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Fool for Poetry Chapbook Competition Open
The Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition is now open for entries. Page limit: 16 – 24Closing date: 31st August (midnight)Entry fee: €25 per manuscript The competition is open to new, emerging and established poets from any country. At least one of these winners will be the highest scoring manuscript entered by a poet with no solo…
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Louise Hegarty to judge this year’s Ó Faoláin Competition
Louise Hegarty will judge this year’s Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition, which is open for submissions until 31st July. First prize includes €2000 and a featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival (14 – 17 October 2026). Last year’s winning and shortlisted stories can be read in our latest issue of Southword. Louise Hegarty’s…
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Southword Subscriber Competition Results 2026
Every year we hold a free-to-enter flash fiction competition and poetry competition exclusively for subscribers to Southword. For each category, all current subscribers are emailed a link in the spring and may submit up to three poems and/or three pieces of flash fiction; it is judged anonymously by James O’Leary and winners are published in…
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Online Workshop with Cork International Poetry Fellow Shangyang Fang
Throughout the course, each class will begin with a discussion of a specific aspect of poetic craft and include generative writing exercises designed to inspire new work. Students will also participate in workshops of their poems each week. In addition, participants will receive a packet of poems to read and will be encouraged to write…
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Poetry Mentorships with Cork International Poetry Fellow Shangyang Fang
Shanyang Fang, the inaugural Cork International Poetry Fellow will be available during the months of June and July for mentoring sessions. Mr Fang will mentor three individuals, meeting each for three different sessions lasting two hours to discuss their poems. Eligible applicants for this mentorship must live in Munster and must not be receiving other…
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Dean Browne wins Farmgate Café National Poetry Award
With sponsorship from one of Cork’s most loved restaurants, the Farmgate Café, this award is €2000 for the best full-length poetry collection in English published in 2025 by a poet residing in Ireland. 55 valid entries were received. This year’s judges were the poets Ailbhe Darcy, Maya C. Popa and Thomas Dillon Redshaw. The shortlist…
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Change in festival lineup
The Cork International Poetry Festival reading of Shangyang Fang & Jennifer Lee Tsai at 8.30pm 13th May has been changed. Unfortunately, Shangyang Fang is unable to attend as previously advertised. However, we are happy to say that Jane Springer will now be reading alongside Jennifer Lee Tsai. https://www.corkpoetryfest.net/wednesday.html Jane Springer is author of three prize-winning poetry…
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2026 Fool for Poetry chapbooks in our bookshop
The winning chapbooks of the most recent Fool for Poetry International Chapbook Competition, Playing Paradise by Katie Hale and We Fall We Carry by Róisín Leggett Bohan are available to order now. Tickets are available for their public unveiling with readings from the poets as part of the Cork International Poetry Festival on Saturday 16th May 3.00pm (only €5…
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Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition Open
The Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition, which includes a first prize of €2,000, is now open for entries. Word limit: 3,000Closing date: 31st July (midnight)Entry fee: €19 per story The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. More details at our competition page.
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Apply for mentorships in poetry and fiction
Candidates may apply to a maximum of two mentors, but no successful candidate can receive more than one. Mentorships will consist of four face-to-face, two-hour sessions. This year, past recipients of mentorships with the Munster Literature Centre may apply again. Apply at southword.submittable.com Deadline: 30 april (midnight) Mentorships in Poetry David McLoghlin has sequenced and edited…
Munster Literature Centre
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