Culture Night 2025. Fierce Form on Friday. An Irish Writers Centre Promenade Showcase

In June this year, we had our first Writers Showcase at the Centre. The aim was to ensure writers know our rooms are open to them, not just for taking part in in-person courses, mentoring sessions, book launches or, if you are a member, using a room for a few hours during the day to write in, but to let their words live and breathe in the air, here on Parnell Square.

It was a resounding success, a celebration of five poets, all Out of Towners, who all recently released new collections. And so, for Culture Night 2025, the Centre will host its second Writers Showcase, this time a promenade tour of the building, Fierce Form on Friday.

On Friday 19 September from 6.30pm, come tour the rooms in our Georgian building as we explore literary form.

We kick off with the short story at 6.30pm with poet and novelist, Mary O’Donnell whose latest short story collection is Walking Ghosts.

At 7pm, we move upstairs to the Kiely Room, for our first spoken word performer, The Vagabond Queen, co-founder of FEMME FATALE, a traveling collective of female performative artists.

From there we move next door to the Heaney Room for our second performer, Jo Morrigan Black, a Paris-born writer whose drag poetry show, CARPET MUNCHER, was at the Dublin and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

We will move back to Reception at 7.30pm to hear from Sophie White, novelist, essayist and podcaster, whose latest book is called Such A Good Couple.

Tickets are available to book on Eventbrite.

Books will be on sale on the night. Each section will be 20 mins, so you can come for one or stay for all three. We will move (promenade) from room to room, during the showcase. The first and last performances are on the ground floor, the middle performances are on the first floor accessed via stairs.

The Centre will close at 8pm.

Mary O’Donnell has been publishing books since 1990. They include poetry, novels, short fiction collections and dynamic essays. Previously published fiction includes the novels ‘The Elysium Testament’ and ‘Where They Lie’. Her poetry collection ‘Massacre of the Birds’ has been published in Brazil, where her work forms part of the Irish Studies programme. Her poetry is also translated to Spanish and Hungarian. In 2023 she received an An Post/Irish Book Award for her political poem ‘Vectors in Kabul’. In 2026 Wake Forest University Press (USA) will present her ninth poetry collection, ‘Tenderness’. In May this year, a new short fiction collection, ‘Walking Ghosts’ was published by Mercier Press, and her translated short stories in Spanish—‘Nomadas’—will appear in Argentina next year. Her latest novel will be published in late 2026 in the UK. Since 2001 she is a member of Ireland’s affiliation of artists, Aosdána.

The Vagabond Queen is an independent Spoken Word Artist who is constantly on the road to share her emotionally raw work. With a voice that is both distinctive and commanding, she delivers a rare authenticity that ignites the hearts of those who gather to listen. Her alternative approach to the contemporary craft creates a symphony of narratives that encourage the listener to be resilient in an ever changing world. The artist’s evocative poetry delves into themes of spirituality, mysticism, true love and loss, along with topics of strength and what it is to be a spirit exploring a human experience. She portrays true love as a profound spiritual journey, while mysticism underscores her reflections. Her work is to empower others with the courage to question deception and illusion, while ultimately reminding us of our ability to evolve for the betterment of humanity. The Vagabond Queen has been captivating and connecting deeply with audiences across the country since 2021. Her compelling performances have gained momentum, leading her to places at major events such as Electric Picnic, The International Literature Festival and Dublin Fringe festival and on to international stages in Paris, London and Spain. The Spoken Word artist is also a dynamic force in the creative arts, curating shows such as the acclaimed Queen’s Cauldron, to highlight up and coming talent from Dublin and beyond, while fostering artistic expression as a co-founder of FEMME FATALE, a traveling collective of female performative artists. She collaborates often with an array of musicians to enhance her original Spoken Word Performances, collaborating in the past with musicians such as Chris Craig of Vendetta Love, Satin Beige and Sophia Lucia.

Jo Morrigan Black (they/them) is a Paris-born writer and performance poet whose writing dwells in journals such as Poetry Ireland Review, Skylight 47 and Abridged. Their stage performances combine Spoken Word, physical theatre and surrealist costuming in order to celebrate the queer and the unknowable in us all. Jo’s poetry has been commissioned by the Runoviikko Festival 2022 in Finland and broadcasted on Dublin Digital Radio. Described as “unmissable” by GCN, and “Spoken Word at its best” by The Reviews Hub (5 STARS), their drag poetry show CARPET MUNCHER is currently touring Ireland, from Dublin Fringe and the Galway Theatre Festival to Siamsa Tíre, as well as being showcased by Culture Ireland at Edinburgh Fringe 2025.

Sophie White is a novelist, essayist and podcaster from Dublin. She also holds a First-Class Honours degree in Sculpture from NCAD. She is the author of seven books. Her first four books, Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown (Gill 2016), Filter This (Hachette, 2019), Unfiltered (Hachette, 2020) and The Snag List (Hachette, 2022) have all been bestsellers and award nominees. Her fifth book, the bestselling memoir Corpsing (Tramp Press, 2021), was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award and the Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction. Her sixth book, Where I End (Tramp Press, 2022) was described as “brilliantly visceral” by the Guardian and “exquisite and disturbing, brutish and beautifully crafted” by The Irish Times. It won the Shirley Jackson Award for best novel. Her seventh book and fifth novel, My Hot Friend (Hachette, 2023) won the An Post Irish book Award for Popular Fiction. Her latest book, Such A Good Couple has just landed in shops. Sophie writes a weekly column ‘Nobody Tells You’ for the Sunday Independent LIFE magazine and her journalism has been nominated for numerous media awards. A TV adaptation of her first book is in development and she co-hosts the chart-topping comedy podcasts, Stop The Madness and The Creep Dive.

About the Irish Writers Centre

Founded in 1991, the Irish Writers Centre is Ireland’s leading resource and development organisation for writers. Its vision is to support the life of the writer, recognising the impact writers have in illuminating society with their ideas and words.

Through its Creative Writing Academy, the Centre delivers a year-round programme of over 150 creative writing courses, masterclasses and seminars, both online and in person. It also runs a National Mentoring Programme and administers a range of development opportunities for writers, including residencies, competitions and bursaries.

Operating on an all-island basis, the Irish Writers Centre is a membership organisation and a registered charity.

To become a member of the Irish Writers Centre, click here.