NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR CIARAN’S BOOK
It takes a few minutes for Ciaran Hodgers’ faint Scouse twang to disappear and settle back into his native Irish lilt on the phone.
The Drogheda-born poet is preparing to return to his hometown from his adopted home in Liverpool to lauch his debut collection ‘Cosmocartography’ in the Droichead Arts Centre on Saturday October 6th.
Having performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Southbank Centre, the London Irish Centre and the John Rylands Library, this home-coming gig kicks off Ciaran’s UK and Ireland tour.
And even from across the Irish Sea, his excitement is palpable.
“I really am looking forward to the launch, and being back home in Drogheda, but of course, I’m scared no one will turn up,” he says with a laugh.
“It’s exciting to be introducing my book for the first time, but one of the high points will be getting to share the stage with my Dad Gerry (Hodgers), where he’s going to play some of his new music,
“He has always inspired me to be creative, and so I think it’ll be a wonderful father/son moment.”
Ciaran is originally from Mell, and his mum Edel and dad Gerry are well known in Drogheda, his father, as mentioned, a popular musician.
A former pupil of St Joseph’s CBS, Ciaran always knew he wanted to work in the creative arts but couldn’t seem to find his muse in Drogheda.
“I supposed I blamed Drogheda a bit, when in actual fact, I was just in the wrong job here and needed to understand me a bit more,” he says.
“As soon as I left, I began to find my feet and started to write, and the funny thing is, once you leave Drogheda, that’s when you start to appreciate it more!”.
He says the Fleadh is proof that Drogheda really has its own thriving arts culture, something he says didn’t seem to be as supported when he last lived here.
“It was amazing to see such a celebration in our town, and it really has inspired me, and I hope to return when it is on next year,” he says.
For now though, Ciaran works with unemployed people in Liverpool doing creative writing, and has just finished collaborating on the longest running literature festival in Britain.
“It has been held every year for 20 years, and we packed in 45 events in 30 days,” he explains.
Winner of the Sean Dunne Young Writers Award 2010, the International Pangaea Poetry Slam 2015 and the Word War 3 Slam Champ 2017, he was billed as one of Lingo’s 2016 ‘Powerhouse Poets at the top of their game’.
Ciaran’s own first collection explores many of the areas that have shaped his life to date, including emigration and being Irish abroad.
“Cosmocartography could be described as a sweeping exploration of home, the universe, identity, creativity and activism,” he explains.
“I’m delighted to also feature exclusive performances from Kieren King, Rose Condo, the multi-award-winning Abi Oliveira, and of course my Dad.”
Ciaran’s Spoken Word launch will start at 8pm and tickets are €20 with his book.
See page 20 for one of Ciaran’s poems about his hometown of Drogheda,