Sheena Wilkinson
The novelist Sheena Wilkinson read from her forthcoming book Taking Flight, at a Write! Down reading session in the Downpatrick Arts Centre on Sunday February 28.
Dan Eggs
Posted by Malachi in Uncategorized on February 27th, 2010
Here Dan Eggs recites his tribute to his deceased friend Mairtin Crawford. There is another poem below, by Martin Mooney – cited in Dan’s – which remembers Mairtin too.
Damian Smyth
Damian Smyth reading from his new collection Market Street and other work at the Wild Geese Literary Festival in Strangford, County Down.
Paul Maddern
Paul Maddern read some luxurious poems from his new collection Kelpdings, at the Wild Geese Literary Festival in Strangford on Saturday, February 6. Paul is from Bermuda and brought a warm breeze from the Caribbean into the hall.
Under His Roof
Artstalk editor, Malachi O’Doherty, read from his new book, Under His Roof, at the Wild Geese Literary Festival in Strangford, County Down, on Feb 6.
Exchange Mechanism
Posted by Malachi in Activism, Interviews on February 2nd, 2010
A photo gallery doesn’t seem the logical space for political debate but Belfast Exposed, a radical arts space in Belfast, thinks that photography is now political – partly because the police have made it so by disrupting photographers in public spaces.
And, they say that while political debate in Northern Ireland is obsessing itself with minority interest factional concerns like parading, there has to be a forum for wider, more relevant discussion.
I met with the director of Belfast Exposed, Pauline Hadaway, and asked her to outline the objectives of Exchange Mechanism.
A Pamphleteer at the Troubadour
Posted by Malachi in Interviews, Poets on January 18th, 2010
Templar Poetry has been running a series of pamphlet competitions for five years now as part of a pitch to widen the poetry market. Their latest winner is Paul Maddern of Belfast, who draws on his Bermuda experience in Kelpdings.
I met the manager and publisher of Templar, Alex McMillen, at the Troubadour, a popular poetry venue on the Old Brompton Road in London.
The music in the background is the irrepressible Cathal Dallat, whom many readers will know from the John Hewitt Summer School. He was so loud that I had to record the interview with the mic practically up Alex McMillen’s nose, which is why there is more popping than there should be.
Sinead Morrissey
The marvellous Sinead Morrissey’s readings are mesmeric performances and the launch of her new book, at No Alibis Bookshop in Belfast, was an electric occasion. The book, Through the Square Window expresses her amazement at her two young children but includes riveting love poems and more of her reflections on human history.
All Ireland Poetry Slam Champion
All Ireland Poetry Slam Champion Seamus Fox returned in glory to Bookfinders in Belfast last Friday (Oct 30) to thank the audience that has supported him and other performance poets.
It was a big night in Mary Denvir’s famous second hand bookshop, which has been a forum for performance poetry for years now.
This is a raw voice.
Humour and Haikus
The Belfast poet Frank Ormsby, former editor of the famous Honest Ulsterman, launched his fourth collection of poems, Fireflies, at Queen’s University Belfast.
Ormsby was introduced by Michael Longley, one of the distinguished elders of Irish poetry.
It was an occasion for humour and haikus.
