One of Ireland's most exciting new writers Shauna Gilligan will be launching her novel'Happiness Comes from Nowhere.  at 6.30pm, Wednesday, 12th September 2012 at  Irish Writers’ Centre, Parnell Square, Dublin.
The Launch will be performed by Nuala Ní Chonchúir


 Shauna will be giving a reading at the October meeting of the  Meath Writers Circle


Born in Dublin, Ireland, Shauna has worked and lived in Mexico, Spain, India and the UK. She holds an MA in History from University College Dublin having also studied English as an undergraduate. She is currently completing a PhD in Writing at the University of Glamorgan, Wales. As part of her research, she is examining suicide and writing processes in a selection of novels by and in a series of interviews with Irish writer Desmond Hogan.
Her work has been published in New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing and in The Ulster Tatler's Literary Miscellany. She has given public readings of her fiction in Ireland and USA and has presented on writing at academic conferences in Ireland, UK, Germany and USA.
.

Happiness Comes From Nowhere follows the lives of the Horn family: Mary, Sepp and Dirk. Their paths cross and intertwine with those of extended family, friends and acquaintances as journeys are made through the changing city of Dublin. People also venture further in search of happiness: Mary and Dirk wander the streets of Rome and Ita watches a cargo ship unload in Spain. Expressed in ways as different as suicide, art and sex, the inseparable pangs of loss and happiness – remembered and present – are threaded through the novel.

Reviews

“Fresh and original…Shauna Gilligan is a name to watch.” Sue Leonard, The Irish Examiner







Born in Dublin, Ireland, Shauna has worked and lived in Mexico, Spain, India and the UK. She holds an MA in History from University College Dublin having also studied English as an undergraduate. She is currently completing a PhD in Writing at the University of Glamorgan, Wales. As part of her research, she is examining suicide and writing processes in a selection of novels by and in a series of interviews with Irish writer Desmond Hogan.

Her work has been published in New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing and in The Ulster Tatler's Literary Miscellany. She has given public readings of her fiction in Ireland and USA and has presented on writing at academic conferences in Ireland, UK, Germany and USA.



Happiness comes from Nowhere is her first book to be published.

Shauna will also be launching our children's book,'Golden Rhymes in October

Literary Awards

Delighted to announce that two members of the Meath Writers Circle, myself and Frank Murphy received  certificates  at a function in the Star Restaurant in Swords last night.  The occasion was the annual Poet of Fingal Competition hosted by Swords Pride of Place in conjunction with Swords Heritage festival.  The top prize for poetry  this year went to Cork while the top prize for the Short Story competion went to Chicago.  The Poet of Fingal  is defdinately one of my most successful competitions having won the top prize on four occasions and coming third once as well as getting several certificates

                                                          A section of the crowd

Managed to get a copy of the Dandy overnight

This week sees the last issue of the famous Dandy Comic.  First published by Thompsons of Dundee in the late nineteen thirties and featuring such well loved characters as desperate Dan and Corky the Cat
As I was unable to get my hands on an original copy of the Dandy the picture shows a copy of the Dandy's sister comic, The  Beano dated 30th July 1938.  Both the Dandy and the Beano played a major part in the introducing young people to literature and love of reading which would remain with them for life

Poet of Fingal

Looking forward to the results of the Poet of Fingal competition on Tuesday evening next.  This is on e of the competitions that I have targeted reesulting in me getting the top prize four times in six years as well as getting one third prize and  several Certificates.   2011 was the only year that I didn 't get anytning but I am hopeful off getting something on  Tuesday eveniong next.  What i like about The Poet of Fingal contest is that the prizes are great and there is not the slightest hint of fund raising and its always nice to beat the Dubs

Swimming with Dolphins

Just four months after what turned out to be a fairly muted launch 'Swimming with Dolphins' has now outsold
my other two collections, 'The Boyne' and  'Counting  Stained Glass Windows'
This despite the fact that it is not generally available in  local outlets and no attempt is being made to promote the publication. 
There were casualties though and the main one being a proposed publication, 'Meath Ghosts'  which will not nows be available as it would clash with  the poetry collection.  in the current economic situation and even with a publisher it is reasoned that the poetry collection should be given preference.
a number of copies of Meath Ghosts will be bound and placed int he local History department of the Navan Library and other strategic locations.  Copies will also be sent to the copyright libraries 

It's that man Swift Again?

