts

We’re delighted to announce the four Irish Writers Centre Young Writer Delegates who will attend and contribute to Belfast Book Festival from 5-12 June. The delegates will be mentored by local writer Chris Wright and perform readings at a festival showcase in The Crescent on Sunday 8 June 2025 at 3:00pm (pay what you can). The four awardees are Joshua Beatty, Beth Healy, Nicole Lee and Sean Rowan. Now in its seventh year, the Young Writer Delegates Programme gives young writers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a literary 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 Belfast social media channels. The programme is in partnership with Belfast Book Festival and Crescent Arts Centre. The Irish Writers Centre is... Read Moreread more.


A note from our CEO

May 14, 2025 5:15 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

As we close off Spring and welcome a delightfully warm early Summer, I wanted to update you on some of the exciting things that happened during the month of April. At the beginning of the month we welcomed Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon when he performed with four of the most stirring spoken word artists on the Dublin stage today; Ciara Ni É, our own Irish Writers Centre ambassador, Cormac Mac Gearailt, Anna D and Stephen James Smith. It was a remarkable evening of poetry leaping off from page into performance. Prior to that we hosted the Franco-Irish literature Festival by welcoming Maram al-Masri and Theo Dorgan for a fascinating discussion on poetry and place. In the second week in April we took our newly formed Literary Regional Roadshow to the University of Limerick Creative Writing Festival where we curated... Read Moreread more.


Our Young Writer Delegates look back on Cúirt 2025

May 14, 2025 1:04 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Last month, writers, readers and book-lovers from far and wide travelled to Galway for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2025. From 23-28 April, attendees were treated to a week full of readings, conversations, film screenings, walking tours, events and special guests, which showcased new voices, diverse writing, Irish and international writing talent. Among the attendees were our IWC/Cúirt Young Writer Delegates, Nina Devine, Angelia D’Souza, Summer Luyako, Surnaí Molloy and Czacarri Muli. As part of the festival our Young Writer Delegates took part in their very own showcase event where they got the chance to perform some of their work to a packed audience in the Nun’s Island Theatre. Their local writer-mentor Alan McMonagle was in attendance along with some previous Cúirt Young Writer Delegates who turned up to show their support as well! Each year, the delegates attend... Read Moreread more.


Announcing the Irish Writers Centre New Writing Prize in association with The Stinging Fly

April 30, 2025 2:09 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The New Writing Prize is an annual literary award, a collaboration between the Irish Writers Centre and The Stinging Fly, that aims to discover, promote and encourage the talents of new, undiscovered voices in Irish writing. For this year, 2025, the prize will cater for beginner and emerging writers – specifically, writers working in either fiction or non-fiction who have yet to publish their first short story or essay (in print or online). In 2026, the competition will be open to short story writers who have not previously been published in The Stinging Fly. Submissions for the 2025 competition will be open on Submittable from Saturday 17 May until Wednesday 4 June at 5.00pm. During this time, writers are invited to submit short stories and essays up to 1,500 words in length. The winner of the prize will receive mentoring... Read Moreread more.


Irish Writers Union Open Networking Event for Emerging, Established and Aspiring Writers

April 29, 2025 3:23 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We are delighted to share the news about this upcoming networking event – due to take place in Rathmines Library from 6.00pm to 7.50pm on Saturday 21 May – from our friends at the Irish Writers Union. Irish Writers Union Open Networking Event for Emerging, Established and Aspiring Writers Wednesday 21st May 2025 6 p.m. – 7.50 p.m. sharp The Exhibition Room, 1st Floor, Rathmines Library Lower Rathmines Road (opposite clock tower) Rathmines, Dublin 6 D06 K2K6 The Irish Writers’ Union (IWU) is delighted to announce this networking event for writers which is part of a series to be held around the country. Writing, no matter how driven we are or how much we enjoy it, can be an isolating activity. Post-pandemic, it feels important to the IWU committee – and this has been echoed by members of the IWU... Read Moreread more.


Opportunities for Writers: May 2025

April 29, 2025 4:41 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Check out the current opportunities available for writers. See a list below of May/June 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: 30th April 2025 The Pig’s Back The Pig’s Back (named for Donegal’s Muckish mountain and for the phrase ar mhuin na muice, to be in luck) is a literary prose journal that aims to bring the rest of Ireland – and in turn, the world – to the northwest. Founded by the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, it publishes short fiction and essays. Accepted forms: The Pig’s Back seeks submissions of previously unpublished fiction and non-fiction. They accept work from anywhere in the world but currently can only accept English language pieces. They do not accept poetry. Contributor payment: All contributors will receive... Read Moreread more.


New Masterclasses: Book Now

April 29, 2025 2:40 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

In 2025, we launched a new masterclass series delivered by a range of experienced and critically acclaimed writers. Taking place on Saturdays, either in-person in the Irish Writers Centre (Dublin) or online, these masterclasses are ideal for writers looking to acquire the tools and confidence to take their practice to the next level. Past masterclass facilitators include Martina Devlin, Caelainn Hogan, Sheila O’Flanagan and Mia Gallagher. Find details of our May and June masterclasses below.   From Inspiration to Pitch: Masterclass in Creating Factual and Documentary Ideas with Hilary Fennell Saturday 10 May, 2025 | 10.30 am – 4.30 pm Cost: €115 (€103 Members) Location: Irish Writers Centre Book here Where do great factual and documentary programme ideas come from and what are the key steps in developing, writing them and getting them made? This masterclass looks at the creative... Read Moreread more.


Announcing the 2025 International Lamplight Fellowship Awardees

April 30, 2025 9:57 am Published by Leave your thoughts

We are delighted to announce the selected writers for the 2025 International Lamplight Fellowship, a two-week online programme for published fiction writers in partnership with Varuna the National Writers’ House (Australia). Now in its third year, the Lamplight Fellowship is an opportunity for the eight writers to build international connections and benefit from the combined mentorship and support of both organisations.  Congratulations to Irish writers June Caldwell, Orla Mackey, Deirdre Cartmill and Geraldine Walsh and Australian writers Courtney Collins, Sam Elkin, Julie Janson and Amanda O’Callaghan. The programme will run from 9-20 June 2025 and includes a mentorships with Mary Anne Butler and Conor Kostick, online Q&A sessions with best-selling Australian writer Pip Williams and award-winning Irish writer Mike McCormack, and an online industry exchange, with representatives from the Irish and Australian publishing industries, including Penguin Random House Australia publisher Meredith Curnow.... Read Moreread more.


Words in the Air on Parnell Square

April 9, 2025 4:26 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

On Saturday 5 April 2025, poetry leapt off the page at our special spoken word showcase hosted by Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon. We would like to thank the incredible line-up of artists, and our wonderful audience for making this event an unforgettable and awe-inspiring evening of performances. Thank you to our host Paul Muldoon who performed alongside acclaimed musician Fiach Moriarty, and to the four spoken word artists, Ciara Ni É, Anna D, Cormac Mac Gearailt and Stephen James Smith who shared their beautiful writing with us. Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and Global Slam winner, Samuel Yakura, was unable to make it, but we hope to have him appear at the Centre for another event soon. Muldoon captivated the audience with a performance of blues and poetry. Fiach Moriarty (left) and Paul Muldoon (right) at Words in the Air on... Read Moreread more.


New Irish Communities 2025

April 8, 2025 4:26 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

  The Irish Writers Centre is excited to announce the 2025 New Irish Communities (Saturday 10 May  – Saturday 21 June), a series of six creative writing sessions for non-native speakers to explore creative writing in English. In a warm and supportive environment, participants can meet new writers, share their stories, and take part in creative writing exercises. All sessions are facilitated by writers from diverse literary backgrounds, in both poetry and prose. The sessions will be led by Amy Abdullah Barry, Aashima Rana, Mark Granier, Ola Majekodunmi with more to be announced soon. These sessions are ideal for beginner and emerging writers. For the first time, we are excited to host a special showcase event on Saturday 28 June 2025 of the writing produced during the six weeks period. (Writers will be required to sign up for all of... Read Moreread more.


Opportunities for Writers: April 2025

April 3, 2025 12:46 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Check out the current opportunities available for writers. See a list below of April/May 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 Opportunity   Deadline: 16th April 2025 Young Writer Delegates at Belfast Book Festival 2025 We invite ambitious writers aged 18-26 to apply for this extraordinary opportunity to attend and contribute to Belfast Book Festival 2025 as Irish Writers Centre Young Writer Delegates. This opportunity is open to writers aged 18-26 living in Belfast or in its surrounding areas. More Information here: irishwriterscentre.ie Submissions Deadline: 30th April 2025 Faerie Press: Anthology for Teens and Young Adults Writing submissions for Faerie Press are now open! Following the success of our first book ‘Hide and Seek: An Anthology of the Inner Child”, we’re... Read Moreread more.


Announcing our 2025 Young Writer Delegates at Cúirt

March 27, 2025 2:32 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We’re delighted to announce the five Irish Writers Centre Young Writer Delegates who will attend and contribute to Cúirt International Festival of Literature from 9-13 April. The delegates will be mentored by local writer Alan McMonagle and perform readings at a festival showcase in Nun’s Island Theatre on Saturday 12 April 2025 at 1:00pm (free entry). The five awardees are Angelia D’Souza, Nina Devine, Summer Luyako, Surnaí Molloy and Czacarri Muli. Now in its seventh year, the Young Writer Delegates Programme gives young writers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a literary 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 Cúirt social media channels. The programme is in partnership with Cúirt International Festival of Literature. The Irish Writers Centre is... Read Moreread more.


Announcing a new season of Climate Writing Sessions

March 27, 2025 11:47 am Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre is delighted to announce a new series of Climate Writing Sessions with Alice Kinsella as our 2025 series host. Alice is a prose writer and poet from Mayo. Her prose debut Milk: on motherhood and madness (Picador, 2023) was published to critical acclaim. Frist session will take place on Wednesday 30 April 2025, 7.00pm – 8.30pm (Book your place here).  “It always seems impossible until it is done”  – Mary Robinson, quoting Nelson Mandela, at the launch of Irish Writers Centre’s Climate Writing Group: Writing for a Change in 2021  Founded in 2021, the Irish Writers Centre climate writing sessions are free webinars which take the form of an in-depth conversation with a host writer, a guest writer and a guest NGO, politician, policy maker, publisher or scientist. The final 30 minutes includes writing exercises to further your practice.... Read Moreread more.