Dedalus Press - poetry matters

Shine On: Irish Writers for Shine

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Featuring many of the best-known names in Irish writing (among them, Colm Toibin, Claire Keegan, Joseph O'Connor, Paula Meehan, John Montague, Alex Barclay, Colum McCann, Kevin Barry, Paul Durcan, and many many more), Shine On is a major anthology of new Irish writing, edited by Pat Boran, with a Foreword by Miriam O'Callaghan, and with all of the writers donating their work without charge. (See below for entire list of contributors.)

We're delighted to be involved and hope the book attracts much-needed attention and support for one of the most important voluntary bodies now working with Ireland's disadvantaged. Help us spread the word.

The book was launched by Miriam O'Callaghan at the Oak Room, Mansion House, Dublin, on October 11, 2011.

L to R: Enda Coyle-Green, Hugh McFadden (obscured), Anthony Glavin,

Miriam O'Callaghan, Evelyn Conlon, Jack Harte and Patrick Deeley

A second event took place later that evening with readings by selected authors at the Westin Hotel, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2. Among those present were poets Paula Meehan, Tony Curtis, Gabriel Rosenstock, Liam Ó Muirthile, Aifric MacAodha, Alan Jude Moore, Billy Ramsell, Grace Wells, Enda Wyley, Patrick Deeley, Iggy McGovern, John O'Donnell and Maeve O'Sullivan, and fiction / prose writers Nuala Ní Conchuir, Philip Davison, Evelyn Conlon and Peter Sheridan. Also present were editor of The Stinging Fly journal, Declan Meade; Sarah Bannan, Literature Officer of The Arts Council; and Thomas Dillon Redshaw, recently retired from the University of St Thomas in Minneapolis, authority on the Dolmen Press and a great champion of Irish poetry through the New Hibernian Review and the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award given yearly by the university.

L to R: Poets Tony Curtis, Mark Roper and Paul Perry

L to R: Poet Grace Wells with fiction writer/screenwriter Philip Davison

(the recently appointed TCD Writer-in-Residence) and poet/children's author Enda Wyley

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The complete list of contributors to Shine On is as follows (and to all of them we are very grateful): Alex Barclay - Leland Bardwell - Kevin Barry - Sara Berkeley - Dermot Bolger - Pat Boran - Colm Breathnach - Paddy Bushe - Philip Casey - Harry Clifton - Michael Coady - Evelyn Conlon - Susan Connolly - Enda Coyle-Green - Tony Curtis - Pádraig J Daly - Philip Davison - Gerald Dawe - John F Deane - Patrick Deeley - Greg Delanty - Theo Dorgan - Paul Durcan - Christine Dwyer Hickey - Peter Fallon - Gerard Fanning - Gabriel Fitzmaurice - Miriam Gamble - Anthony Glavin - Eamon Grennan - Vona Groarke - Kerry Hardie - James Harpur - Jack Harte - Dermot Healy - Michael D Higgins - Rita Ann Higgins - Fred Johnston - Claire Keegan - Brendan Kennelly - Thomas Kinsella - Anatoly Kudryavitsky - Jessie Lendennie - Jinx Lennon - Dave Lordan - Aifric MacAodha - Catherine Phil MacCarthy - John MacKenna - Tom Mathews - Joan McBreen - Colum McCann - Molly McCloskey - Mike McCormack - Hugh McFadden - Iggy McGovern - Máighread Médbh - Paula Meehan - Lia Mills - Judith Mok - John Montague - Sinéad Morrissey - Paul Murray - Nuala Ní Chonchúir - Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin - Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill - Jean O'Brien - Joseph O’Connor - Mary O'Donoghue - John O'Donnell - Mary O'Donnell - Dennis O'Driscoll - Michael O'Loughlin - Nessa O'Mahony - Mary O'Malley - Liam Ó Muirthile - Micheal O'Siadhail - Leanne O'Sullivan - Maeve O'Sullivan - Paul Perry - Billy Ramsell - Maurice Riordan - Mark Roper - Gabriel Rosenstock - Peter Sheridan - Gerard Smyth - Peter Sirr - Richard Tillinghast - Colm Tóibín - Eamonn Wall - Grace Wells - David Wheatley - Macdara Woods - Vincent Woods - Enda Wyley

Bee-Loud Glade on 'Arena'

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:56:00 +0000

Roger Gregg of Crazy Dog Audio Theatre talks to Sean Rocks on Arena (RTÉ Radio 1) about The Bee-Loud Glade, the recent collaboration with the Dedalus Press. A spirited interview which includes some sample tracks from the audio CD (which comes with the pocket anthology of the same name).