Received this entry form in the post today.  It is for the Jonathan Swift Open Competition in Saggart Co. Dublin. Send one poem entry fee 4 euro or three poems fee 10 euro.  I got a Highly Commended Certificate for my entry last year and I may enter it again this year.  There is no mention of a top prize or indeed any prize.  I am sure that most local poets will have received a similar communication. Closing date for entries is 30th September but be warned if you do win what you will have to travel to Saggart to read your winning entry

Maeve Binchy RIP

A sad day when a writer of the standing of Maeve Binchy passes on.  I had the pleasure of meeting the Maeve at a function in St. Andrew's Lane  some years back when she signed this ticket for me
. May she rest in peace

Dromineer Competition

Dromineer Literary Festival Competition Winners 2011

POETRY Competition, judged by Dermot Healy

1st Yoga Class  by Liza Costello,  Dublin 

2nd Meeting Himself Coming Back by James Martyn, Galway

3rd The Grip of the Dead  by Paul McMahon,  Sligo

Highly commended Poems

Invasion by Afric McGlinchey, County Cork                             

The Colony  by Tommy Murray, Co Meath                                                

Church Bell in Codalet, France by Peter Goulding, Dublin               

In the Dog House by Paul McMahon, Sligo

Flatline by Paul McMahon, Sligo   

FLASH SHORT STORY COMPETITION, judged by Vincent McDonnell                

1st  LOST FOR WORDS  by Hedy Gibbons Lynott, Co Galway

2nd COFFEE BREAK by Lucie Kavanagh, Co Mayo

3rd DUST by Elizabeth Power, Galway City

A mistake by the administrators  last year had me placed second but this was reversed and  I got a Highly Commended Award

Westport Arts Festival Poetry Competition 2012 – a call for entries

Posted on July 16, 2012 in Literature, News, Poetry, WAF 2012

Calling all scribes, wordsmiths and lyrical-language lovers! For the first time ever, Westport Arts Festival is running a poetry competition


I notice that one of the judges in this contest is Aosdana member Dermot Healy.    I had the privilege  of being presented with a signed copy of Dermot's book,'A Fool's Errand' as a prize in the Dromineer Poetry contest  in 2011

A Rare Find

Being an eternal browser it is only logical that I should come across a rare find once in a while which is just what happened today when I came across this rare limited edition hard back copy of the poems of F R Higgins.  The collection does not include his poem about Laracor which makes the book even more desirable.  When the book was published in 1992 fifty one years after the death of the poet it was prices at nine pounds sterling.  I will now add it to my other rare books which includes Elizabeth Hickeys ' I send my Love Along the Boyne'  and also her 'Legends of Tara '  and the Chatto and Windus 1873 published 'Life and Works of Jonathon Swift

Title:     Swimming with Dolphins

ISBN:     9781907276965

Pages:     52

Prices:    10.00  Sterling (Hard Copy)

                    5.00 Sterling (Digital Price in PDF)

Title:     Counting Stainedglass Windows

ISBN:     9781907276156

Pages:     36

Prices:    10.00  Sterling (Hard Copy)

                    5.00 Sterling (Digital Price in PDF

Thinking Swift

Delighted to win The Battle of the Books  and just thinking of things Swift I came across this book which gives not only the life of Jonathan Swift but everything he has ever written.  It is published by Chatto and Windus in 1876 and runs to over a thousand pages.  It might come in handy if it was ever decided to have a museum dedicated to Swift

Team Announced

The Meath Writer's Circle team for the Battle of the Books has just been announced , it is

Ymmot Yarrum         Leahcim  Sliehs     and       Knarf   Yhprum

Battle of the Books

The Countdown has begun to this momentus clash, with little information being given on either side.   Some of the curtain raising personalities appearing  before to this contest include  Dara O'Breen and George Hook

Taking a Break

Taking a Break?

