Category Archives: News

10th Anniversary of Creative Writing in UCC

10th Anniversary of Creative Writing in UCC

 

We are delighted to invite you to an evening of celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of Creative Writing in the Department of English, UCC.

 

We plan an evening of readings by some of the newly published graduates from the MA and PhD programmes and we would be delighted if you could join us on:

 

Thursday, 16 February 2023 at 6.30 p.m. in the Aula Maxima, UCC

 

The evening will be opened by the President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran.

 

 

Refreshments will be served – RSVP to englishdepartment@ucc.ie by Wednesday, 8 February 2023.

HOWL Submission Call for New Irish Writing

HOWL New Irish Writing is calling for submissions for their exciting new publication!

What we’re looking for

HOWL is a literary platform showcasing the creative wail in Irish writing from around the world. We want the raw and the real. If it excites you, we want you to send it to us. We accept poetry and prose (fiction and non-fiction). We also accept original photography and artwork for use in our print publication and/or website. Send your submission to: howlwriting@gmail.com 

Guidelines​​

  • Poetry and prose are as long as they need to be. 

  • Send us your unpublished work: up to three poems, one piece of fiction, one piece of non-fiction, and/or up to three images for photography or artwork.

  • Ideal submissions contain the following information:​

  • Submission document (.doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, .jpg)

  • Author bio up to 100 words (optional)

  • Brief note explaining why you identify as an Irish artist (e.g. Irish citizen, Irish diaspora, Irish resident, Irish emigrant/immigrant, etc)

  • Submissions are open from May 1st 2022 – June 12th 2022.

  • Unfortunately, we cannot offer payment for accepted submissions at this time. We are working hard to change this.

  • We will send a print copy of the final publication to all selected contributors.

  • It makes our life much easier if:

    • All poems are sent in a single document with each poem starting on a new page

    • Submission category is the subject line of email submissions

    • Submissions in different categories are sent in separate emails

  • Fáiltímid roimh obair as Gaeilge.

  • We are happy to accept simultaneous submissions. Please let us know if your work is accepted elsewhere so we can congratulate you!

  • We aim to make all final selections by the end of August, 2022.

  • We ask for first publishing rights for any selected pieces to publish in our first print issue in Autumn 2022, and additionally to post select pieces on our website. This means that the piece (poem, prose, image) must not have been published before in a print or online publication (we don’t mind about social media).

  • Copyright remains with the original author/artist at all times. 

  • If you have any questions you are welcome to contact us at: howlwriting@gmail.com ​

 
Our website is: https://howlwriting.ie and our twitter handle is @howlwriting 
 
 

About HOWL New Irish Writing

 
 

Lauren and Róisín met while studying for their MA in Creative Writing at UCC. They quickly found they shared a wild enthusiasm for curating new Irish writing. During their first shared lunch, the seeds of HOWL were planted, now coming into bloom three years later. During that time, Lauren and Róisín achieved their degrees, edited and launched The Same Page Anthology, and have been mentored by many excellent writers and editors, including author and past-editor of The Stinging Fly, Danny Denton; poets Afric McGlinchy and Matthew Geden; author and scholar Eibhear Walshe; short story writer Alannah Hopkin; and author and Banshee editor, Eimear Ryan— all extremely generous with their knowledge and time.

HOWL is a platform for Irish writing from home and abroad. Both Lauren and Róisín have spent significant years living outside of Ireland, and have a deep appreciation for how complicated and borderless Irish identity and creativity is. In HOWL, they have created a publication that celebrates not only the spectacular writing coming directly from Éire, but also from Ireland’s children scattered to all corners of the globe. As writers sending out their own work to journals and publications, Lauren and Róisín are keenly aware of the effort, time investment, and vulnerability that goes hand-in-hand. Their core philosophy is that as editors of a literary journal they have a duty of care to submitters. Their aim is to nourish the link between writer and editor, ultimately showcasing unique work that is raw and real. 

HOWL is lucky to be hosting Creative Writing MA students for their work experience in 2022. Lauren & Róisín are delighted for the opportunity to continue their connection with University College Cork (UCC). 

The Same Page Anthology Available Now !

