Anne Barrett

MUNSTER LITERATURE CENTRE
IONAD LITRÍOCHTA an DEISCIRT

MLC books

Welcome to the Munster
Literature Centre

Founded in 1993, the Munster Literature Centre (Ionad Litríochta an Deiscirt) is a non-profit arts organisation dedicated to the promotion and celebration of literature, especially that of Munster. To this end, we organise festivals, workshops, readings and competitions. Our publishing section, Southword Editions, publishes a biannual journal, poetry collections and short stories. We actively seek to support new and emerging writers and are assisted in our efforts through funding from Cork City Council, Cork County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland.Originally located in Sullivan's Quay, the centre moved to its current premises in the Frank O'Connor House (the author's birthplace) at 84 Douglas Street, in 2003.

In 2000, the Munster Literature Centre organised the first Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival, an event dedicated to the celebration of the short story and named for one of Cork's most beloved authors. The festival showcases readings, literary forums and workshops. Following continued growth and additional funding, the Cork City - Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award was introduced in 2005, coinciding with Cork's designation as that year's European Capital of Culture. The award is now recognised as the single biggest prize for a short story collection in the world and is presented at the end of the festival.In 2002, the Munster Literature Centre introduced the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Prize, an annual short story competition dedicated to one of Ireland's most accomplished story writers and theorists. This too is presented during the FOC festival. The centre also hosts the Cork Spring Literary Festival each year, at which the Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize is awarded (established 2010).

Workshops are held by featured authors in both autumn and spring, allowing the general public to receive creative guidance in an intimate setting for a minimal fee. In addition, the centre sponsors a Writer in Residence each year. We invite you to browse our website for further information regarding our events, Munster literature, and other literary information. Should you have any queries, we would be happy to hear from you.

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Literature Centre
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DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA

doireann ni ghriofa

Doireann Ní Ghríofa was born in Galway in 1981 and grew up in Clare. She is a poet writing both in Irish and in English. Her poems have appeared in literary journals in Ireland and internationally in France, Mexico, USA, Scotland and England. The Arts Council has twice awarded her bursaries in literature. Her Irish language collections Résheoid and Dúlasair are both published by Coiscéim, and her bilingual chapbook A Hummingbird, Your Heart is available from Smithereens Press. Her first collection of poems in English is forthcoming. Doireann was the winner of a Wigtown Award (Scotland) in 2012. She has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize (USA) and her pamphlet of poems in English Ouroboros was longlisted for The Venture Award (UK). She lives in Cork with her husband and children.

Rugadh Doireann Ní Ghríofa i nGaillimh i 1981 agus tógadh í i gCo. an Chláir. Is file í a scríobhann as Gaeilge agus as Béarla araon. Tá filíocht léi foilsithe i réimse leathan irisí in Éirinn agus go hidirnáisiúnta: san Fhrainc, i Meicsiceo, sna SAM, in Albain agus i Sasana. Bhronn an Chomhairle Ealaíon sparánacht uirthi faoi dhó (i 2011 agus i 2013). D’fhoilsigh Coiscéim an chéad cnuasach léi, dár dteideal Résheoid, agus a dara chnuasach Dúlasair. Tá leabhairín léi Dordéan, Do Chroí ar fáil ó Smithereens Press. Bhuaigh sí duais filíochta Ghaeilge Wigtown 2012- duais náisiúnta filíochta na hAlbain. Ainmníodh í do duais Pushcart 2013 (S.A.M.) Tá cónaí uirthi i gCorcaigh lena fear chéile agus a clann.

Quotes:

“There's a genuine unforced feel for narrative to her work, and a skill at revealing poetry within the small details of the everyday." - Poetry Ireland Review

‘Is iontach a bhfuil de cheardúlacht sa saothar gealintinneach seo. Tá teanga shnoite shaorlíofa cothaithe ag an údar a iompraíonn dánta a bhfuil idir iontas agus dhraíocht agus sceimhle iontu. An fhilíocht seo tá sí simplí coséadrom ach tá pléascadh laistiar díobh a éilíonn iad a léamh go mall chun a mblaiseadh go hiomlán. Tá na dánta liriciúil agus scéaltach in éineacht, agus thar aon ní eile, is pléisiúr dúinn iad a léamh.’

- Alan Titley

'Más spéis leat scothfhilíocht, a bhfuil úire nach beag ag baint leis, seo leabhar duitse. Chruthaigh Résheoid (Coiscéim 2011), a céad-chnuasach, gur liriceoir cumasach í Doireann Ní Ghíofa arbh í a bua gné fhileata na ngnáthrud a cheapadh, a fhoilsiú is a shoilsiú trí mheán an dáin. Cuireann Dúlasair go mór leis an tuiscint seo. Óir, sa leabhar seo aclaíonn an banfhile dána seo an teanga go maordha agus go cairéiseach sa leabhar seo le cur ar ár gcumas speictream leathan de throscáin na beatha—an grá is an ghruaim, breith agus bás — a mhothú as an nua trí shúile íogaire mná. Ná ní drogall léi ach an oiread cuairt fhileata a chur ar chúinní dorcha Éirinn seo an náire ar bhealach a bhainfidh geit as an léitheoir scaití. Is cinnte go bhfanfaidh cuid de shamhlaoidí Dúlasair beo beathach go ceann i bhfad in intinn an léitheora.'

- Tomás Mac Síomóin

Author Links

Doireann Ní Ghríofa website

Downloadable chapbook Dordéan, do Chroí--A Hummingbird, your Heart

Interview and poem at The Ash Sessions

Pushcart Prize nominated poem in the Rose Red Review