Listen here via Real Player

Further details or to purchase book and CD, visit the Dedalus Press website here.

Four Irish Poets in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:03:00 +0000

The launch at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris on Bloomsday (June 16, 2011) of Four Irish Poets / Quatres poètes irlandais was a major new development for the Dedalus Press, if not in fact for literary publishing in Ireland, in that the bilingual selection of the work of four Dedalus poets was produced and published in Ireland but directed towards an international, French-speaking audience.

The launch event, introduced by editor Clíona Ní Ríordáin, and hosted by Sheila Pratschke of the Centre Culturel Irlandais, attracted a large crowd, representing both Irish residents of Paris and beyond and a significant number of French educators and academics with a specific interest in Irish writing, as well as a general audience attracted by the idea of an event focused on living Irish writers on what Ní Ríordáin described as Ireland's second national holiday, the celebration of Bloomsday.

Four Irish Poets / Quatre poètes irlandais is edited by Clíona Ní Ríordáin and features a bilingual selection of poems by Pat Boran, Katherine Duffy, Mary Montague and Gerry Murphy, and is available from the Dedalus Press website as well as through usual suppliers. Sincere thanks to Sheila Pratschke and all of her warm and welcoming staff for their help.

Celebrated translator Paul Bensimon reads from his translations of the work of Dedalus poet Gerry Murphy, with, L to R in background, poet Mary Montague and editor Clíona Ní Ríordáin

Katherine Duffy reads from Four Irish Poets / Quatre poètes irlandais with, in background L to R, editor Clíona Ní Ríordáin, Anne Mounic (Duffy's translator), Yves Lefevre (Boran's translator) and poet and Dedalus publisher Pat Boran

A selection of the large audience which turned up to celebrate the launch of Four Irish Poets / Quatre poètes irlandais at the former Irish College in Paris on Bloomsday. Grateful thanks to Bord Bia for providing refreshments.

Dedalus Press poets for Paris, Bloomsday 2011

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 01 May 2011 13:19:00 +0000

To celebrate Bloomsday, June 16, 2011, the Centre culturel irlandais in Paris, in association with Dedalus Press, and Bord Bia, presents a bilingual reading by four Dedalus Press poets, Gerry Murphy, Katherine Duffy, Mary Montague and Pat Boran, for which occasion the press also publishes a small bilingual selection of poems, introduced and translated by Clíona Ní Ríordáin and Paul Bensimon. The reading is free and refreshments will be sponsored by Bord Bia.

Full details on the Centre culturel irlandais website.

New Books by Joseph Woods and Macdara Woods

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:02:00 +0000

May 24th 2011 sees the launch of two new poetry titles from the Dedalus Press, The Cotard Dimension by Macdara Woods and Ocean Letters by Joseph Woods. Macdara Woods has published with Dedalus for many years and his selected poems, Knowledge in the Blood appeared from Dedalus in 2000 and was reissued in 2007. His most recent collection, Artichoke Wine, was published in 2006. Towards the end of last year, Dedalus Press issued Joseph Woods' Cargo, bringing together the poems from his first two out-of-print collections and Ocean Letters will be his first new work with Dedalus.

The launch event takes place at The Irish Writers' Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 24 May. Further details about the books will be available shortly at www.dedaluspress.com.

Despite the recession, poetry's never looked so good

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:45:00 +0000

Pat Boran interviewed on Writing.ie website

"...Poetry is also looking good in the sense that the citizens of this country have been so mistreated by so many arms and agents of the state in recent times; the integrity and importance of poetry and the arts stands in stark contrast to the grubby dark-dealing of the bankers and speculators and politicians who licensed their rampage through our heritage."

Grace Wells wins the Rupert and Eithne Strong Award

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 18:59:00 +0000

Dedalus poet Grace Wells received the Rupert and Eithne Strong Award for her debut collection of poems, When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things (2010) at Poetry Now in Dun Laoghaire today.

