17/05/2012
PublishingNI, as part of its ongoing readings and events programme to develop writing and publishing in Northern Ireland, is working with Templar Poetry, a Derbyshire publishing house, to host a night with four visiting Templar poets in the Naughton Studio at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, from 8pm on Friday 18th May 2012.
In 2010 PublishingNI took Ciaran Carson, along with four Northern Irish poets, Martin Mooney, Jean Bleakney, Howard Wright and Francis O'Hare (published by Gallery, Lagan and Blackstaff Presses), to the annual Derwent Poetry Festival in Derbyshire. The visit was planned as the first of more exchanges of poets between England and Northern Ireland. It was a tremendous festival; Ciaran Carson and the four Northern Irish poets were superb and enthusiastically received.
Now Templar Poetry are returning to the Lyric in Belfast with four of their own poets: Jane Weir, Michael Woods, Pat Winslow and Maggie O'Dwyer. They are a superb range of voices - and all have Irish connections.
Jane Weir is Anglo-Italian, was born and brought up in Manchester and has appeared as a guest at The Seamus Heaney Centre. She lived in Belfast in the early 1990's and her first collection - The Way I Dressed During the Revolution - was shortlisted in the Glen Dimplex New Writers Award.
Pat Winslow is a former actor who has been writing poetry and fiction since 1987 when she gave up the stage for a writing career. She was a winner of the Templar Poetry Pamphlet Awards in 2007. Her poetry has been widely recognised in major prizes and awards including the Keats Shelley Prize and the Strokestown Poetry Prize.
Maggie O'Dwyer is a Dublin based poet, artist and gardener whose first collection from Templar Poetry was shortlisted in the Rupert & Eithne Strong Awards for Best First Collection by an Irish Poet in 2010.
Michael Woods’ father is from Wexford, but he was born in London and brought up in England. His poems have won several prizes and he is an annual participant at the Gerard Manley Hopkins Conference in Ireland. His first collection was published and launched at the 2011 Derwent Poetry Festival and is nominated for the 2012 Forward Prize for Best First Collection.
Later in 2012 Northern Irish published poets will travel to Templar Poetry events in England as part of an ongoing exchange programme, aimed at bringing new writing to Northern Ireland and taking our poets and publishers to events and festivals in England.
Patsy Horton, Chair of Publishing Northern Ireland says: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to work with Alex McMillen of Templar Poetry to be able to bring four such interesting new poetry voices to the Lyric and Northern Irish audiences; and looking forward to taking more of our own poets from here to Templar’s poetry venues in England – it is a great collaboration that will inspire poets and poetry publishing.’
Publishing Northern Irelandaims to raise the public profile of Northern Irish writing and publishing as well as to find new readers and audiences for all kinds of writing. The exchange programme with Templar is aimed at profiling Northern Irish poets and bringing new voices to Northern Irish audiences.
For further information go to www.publishingni.com The website will be a resource for Northern Irish publishers and writers, both new and established, with information on new books, readings, signings as well as networking and training opportunities.
Tickets for Friday May 18th Exchanging Poets:
