12 June, 2024
39 writers have been selected for the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme 2024
Following a national call out, writers from across the island of Ireland have been awarded places on the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme 2024. 39 writers, from a total of 416 applicants, will receive literary mentoring over the next eight months from an acclaimed Irish writer of their choice.
The Irish Writers Centre supports a vibrant and diverse community of writers to develop their craft and confidence to thrive as a writer in the world. Each mentor reads up to 10,000 words / 180 lines of poetry of the awarded mentee’s writing in advance of all four meetings, sharing their kind and critical feedback with the mentee at each meeting. Mentors also provide broad professional advice, sharing the benefit of their years of experience.
“A mentoring relationship is a special one.”
– Orla Mackey, 2023 mentee
Orla Mackey is the author of Mouthing, a multigenerational portrait of small-town life in Ireland. In the years leading up to finishing her debut novel, Orla benefited from the National Mentoring Programme twice. Orla reflects on the role of the mentor: ‘a mentor provides guidance, support and feedback and helps you to grow as a writer. A mentoring relationship is a special one. You can talk about your work with a freedom that you normally wouldn’t dare to indulge.”
The initiative is co-funded by a wide range of county arts offices, arts centres and other organisations who guarantee that one or more writers from their counties are supported through the programme. Supporting bodies include: Carlow County Arts Office, Dublin City Libraries & Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Libraries, Droichead Arts Centre, Fingal Arts, Galway City Arts Office, Kildare Arts Service, Kilkenny Arts Office, Limerick City & County Arts Office, Longford County Arts Office, Mayo Arts Office, Meath Arts Office, Roscommon Arts Centre, Sligo County Council, South Dublin Arts Office, The Source Arts Centre in Tipperary, Westmeath Arts Office, Wexford Arts Office and Wicklow Arts Office.
The Arts Council of Ireland generously supports this programme by ensuring that additional mentorships are available to writers. The Embassy of Colombia in Ireland also supports a special mentorship, whereby an Ireland-based writer will be mentored by Colombian author, Cristina Bendek.
Selected Writers
See below the selected writers for the 2024 National Mentoring Programme who are supported by the following funders:
| Alexandra | Tyndale | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Gary | McKeever | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Helen | Blackhurst | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Jason | Kennealy | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Kerri | Sonnenberg | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Tenaya | Steed | Arts Council of Ireland |
| Maresa | Sheehan | Carlow County Arts Office |
| Rosalynn | Lewis | Carlow County Arts Office |
| Aisling | Flynn | Dublin City Council Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature |
| Rachael | O’Brien | Dublin City Council Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature |
| Sheila | Armstrong | Dublin City Council Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature |
| Tom | Roseingrave | Dublin City Council Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature |
| Chris | Galvin | Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Arts Office |
| Ruby | Eastwood | Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries |
| Dónal | O’Sullivan | Embassy of Colombia in Ireland |
| Beth | Storey | Fingal Arts Office |
| Joshua | Manuel-Oni | Fingal Arts Office |
| Mary | Lennon | Fingal Arts Office |
| Sam | Furlong | Fingal Arts Office |
| Kirsty | Warren | Galway City Arts Office |
| Clive | Henry | Kildare Arts Service |
| Cora | Crampton | Kildare Arts Service |
| Ann | Murtagh | Kilkenny Arts Office |
| Caroline | Sutherland | Kilkenny Arts Office |
| Deirdre | Mulrooney | Limerick City & County Arts Office |
| Fiona | Hanley | Longford Arts Office |
| Liam | Maguire | Droichead Arts Centre |
| Emer | O’Hara | Mayo Arts Office |
| Geraldine | Walsh | Meath Arts Office |
| Michael | Coll | Roscommon Arts Centre |
| Miriam | Needham | Sligo Arts Office |
| Eimear | Arthur | South Dublin Arts Office |
| Susan | Condon | South Dublin Arts Office |
| Margaret | O’Brien | The Source Arts Centre, Tipperary |
| Paddy | Crowley | Westmeath Arts Office |
| Adana | Keane | Wexford Art Office |
| Ryan | Murphy | Wexford Art Office |
| Ali | McGuire | Wicklow Arts Office |
| Ben | McGuire | Wicklow Arts Office |
About the National Mentoring Programme:
A minimum of 35 mentoring relationships are on offer every year as part of the National Mentoring Programme. We currently have more than eighty professional writers to choose from on our mentoring list, made up of poets, prose writers and children’s/YA writers. Most writers on our mentor list have published 3 or more books with traditional publishers and have a wealth of teaching and/or mentoring experience. The programme coordinator for the Irish Writers Centre National Mentoring Programme is Brendan Mac Evilly. Applications are open annually throughout the month of February. Find out more about the programme here.
Read experiences from past participants:
“Can’t actually describe how much this programme meant to me. My mentor Jan Carson gave me such confidence in myself and my work. Jan taught me the beauty in the mundane things like editing, and proper grammar, while also teaching me to trust my instincts and have fun with writing again. She was honest and fair in her criticism but was equally as honest and kind with her praise. I wouldn’t have written half the things I did without her guidance. I had the best time this year.” – Rere Ukponu, NMP Mentee 2023
“I’ve learnt so much from my experience of mentoring through the National Mentoring Programme. It’s been a wonderful way to develop a creative relationship with an emerging writer over a significant period and really heartening to see them develop and grow in their practice. It’s also made me a better editor; a skill I’ve been able to apply to my own writing.” – Jan Carson, NMP Mentor 2023
About the Irish Writers Centre:
As the leading support and development organisation for writers since 1991, the Irish Writers Centre (IWC) carries out its work, online and in-person, on an all-island basis. Through actively encouraging writers from all communities to engage in creative writing, the centre provides many ways and means for them to develop their skill, advance their ambitions and join a vibrant and diverse community of people who share their passion and purpose. IWC supports writers in the following ways: through development programmes, residencies, mentoring opportunities, resources, creative writing courses and hosting regular literary events.
For more information and interview requests contact: Jo Morton, Irish Writers Centre Communications and Marketing Officer
t: (+353) 1 872 1302 | e: communications@irishwriterscentre.ie
Each year, the Irish Writers Centre runs up to 20 free and exciting programmes to support writers’ development. Carrying our it’s work on an all-island basis, the Irish Writers Centre offers a range of support schemes, residency opportunities, mentoring, and other development programmes. View more opportunities for writers here.
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The Irish Writers Centre is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