Born in London and for many years resident in Ireland, Wells has for some time been a frequent contributor to literary journals on this island and beyond, and her debut poetry collection follows prize-winning fiction for children, namely her novel, Gyrfalcon (2002), which received the Eilis Dillon Best Newcomer Bisto Award and was an International White Ravens' Choice. Other publications for children include Ice-Dreams (2008) and One World, Our World (2009).

When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things is that rare thing, a debut collection of poems that is at once firmly earthed in the real yet intimately connected to the mythic. Wells was in good poetic company on the shortlist which also included Caitríona Ní Chléirchín's Crithloinnir, Órfhlaith Foyle's Red Riding Hood's Dilemma and Paul Maddern's The Beachcomber's Report. The judge this year was critic and translator Michael Cronin.

To hear Grace Wells read, recorded at the launch of the When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things, subscribe to AudioRoom, the Dedalus Press podcast on iTunes, or download the episode here.

At Poetry Now 2011 in Dun Laoghaire
L to R: Iggy McGovern, Enda Wyley, Pat Boran, Grace Wells, Tony Curtis, Tom Mathews and Pat Cotter

Landing Places review

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 18:06:00 +0000

An extended and thoughtful review of Landing Places: Immigrant Poets in Ireland (eds. Burke and Faragó) by Luz Mar González Arias appears online in Issue 6 of Estudios Irlandeses here.

Desmond O'Grady article

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:24:00 +0000

THE GREAT OUTSIDER OF IRISH POETRY

An interesting article by David Young on the poet Desmond O'Grady, published in the Irish Independent recently may be found on the Independent website here. O'Grady is the author of The Wandering Celt (2001, reissued 2008) and On My Way (2006), among other titles, as well as the editor / translator of Ten Modern Arab Poets (1992, reissued 2007), all published by The Dedalus Press.

Cork Spring Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:18:00 +0000

A number of poets published by Dedalus are among those reading at this year's Cork Spring Literary Festival, presented by the Munster Literature Centre.

Gerry Murphy, Pat Boran, William Wall and Gabriel Rosenstock join writers from France, Germany, Macedonia and elsewhere in what promises to be a lively and welcoming four days of readings and other events in the 'real capital of Ireland'.

For full details of the programme, see the Cork Spring Literary Festival website here.

Maurice Scully reading

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:12:00 +0000

Maurice Scully reads with US poet Mei Mei Berssenbrugge on Thurs 3rd February at the Hugh Lane Gallery on Dublin's Parnell Square (commencing at 6.30 pm).

Voices at the World's Edge

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:37:00 +0000

A podcast of the launch of Voices at the World's Edge: Irish Poets on Skellig Michael is now available on the iTunes Music Store and here for free download. It features poet/editor Paddy Bushe, three of the contributors and a fascinating overview of the history of the monastic settlement by Dr Martin Mansergh, Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works.

The book itself was published with financial assistance from the Office of Public Works.

For a review by Grace Wells of Voices at the World's Edge, see Contrary magazine here.

For a review by James Harpur in Southword magazine, see here.

Review of Gerry Murphy's 'My Flirtation with International Socialism'

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:12:00 +0000

A magnificent review by Thomas McCarthy of Gerry Murphy's My Flirtation with International Socialism appears in today's Examiner, in which McCarthy calls him "a thrilling and provocative master of poetic monologue and social commentary. His habit is to be elliptical in politics, to insert a political jibe or universal truth as adroitly as an assassin’s knife."

Read the full review here.

To purchase the book, post free anywhere in the world, click here.

Launch of Safe House by Iggy McGovern

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:52:00 +0000

A capacity crowd of poets, scientists, colleagues, friends and well-wishers gathered on Tuesday 19 November to celebrate the launch of Safe House, Iggy McGovern's second collection of poems, in the welcoming environment of the Graduate Memorial Building, in Trinity College Dublin.

Among those representing the literary world were poets Brendan Kennelly and Gerald Dawe, with his wife Dorothea, John O'Donnell, Nessa O'Mahony and Maeve O'Sullivan, Enda Wyley, Tom Mathews and Gerard Smyth, Maurice and Maura Harmon, Aifric Mac Aodha and Anatoly Kudryavitsky, Ivan O'Brien of the O'Brien Press (a former student of McGovern's), RTÉ producers Cliodhna Ní Anluain and Seamus Hosey, and poet and Director of Poetry Ireland Joseph Woods. Other TCD colleagues present included Prof Terence Brown, Dr Philip Coleman (School of English), Profs Vincent McBrierty and John Kelly (School of Physics, the latter doubling up as the official photographer for the evening - our grateful thanks for permission to include some of his photographs here). Also present were Dr Frank Turpin (formerly of Intel), Justin Kilcullen (Director of Trocaire) and Prof Maeve Cooke (Dept of Philosophy, UCD), as well as McGovern's wife Eileen and son Eoin.

Introducing a short reading by the author, Gerald Dawe described Safe House as "confirmation, if ever it was needed, of his distinctive voice and poetic intelligence".

‘Poet-mechanic’ is what Iggy Mc Govern is; or, if you prefer, a poet-physicist; and one of the very best at the job too. His poems sit within the traditional workings of the land and the play of the intellect; a smart micro-economy of the word that has been part and parcel of this country for ages and is present in Safe House ; a special code for laughter and wit and mirth as well as for ‘heart mysteries’.

For further details on Safe House, see the Dedalus Press website.

A selection of the attendance at the launch of Safe House

Brendan Kennelly and Vincent McBrierty

Iggy McGovern reads from Safe House

Gerald Dawe introduces Iggy McGovern

Iggy McGovern signs a copy of Safe House for Aifric Mac Aodha and partner

Tom Mathews shortlisted for inaugural Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Prize

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Dedalus poet Tom Mathews is the only Irish poet (and the only book from an Irish publisher) on the shortlist for the inaugural Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Prize. The Owl and the Pussycat, his debut collection, was published in November 2009 and praised in The Irish Times as "a quirky insight into human nature".

Mathews is, of course, best known as one of Ireland's most popular cartoonists and as such has published a number of collections of his cartoons which are also regularly exhibited throughout Ireland.

The full shortlist (in alphabetical order) is as follows:
Anne Berkeley, The Men from Praga (Salt)
Sian Hughes, The Missing (Salt)
Lorraine Mariner, Furniture (Picador)
Tom Mathews, The Owl and the Pussycat (Dedalus)
Andrew Philip, The Ambulance Box (Salt)

The winner of the inaugural Poetry Prize will be announced at the British and Irish Contemporary Poetry Conference to be hosted by the Seamus Heaney Centre in September 2010.

Tom Mathews reads a number of the poems at the launch of the book on YouTube.

For further information, or to purchase the book, please visit Tom Mathews' page on the Dedalus Press website.

New podcasts featuring Pádraig J Daly and Mary Montague

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Spreading the Word

The Dedalus Press AudioRoom podcast of new writing from Ireland continues to grow, with new episodes now available featuring Pádraig J Daly reading from his 2010 collection Afterlife and Mary Montague reading at the Letterkenny, Co. Donegal launch in 2008 of her Dedalus collection, Tribe.

AudioRoom: New Writing from Ireland is available on iTunes or direct at http://www.dedaluspress.com/mp3/Podcast/podcast.xml

Launch of two new books, by Pádraig J Daly and Ger Reidy

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 26 May 2010 10:53:00 +0000

Dedalus Press launches two new collections of poetry on Monday 31 May.

Poets Pádraig J Daly and Ger Reidy will read from their respective books, Afterlife and Drifting Under The Moon.

The event takes place at 7.00 pm, at the Irish Writers' Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 2.

All welcome.

Poetry International (Ireland) features 'Landing Places'

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:19:00 +0000

Taking a rest from the usual format of focusing on two poets per update, the Irish domain of Poetry International this month features a selection of five poets all drawn from the recent Dedalus Press anthology, Landing Places: Immigrant Poets in Ireland. >>>

Print interview with Ray Givans

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:12:00 +0000

Interesting interview here with Dedalus poet Ray Givans on his debut collection from last year, Tolstoy in Love.

Launch of The Song the Oriole Sang by Philip McDonagh

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:40:00 +0000

A LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD attended the launch this evening of Philip McDonagh's second collection of poetry, The Song the Oriole Sang, in No. 5 Leinster Street, Dublin 2, the beautifully refurbished Georgian building (with perhaps a record 4 bay windows), which houses the Friends of the National Gallery of Ireland, as well as offices of the Gallery per se, and the lovingly restored trio of rooms in which the event took place.

L to R: Philip McDonagh with Minister Micheál Martin, TD

INTRODUCING THE POET, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, T.D., spoke of his pleasure at being asked to launch the book.