 

2020/21 UCC Creative Writing Students Lauren O’Donovan, Mahito Henderson, and Rosa Mäkelä 

The Same Page Anthology, the newest literary publication out of Cork, was curated and edited by the 2020/21 UCC Masters in Creative Writing Students in lieu of traditional work experience which was unavailable due to COVID restrictions. The anthology is available online at https://www.thesamepageanthology.com/ and in select bookshops across the country. All profits from the sale of The Same Page Anthology are donated to The Sexual Violence Centre, Cork.

 

Congratulations to all involved !

Speranza, a Scholar Reclaimed – Wednesday, 8th December 2021, 7pm.

December 2021 marks the bi-centenary of the birth of Jane, Lady Wilde. Director of Creative Writing Eibhear Walshe will chair an evening at the Royal Irish Academy to celebrate the life and works of Jane, Lady Wilde known as ‘Speranza’, Irish revolutionary poet, gifted translator, proto-feminist and sharply observant critic and essayist. Her great grandson, Merlin Holland will be in conversation about her legacy with Wildean specialist Dr Noreen Doody in an online event livestreamed from the Academy

 

Tickets for this online event are available at https://www.ria.ie/speranza-scholar-reclaimed and the event will be available to watch back on the RIA website afterwards.

Lucy Holme shortlisted for the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award 2021!

 

Congratulations to current MA in Creative Writing student, Lucy Holme, who was shortlisted for the 2021 Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award  Her debut book of poetry (tentatively titled Temporary Stasis) will be published with UK publisher Broken Sleep Books in August 2022.

The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award is for a first unpublished collection of poems in English and is open to poets, born in the island of Ireland, or of Irish nationality, or long term resident in Ireland. 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the very first award in 1971. Other previous winners include Eileán Ni Chuilleanáin, Paul Durcan, Thomas McCarthy, Peter Sirr, Sinead Morrissey, Conor O’Callaghan, Celia de Freine and Joseph Woods

 

The Amergin Poetry Gathering is back !!!

Featuring UCC School of English Creative Writing graduate, Paddy Bushe, the festival returns on October 28th-31st. In the words of the organisers – ‘ We are delighted to come ashore again in Waterville for our newly rebranded Éigse na Samhna. It may not be as bright and sunny as our previous June gatherings but we will fire up your creative juices with our excellent programme of events.

On offer we have events such as the Anthony Clare Memorial Session featuring June Shannon and local Cahersiveen Writers. We will have our Galician night of music and poetry, we will have talks on Migration and Identity and a wealth of readings from Ireland’s most renowned poets such as Peter Sirr, Mary O’Donnell, Martina Evans, John W. Sexton, Gerard Smyth, Enda Wyley and many more.

We also will have three mornings of fantastic workshops on topics such as Translating Poetry with Keith Payne, 100 Differences between Poetry and Prose with Peter Sirr, Capturing the Moment with Enda Wyley, Writing the Mind with John W. Sexton, Filíoct Ghaeilge with Gabriel Rosenstock and Calligraphy with Tim O’Neill.

Four days of poetry and song between the Kerry mountain and the sea. Feicimind ann thú!

Full information available on www.amerginpoetry.com

Full pass to all events is €80. Day Tickets cost €30 each. Workshop fee is €60 and workshops participants can enjoy all the festival events at a discounted rate of €40. Visit our website to get your ticket today’

Irish Times’ excellent review of UCC Writer-in-Residence Eimear Ryan’s novel

Holding Her Breath: A different take on the campus novel

Check out this excellent review of Eimear’s novel !

I enjoyed Holding Her Breath. The premise is familiar, but this is an appealing iteration, stylishly written, with strong female voices.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/holding-her-breath-a-different-take-on-the-campus-novel-1.4592836

Writing Tips from Eibhear Walshe, Director of Creative Writing, RTE Radio 1, Saturday 12th June.

Writing tips with Eibhear Walshe

UCC Senior Lecturer in the School of English and Director of Creative Writing Eibhear Walshe shares his writing tips.

Eibhear Walshe’s book recommendations:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

The Faith of a Writer by Joyce Carol Oates

On Writers and Writing by Margaret Atwood

A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Listen

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/brendan-oconnor/programmes/2021/0612/1227741-brendan-oconnor-saturday-12-june-2021/?clipid=103694979#103694979