Author Archives for IWC_admin

A letter from Rafael Mendes (Winner of the Lacuna Bursary 2024)

December 8, 2023 4:34 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Rafael Mendes is a joint winner (alongside Julie O’Leary) of the Lacuna Bursary 2024. The bursary offers an emerging writer a one-week fully resourced Writer-in-Residence Bursary to take place in 2024 at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Now in its second year, this annual award is specifically designed to support a writer from a background typically underrepresented in Irish literature to develop their writing practice. Read a statement Rafael wrote in acceptance of his award: I arrived in Ireland almost eight years ago with limited proficiency in the English language. For instance, I couldn’t correctly spell out my name, so my library card read Refiel for two years. Out of stubbornness, I felt compelled to write in English and entered the Irish Writers Centre for the first time in 2018 to join a session of the New Irish Communities (now rebranded... Read Moreread more.


Announcing the Jack Harte and Lacuna Bursary Awardees 2024

December 7, 2023 3:47 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We are delighted to announce the winners of the Jack Harte and Lacuna Bursaries 2024. These awards were presented by Jack Harte, Founder of the Irish Writers Centre, and Sarah Searson, Director of The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, at our annual Members’ Christmas Party on Wednesday 6 December 2023. The bursaries, created by the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in partnership with the Irish Writers Centre, provide writers with a one-week fully resourced Writer-in-Residence bursary to take place in 2024 at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in County Monaghan. Read more about the winning writers and awards below. Jack Harte Bursary 2024 The Jack Harte Bursary offers a professional writer a one-week fully resourced Writer-in-Residence bursary to take place in 2024 at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. The award is named in honour of Jack Harte, Founder of the Irish Writers Centre, in celebration and... Read Moreread more.


PRESS RELEASE: Irish Writers Centre announces lineup for Nollaig na mBan 2024 celebrations

December 6, 2023 11:39 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Nollaig na mBan 2024: BODIES OF WORK Saturday 6 January 2024 | 7.00pm–9.00pm AT: The Irish Writers Centre (Parnell Square, Dublin 1) Tickets are now on sale via the Irish Writers Centre website   The Irish Writers Centre (IWC) is set to celebrate Nollaig na mBan on Saturday 6 January 2024 from 7.00pm–9.00pm. Nollaig na mBan, also known as Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas, was a day off for the hard-working women of the home where the men took up the household chores (for the day!) The festivities will take place at IWC’s beautiful Georgian headquarters in Parnell Square, Dublin. The IWC continues to mark this annual tradition by showcasing the extraordinary achievements of women writers in Ireland. This year’s theme is BODIES OF WORK, a celebration of our incredible Irish women writers working in different literary forms. With award-winning poet Jessica... Read Moreread more.


Opportunities and Competitions December 2023

December 8, 2023 12:43 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Photo credit: Kylemore Abbey Centre at Connemara (Co. Galway) Each month we update our Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities webpage, along with our Bursaries & Funding, to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities. Here are a few deadlines we wanted to highlight this December. Submissions: Channel Deadline: 31st December 2023 As Ireland’s foremost environmental literary journal, Channel’s aim is to provide a home for Irish and international writing that contributes to building rich, mutually sustaining relationships between human beings and the natural world. They publish two issues every year and they are currently open for submissions for their 10th issue. They publish fiction, non-fiction and poetry and currently they can offer a fee of €35 per printed page, up to a total maximum of €250 per piece and with a minimum fee of €50 for single-page... Read Moreread more.


Building Notice: We Are Open As Usual On Saturday 25 November 2023

November 24, 2023 11:33 am Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre will be open as usual this Saturday 25 November 2023. All scheduled courses and writing groups will take place inside our building at 19 Parnell Square this weekend. Please note, if you are travelling by public transport into Dublin City, there are currently no Luas Red Line services running between Smithfield and The Point. Luas tickets are valid for travel on Dublin Bus during this disruption. Luas information: https://luas.ie/travel-updates/ Dublin Bus information: https://www.dublinbus.ie/   For further information on access to our building, please email: info@irishwriterscentre.ie. read more.


Opportunities and Competitions November 2023

November 1, 2023 10:43 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Photo credit: A view of Glendalough taken by our Arts Administrative Assistant Tom Each month we update our Competitions, Submissions & Opportunities webpage, along with our Bursaries & Funding, to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities. Here are a few deadlines we wanted to highlight this November. Submissions:   The Stinging Fly Magazine Deadline: 28th November 2023 The Stinging Fly has been at the forefront of the Irish literary scene since it launched all the way back in 1998. They publish two editions every year with a focus on new writing. They will next be open for general submissions from Monday November 13th until midnight Irish time on Tuesday November 28th. Submissions received during this period will be read for their Summer 2024 issue. The London Magazine Deadline: 30th November 2023 This storied and prestigious... Read Moreread more.


Perilous Publishing: A Guide for Irish Horror Writers

October 31, 2023 4:20 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

  Writer: Gloria McNeely Gloria is a writer from Donegal. She graduated from UCD with a joint BA in English and Music, and since then has been heavily involved in the writing and performance scenes in Dublin. She runs dedicated book review accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok under the name @gloriamcneelywriter, encompassing all writing but with a love of horror and darker stories. She published her first short story in late 2020 and will soon be releasing her first novella. Gloria has recently joined the IWC team as our new Arts Administration Intern.   Do you find others are afraid of your horror writing – but not in the way you would like? Do you struggle to find books of the strange and macabre written by Irish authors? From world renowned Irish writers, the ups and downs of the... Read Moreread more.