"I always consider it a great gift to be able to write poetry in any form," he said, "and to write poetry of this quality in particular. Poetry can bring tranquility, peace, reflection; it can be a little oasis. And you'll be glad to know," he went on with a smile, "as I said to Philip on the way in, that I was reading his poetry during the Fianna Fáil Parliamentry Party forty minutes ago, and it was a wonderful contrast actually..." At which point the room exploded in laughter.

The Minister also spoke of the fact that much of McDonagh's new collection is inspired by his previous diplomatic postings, in India, in Rome in the Holy See and in Finland, and noted that the double role of poet/diplomat is one that is well understood in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"You may also read into that that the Secretary General and myself, when we're considering postings ... take particular care to make sure that locations can become the inspiration point of great poetry. I take it that Colm McCarthy of An Bord Snip is not in the audience..." More laughter.

Recalling poet/diplomats such as Valentine Iremonger, he noting that the current Irish Ambassador in Prague, Richard Ryan, is also a poet. He also reminded his audience that the current President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, is a poet. "He specialises in haikus, a Japanese form of 3 lines and only 17 syllables... My life would be much neater if all ambassadors confined their reports to just 17 syllables," he quipped.

L to R: Dr Marie Bourke, Keeper and Head of Education at NGI, and Joseph Woods of Poetry Ireland

Among those present at the event, at which McDonagh read a number of poems from the book, were His Excellency Mikhail Timoshkin, Ambassador of Russia to Ireland; Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney and husband Brian Geoghegan; Ms Justice Yvonne Murphy and Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman; Dr. Thomas Kabdebo, translator and former Director of the Library at NUI, Maynooth; Joseph Woods of Poetry Ireland; David Cooney, Secretary General at the Department of Foreign Affairs; Sinéad MacAodha of Ireland Literature Exchange; teacher and poetry-advocate, Niall McMonagle; Panchali Mukherji, Calcutta-born contributor to the recent Dedalus anthology, Landing Places: Immigrant Poets in Ireland; Dedalus poets Gerard Smyth (also of The Irish Times) and Iggy McGovern; Paddy Doherty of the recently established Puffin Ireland imprint; regular Dedalus supporters Danny Rogers, Liam O'Reilly and Dardis Clarke, among others; and a significant number of the poet's family, friends and colleagues.

L to R: Panchali Mukherji, Danny Rogers, and Raffaela Tranchino (Dedalus Press)

Our thanks to Dr Marie Bourke, Keeper and Head of Education, and all at NGI for their welcome.

L to R: Philip McDonagh signs copies of The Song the Oriole Sang

AudioRoom Podcast No. 1

To listen to Philip McDonagh reading at the launch of The Song the Oriole Sang, follow the link to download or subscribe to the new Dedalus Press AudioRoom podcast here. To subscribe using iTunes, selecte Application/iTunes from the drop-down menu option. Alternatively, visit the iTunes Music Store and search for AudioRoom: New Writing from Ireland or simply for 'Dedalus Press'.

Further information on The Song the Oriole Sang here

Gerard Smyth signing books at Kennys of Galway

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Poet Gerard Smyth signs copies of The Fullness of Time: New and Selected Poems (Dedalus Press, 2010) at Kennys of Galway, during Cúirt 2010.

Interviews with Poets

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Interviews with two Dedalus Press poets may be found online at the Australian online Foam:e magazine, www.foame.com

Direct links as follows: Enda Wyley here & Enda Coyle-Greene here

Capacity crowd for launch of new books by Paul Perry, Grace Wells and Gerard Smyth

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:10:00 +0000

A CAPACITY, and very warm, crowd tonight at Dublin's Damer Hall for the launch of three new titles from Dedalus: Paul Perry's The Last Falcon and Small Ordinance; Grace Wells' When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things; and Gerard Smyth's: The Fullness of Time: New and Selected Poems.

Introducing the readers, Dedalus publisher Pat Boran spoke of his pleasure to be launching three books that between them emphasized the importance of the role of small presses: to introduce new talent (with Grace Wells' debut), to follow the trajectory of writers in mid-career (with Paul Perry's third collection) and, from time to time, to stop and gather up the best of a extended body of work (Gerard Smyth's 'new and selected').

