White House Poetry Revival Wed 30th April 2008

White House Poetry Revival
Wed 30th April 2008 9.00pm

Launch of Two Rivers Meet – a Unique Collaboration

A unique project between Limerick’s White House Poets and Northern Voices from Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England comes to fruition on Wednesday 30th April at the White House Pub in Limerick.
A special edition of ‘Revival’, the journal of the White House Poets, called ‘Two Rivers Meet – Poetry from the Shannon and the Tyne’ will be launched featuring poets from the two cities. A delegation of poets from Newcastle will attend a civic reception at Limerick City Hall, hosted by the Mayor Councillor Ger Fahy earlier on in the afternoon, while the book will be officially launched later on that evening by Mike Finn – author of Pigtown, at the famous White House in O'Connell Street.
This ‘cultural twinning of our two cities’, as founder of the White House Poets Barney Sheehan puts it, is a result of a number of visits that Geordie poet Keith Armstrong has made to Limerick over the past couple of years, culminating in him been an invited guest at last year's Cuisle Poetry Festival when he proposed that our two cities should work together to promote a greater degree of cooperation in the area of cultural exchange.
As Barney Sheehan explains: ‘Limerick and Newcastle are two cities with many things in common, not least the fact that two great rivers flow through them: the Shannon and the Tyne. Both are university cities, both are great sporting cities and both have had similar difficulties in promoting the artistic, social and intellectual life of their communities in the face of negative press. The fact that our two cities should be brought together to celebrate their individual identities through poetry and that reciprocal visits should take place between our respective poetry groups is highly commendable and worthy of support'.
The White House Poets will visit Newcastle in June when a group of nine poets will read at a special reading to mark the English launch. They will meet the Lord Mayor of Newcastle Councillor Dave Wood and the poets will act as roving cultural ambassadors for Limerick.
The book is published through Revival Press, the imprint of the White House Poets and is edited by Keith Armstrong and Dominic Taylor. Speaking about the project Mr. Taylor said ‘that it was an exciting project to be involved with and the fact that the book will be on sale in England as well as Ireland means that the White House Poets will have an international audience and, hopefully, further reading and publishing opportunities’.

The project is supported by Limerick City Council Arts Office.
Further Info: Limerick: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 email http://www.blogger.com/ Newcastle: Keith Armstrong 0044 1912529531 mobile number is 07505 274819 email http://www.blogger.com/

White House Poetry Slide Show 23rd April 2008

White House Poetry Revival Wed 23rd April 2008

White House Poetry Revival

Wed 23rd April 2008 9.00pm

This weeks guest poet is Tom Morgan.

Tom Morgan was born in Belfast in 1943.His collections are The Rat-Diviner (Dublin, Beaver Row Press, 1987); Nan of the Falls Rd Curfew (Beaver Row Press, 1990), which was nominated for the Irish Times/Aer Lingus Awards; In Queen Mary's Gardens (Galway, Salmon Publishing,1991); and Ballintrillick in the Light of Ben Whiskin (Lagan Press, 2006). He has collaborated with artists Patric Coogan, Brendan Ellis and Catherine McWilliams in joint poetry-painting exhibitions in Sligo, Belfast , Galway, Dublin and New York , and has worked with composer Frank Lyons for the Visconic Arts Festival in Belfast .His concern for Belfast and his love for Sligo is evident, particularly his interest in place names and local history. He is indebted to Francis Crean for his interest, knowledge and sense of humour. The poems testify to the hope that poets and artists have the edifying vision that contributes to society whether it is urban or rural.He lives in Belfast and Ballintrillick, Co Sligo .

Info: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 Blog http//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.comThe White House Poets gratefully acknowledges the support of the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and Poetry Ireland.

White House Poetry Slide Show Wed 16th April 2008

White House Poetry Revival Wed 16th April 2008

White House Poetry Revival
Wed 16th April 2008 9.00pm

This weeks special guest is poet Aidan Murphy.

Aidan Murphy was born in Cork in 1952. His poetry collections are The Restless Factor; The Way the Money Goes - which was a UK Poetry Book Society Recommendation; Small Sky, Big Change; Stark Naked Blues; and Looking in at Eden. He was awarded the Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship in 2005. Neon Baby is his first collaboration with New Island.He lives in Inchicore, Dublin.

Info: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 Blog http//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.comThe White House Poets gratefully acknowledges the support of the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and Poetry Ireland.

Launch of Revival 7 at White House 9th April 2008

White House Poetry Revival Wed 9th April 2008

White House Poetry Revival
Wed 9th April 2008 9.00pm

Launch of issue 7 of Revival plus Galway poet Kevin Higgins.

It's going to be a busy night at the White House Pub next Wednesday the 9th April. as the launch of issue 7 of the WhiteHousePoets chapbook 'Revival' takes place plus a reading by Galway poet Kevin Higgins.

The poetry journal is set to continue with another bumper issue featuring poets from the Ireland, US, Australia and England and a selection of local poets. A number of poets whose work appears in the new journal will read on the night and patrons are urged to get there early as the night will start promptly at 9.00pm.

Kevin Higgins lives in Galway, Ireland, where he co-organises the Over The Edge literary events in Galway; is the poetry critic of The Galway Advertiser; and was co-founder of The Burning Bush magazine. Kevin’s first collection of poems The Boy With No Face was published by Salmon in February 2005. The Boy With No Face was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish Poet. In September it went to its second printing. His second collection, Time Gentlemen, Please, is published by Salmon. Kevin has read his work at most of the major literary festivals in Ireland and at a wide variety of venues and festivals in Britain, France and the United States. He won the 2003 Cuirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam; and was awarded a literary bursary by the Arts Council in 2005. Kevin’s work is discussed in poet-critic Justin Quinn’s Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry, due out in April.

Info: Dominic Taylor 087 2996409 or Barney Sheehan 086 8657494 Bloghttp//:whitehousepoets.blogspot.comThe White House Poetsgratefullyacknowledges the support of the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and PoetryIreland.

Poetry Revival Slide Show Wed 2nd April 2008