DLR Poetry Now 09
Earlier this evening, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of DLR Poetry Now 09 by poet and DLR Libraries writer-in-residence Paul Perry. This year, the event will be curated by Belinda McKeon for the second time, following a cracking festival in 2008 - high points of which included readings by CD Wright, Henri Cole, George Szirtes and Brian Turner. Seamus Heaney, a longtime friend of the festival, also read last year - this years festival will feature a special event to celebrate his 70th birthday.
This acclaimed international poetry festival runs from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th March at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire and features;
Paul Batchelor
Sujata Bhatt
Frank Bidart
Colette Bryce
Paddy Bushe
Harry Clifton
Carol Ann Duffy
Ian Duhig
Adam Foulds
Ellen Hinsey
Valzhyna Mort
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin
Robert Pinsky
Tomaž Šalamun
John Sampson
Tomas Venclova
The Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2009 will be awarded during the festival, the recipient chosen from a shortlist of;
Colette Bryce : Self-Portrait in the Dark (Picador Poetry)
Ciaran Carson : For All We Know (Gallery Books)
Leontia Flynn : Drives (Cape Poetry)
Pearse Hutchinson : At Least For A While (Gallery Books)
Derek Mahon : Life on Earth (Gallery Books)
Judges for this year’s award are Kit Fryatt, Sean O’Brien and Joseph Woods.
Poetry Now 09 also features readings by poets shortlisted for The Rupert & Eithne Strong Award 2009, which recognises first collections published in English or Irish by Irish presses or by Irish writers in 2008, and the award announcement itself. The shortlist here consists of;
Áine Moynihan : Canals of Memory (Doghouse)
Simon Ó Faoláin : Anam Mhadra (Coiscéim)
Patrick Cotter : Perplexed Skin (Arlen House)
Ciaran Berry : The Sphere of Birds (Gallery Books
Soooooooo….. lots to look forward to in Dún Laoghaire this March!