Among the barely standing room capacity crowd were art gallery owner John Taylor; novelists Claire Kilroy and Jack Harte, and poet/novelist Philip Casey; publisher of The Stinging Fly literary magazine Declan Meade; Literary Editor Caroline Walsh and a number of staff members of The Irish Times, including Shane Hegarty and poet Rosita Boland; Arts Council Literature Officer Sarah Bannan; Ireland Literature Exchange Director Sinéad MacAodha, en famille; Marie Bourke, Keeper and Head of Education at the National Gallery of Ireland; a significant number of students from the Faber Poetry Academy (facilitated by Paul Perry) as well as from other writing workshops throughout the city; family members and co-workers of the featured poets, of course, but also a full complement of enthusiastic poetry readers, whose continued support for the press is a welcome reminder that limited resources don''t necessarily lead to limited vision or connection.

There was also, it must be said, a truly remarkable number of poets present, among them Dennis O'Driscoll, Brendan Kennelly, Maurice Harmon, Aifric MacAodha, John Ennis, Enda Coyle-Greene, Patrick Chapman, Patrick Deeley (with artist wife Judy), John O'Donnell, Hugh O'Donnell, Enda Wyley, Richard Tillinghast, Yiorgos Chouliaras (Press Counsellor to the Embassy of Greece), John F Deane, Pádraig J Daly and Maurice Scully. And no doubt others obscured by the multitude.

Different styles and approaches aside, there are few nights that really feel like a celebration of poetry itself, in whatever shape and form it takes. This was one of them.

Further information on the books: www.dedaluspress.com

L to R: Iggy McGovern, Richard Tillinghast and Grace Wells

Poet / Poetry Ireland Director, Joseph Woods, with poet/scriptwriter Noel Duffy

Paul Perry and his wife, Aoife

Poets Enda Wyley and Iggy McGovern (with, well, something mysterious in an envelope...) and radio producer (of Sunday Miscellany) Clíodhna Ní Anluain

Finally, reproduced here as documentary evidence that all three readers did show up, a hopelessly blurred photo (taken by Enda Wyley) of poet/Dedalus publisher Pat Boran, with radio producer Clíodhna Ní Anluain and Gerard Smyth

Theo Dorgan reads at 'Greece in Ireland'

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:43:00 +0000

As part of a co-operative effort of The Embassy of Greece Press & Communication Office, The Hellenic Community of Ireland & The Irish Hellenic Society, Dedalus Press poet Theo Dorgan read from his recently published poetry collection, Greek, to a capacity crowd at the Teachers' Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 2, on 29 April 2010, a day on which grim tidings from the financial world did not prevent Irish-based Greeks and the many non-Greek members of both societies from showing up in large numbers.

The evening was launched by Her Excellency Diana Zagorianou-Prifti, Greek Ambassador to Ireland, with introductions by Yiorgos Chouliaras, Press Counsellor of the Embassy of Greece. Music was provided by classical guitarist Yiannis Giagourtas. Greek translations of Dorgan's poems, by Socrates Kabouropoulos (who was unable to attend), were read by Dorgan's long-time friend, and Chair of the Irish Anti-War Movement, Michael Youlton.

Her Excellency Diana Zagorianou-Prifti, Greek Ambassador to Ireland

with Theo Dorgan

L to R: Michael Youlton, Theo Dorgan and Yiannis Giagourtas

As previous image, with Yiorgos Chouliaras (standing)

***

Reviews of Gerard Smyth and Paul Perry

noreply@blogger.com (PB) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:07:00 +0000

Excellent reviews of the new Gerard Smyth (The Fullness of Time: New and Selected Poems) and Paul Perry (The Last Falcon and Small Ordinance) books in The Sunday Business Post by that fine writer and great champion of Irish poetry and writing in general, Dermot Bolger.

On Gerard Smyth: "His work is distinguished by a deliberate unshowiness, a sense of every experience being tested in a language stripped and primed against any false note."
On Paul Perry: "His is an imagination without borders, a probing and unsettling intelligence lightly worn, a poetry that is as sensual as it is playful, real and celebratory, surging forth and then tautly reined in. It is the work of a singular imagination."

Full reviews here

For further details on these two books, see www.dedaluspress.com.

Both books which will be launched, together with When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things, by Grace Wells, on Tuesday 4th May, Damer Hall, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 at 7.00 pm. All welcome. In association with Poetry Ireland.