Prose, poetry and music at festival
The short-lists have been announced for the flash fiction and poetry competitions for the forthcoming Bray Literary Festival.
Those on the list will read at the Tow n Hall on Culture Night, Friday, September 22, with winners to be announced on the night.
In Flash Fiction, the works are ‘ The sea that has cost them’ by Carol Caffrey, ‘Granda’ by Ronan Keenan, ‘House’ by Niamh McCabe, ‘Exiled’ by Averil Meehan, ‘Envoi’ by Kevin Hora, and ‘It is Isn’t it Yes it is’ by Chris Connolly.
In Poetry, it’s ‘Brooch’, ‘Phone Box’ and ‘ The Royal Hospital, Gloucester’ all by Anne McCarry; ‘Domestic’ by Eilish Fisher, and two poems by Simon Lewis - ‘An Irish Girl Meets Melody Hobson in the Foyer of the Kimpton Hotel, Chicago’, and ‘Supermarket Line’.
The winner in each category will receive €200, with €50 for the runner-up.
Poetry in the competition has been judged by Breda Wall Ryan, author of the award winning In a Hare’s Eye. Flash fiction entered has been judged by author Catherine Dunne.
Some children’s events on the bill include a reading and workshop with Alan Nolan at the Martello on Saturday, September 23 at 12.45 p.m.
Also on Saturday, Jackie Burke, author of ‘ The Secrets of Grindlewood’ series, will do a reading from her new book at 11 a.m. at Colaiste Raithin. The festival will take place at locations across the town on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 22, 23 and 24. The festival will begin on Culture night at the Town Hall in Bray, and will continue on the Saturday and Sunday with full days of readings, discussions, music and writing workshops, with an eclectic mix of Ireland’s established voices in poetry, fiction, memoir and music. The Saturday workshops will include writing for the stage with David Butler, writing from life experience with Siobhan Campbell, poetry: sounding it out, with Jean O’Brien, and a children’s workshop As Gaeilge with Sadbh Devlin.
The Sunday workshops are: writing and mental health with Cat Hogan, kick-start your writing with Breda Wall Ryan, songwriting with BeRn, and write fiction that comes alive with Patricia O’Reilly.
Events include a free talk at the Joyce house with David Butler, readings for children, duelling poets, and Lit Fix: Alan McMonagle and Nuala O’Connor in conversation with Catherine Dunne.
The programme will include a seminar on professional development for writers with Words Ireland, and a panel on short stories with Tanya Farrelly, Martin Malone and Orfhlaith Foyle. There will be a giant open mic with BeRn, poetry cafe with Anne Taannam, Noel Duffy and Stephanie Conn, and a look at the crime genre with Arlene Hunt, Louise Phillips and Sam Blake. To get day or weekend passes, find Bray Literary Festival on fundit.ie. Organisers and participants are looking forward to a fantastic weekend, after a huge amount of effort to prepare an exciting and varied festival. Go to brayliteraryfestival.wordpress.com for more information.