“The book I start with is never the book I finish with”: Declan Toohey on Perpetual Comedown, his literary influences and his success at the 2021 IWC Novel Fair

October 20, 2023 3:12 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

    Interviewer: Jack Delaney Jack Delaney is a writer and theatre-maker from County Meath. He joined the Irish Writers Centre as an Arts Administration Intern in March.       This year we have been conducting a series of interviews with Irish Writers Centre (IWC) Novel Fair past winners. In this, the fifth and final conversation in our series, we hear from novelist and 2021 winner Declan Toohey whose debut novel, Perpetual Comedown, was published earlier this year by New Island Books. Perpetual Comedown (published by New Island Books) isn’t the latest novel Declan Toohey has written, but it is his first. It tells the story of Trinity doctoral student Darren Walton as he investigates a phenomenon known as Camland: an “alternate Ireland” known to hardly anyone but Darren where, unlike in its real-world referent, “everyone [is] free to... Read Moreread more.


Apply now: Support schemes for Northern Ireland writers

October 12, 2023 10:38 am Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre is pleased to announce a new round of support schemes for writers from or based in Northern Ireland, made possible with support from the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The supports for writers from or based in Northern Ireland include: 40 IWC Course Bursaries 20 IWC Memberships 30 IWC Mentoring supports Apply by Wednesday 8th November 2023 at 5:00pm. In keeping with Goal 2 of our 2022–2026 strategy, these schemes will enhance opportunities for people across all communities to participate in creative writing and enhance their writing practise. Find out more and apply on our website. Irish Writers Centre Opportunities for Writers The Irish Writers Centre is the leading support and development organisation for writers in Ireland. We run a series of free and exciting programmes to support writers of all types and... Read Moreread more.


Sharmilla Beezmohun, Eoin McHugh, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and Susan Tomaselli announced as the Novel Fair 2024 Judges

October 11, 2023 3:26 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

The deadline for Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair, our annual international writing competition, closed on Saturday 30th September and we are thrilled to let you that we received an unprecedented number of manuscripts (the largest number since 2012!). See below our panel of judges for Novel Fair 2024. We are excited to announce that Sharmilla Beezmohun, Eoin McHugh, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and Susan Tomaselli are set to judge Novel Fair this year. Due to the high volume of submissions, this is the first year we have broke our usual tradition of having a 3 judges, making a last minute decision to welcome a 4th judge, Susan Tomaselli. 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’ (Irish Times). IWC Novel Fair offers... Read Moreread more.


Irish Writers Centre Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Treasurer

October 5, 2023 10:52 am Published by Leave your thoughts

The Irish Writers Centre (IWC) is seeking to add a new treasurer to its Board of Directors to continue leading on the work of the board in line with the 2022-26 strategy which 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 Fund-raising and/or A recognised qualification in accountancy   How to Apply: *N.B: Please read the full details and application guidelines. Applications are to be sent by email to Valerie Bistany at director@irishwriterscentre.ie. Enquiries may be made to the same email address. *Writers will need to consider their involvement... Read Moreread more.


Job Opportunity: Independent Financial Administrator at the Irish Writers Centre

October 3, 2023 4:53 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We are currently seeking an Independent Financial Administrator to join our team at the Irish Writers Centre. This position is part time (one-day per week) and will be located at the Irish Writers Centre (Parnell Square, Dublin 1).  Independent Financial Administrator at the Irish Writers Centre JOB TITLE: Independent Financial Administrator Contractual position: one day per week (in Parnell Square, Dublin 1) Remuneration: €30 per hour or €210 per day for a 7-hour day Deadline for applications: Tuesday 24 October 2023 at 5pm. The Independent Financial Administrator reports to the Director/CEO and works closely with the Deputy Director and the Treasurer of the IWC Board. The Independent Financial Administrator will have responsibility for the preparation of management accounts for review and presentation to the executive and Board of Management, as well as a number of other finance and bookkeeping duties. This is a hands-on role... Read Moreread more.


Sunset over Annaghmakerrig Lake, a view that inspires our artists

Opportunities and Competitions October 2023

October 3, 2023 3:23 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Photo credit: Tyrone Guthrie Centre (Sunset over Annaghmakerrig Lake) Each month we update our Competitions & Submissions page, along with our Bursaries & Funding, to ensure that we are connecting our writers with the best upcoming opportunities. Here are a few deadlines we wanted to highlight this October. Submissions The Pigs Back Deadline: 15 October 2023 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. Banshee Press  Deadline: 31 October 2023 Banshee Press is a small independent Irish publisher that produces a twice-yearly literary journal, Banshee, as well as a select list of books. They love... Read Moreread more.


Writer-in-residence opportunities at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre

September 26, 2023 3:54 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Need a change of scenery to focus on your writing? How about some time in a quiet, tranquil place? The Irish Writers Centre and The Tyrone Guthrie Centre are happy to announce that applications are now open for our annual Lacuna and Jack Harte Bursaries.  The Lacuna Bursary  offers an emerging a one-week fully resourced writer-in-residence bursary to take place in 2024 by arrangement with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. This bursary is designed to support an emerging writer from an underrepresented background in Irish literature to develop their writing practice. Find out more information and apply here The Jack Harte Bursary offers a professional writer a one-week fully resourced writer-in-residence bursary to take place in 2024 by arrangement with the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. The award is named in honour of Jack Harte, founder of the Irish Writers Centre, in celebration... Read Moreread more.