Today Saturday was the last meeting of The Juniors in the Navan Library so it’s off to Limerick for a few days before The Battle of the Books next Sunday.  I expect to get a better idea as to how my second poetry collection is doing.  It is not available in the shops in Trim and sales haven’t suffered as a result of this, as a matter of fact I sold more copies individually around the town as a result of not having it in local shops. For me every copy sold is a triumph.   The main reason for this is that Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea.   It would be a different matter for books other that poetry and if I decide to bring my ‘Ghost Stories of County Meath’ for a Halloween launch out then it will be in the shops.    In fact a number of shops have enquired about its progress.  The reason for the delay is that it is just another factor that is waylaying me from writing poetry and the poetry comes first.  I have loads of sponsorship for the book so I will have to make a decision sooner rather than later.   I have entered poems in a few competitions (making sure that they are not just fund raising ventures) however, I will support even fund raising ventures at the risk of getting yet another Certificate of Merit.  Looking ahead to September I have a number of schools lined up for a visit including Moynalvey and Kilmessan and St. Josephs in Navan.   However, that’s all in September in the meantime I had better get writing and try and produce a few poems over the summer

 

Trying to write a Haiku

Had great fun during my recent visit to school getting students to write Haiku

Sticking with the traditional 5 7 5   three line Haiku we tried our collective hands at composing writing some.

Bearing in mind that the haiku should be a present tense snapshot of the moment

We began         Class of thirty two

                         Trying to write a Haiku

Then through it open to the youngsters to complete the third five syllable line

And we got ---- No homework today.

I personally think that this captures the essence of the Traditional Haiku except for one thing and that the haiku must have a reference to nature.  Recent changes in the form have suggested that there is no need for  the image to be natural but I personally like the references to nature.

It does however, fulfil all the other criteria including the fact that it captures the moment and will live with these young people for years to come.  A digital camera couldn’t have done anywhere as near to getting the image and would have produced a flat one dimensional image that would eventually have become nothing but a vague memory within a short time.

After two hours there was still no sign of boredom and right through the session the students kept filling in the last line with suggestions such as

Rain falling outside                5 Syllable

Scribbling scratching pens     5 Syllable

We eventually opted for the ---Rain falling outside because it had that change of direction and well rain is associated with nature.   

Would have loved to have progressed to the Tanka or even the Yenga but that is for another day. 

I have never met anyone that didn’t like the Haiku and writing a haiku every day in your journal is just about the best way to record your experiences

A Nice Little Profit

Launched on the 31st March 2010 and priced at a modest ten euro 'With the Boyne Through Trim is now on sale at Amazon at Nineteen Euro and fourteen cent showing a profit of over nine Euro

Book Launch in Moynalvey

It was something of an honour for me to be asked to launch a book for the pupils of Moynalvey National School and a great turnout of parents and pupils for a great social evening with tea, biscuits and poetry (not in that order) and a beautiful collection too.

Have to say that I am looking forward to returning to that school come September.  I read a few poems from my latest collection for the second time in twenty four hours the other venue being St, Joseph’s School in Navan where I spent some time with the pupils there.   It may have been the longest day but the weather contradicted the calendar but we will remember the occasion and forget about the rain.   Inside Moynalvey School the sun was shining brightly.

First Salvo in The Battle of the Books

While we all look forward to the annual joust and we have nothing but admiration for the Boyne Writers Group we live in hope that there will be no repetition of the shameful behaviour of the judges.   Our gripe is not with the Boyne Writers team but we have reservations about a judge that will deduct points because a particular piece is supposed to be out of date despite the fact that is contained references to people like Bono, Michael Lowery and several other characters currently in the news.  Then when one of our members tried to make a point he was for the want of a better word ganged upon.  That particular judge just didn’t understand what it was all about. .  I had to use all my powers of persuasion to get a team to compete under these conditions.  These gripes it must be said were not lost on the audience who on more than one occasion voiced their disapproval in no uncertain manner.   However, we did get a team and they are a very angry team and short of using fisticuffs it will be adopting a policy of zero tolerance towards the judges