Bradshaw Writers

Wednesday 24th of April at 19.00

Two new voices from pioneering Cork publisher, Bradshaw Books, Kathy D’Arcy and Annette Skade (Winner of the Cork Literary Review Poetry Manuscript Competition 2012) will read from their works together with U.S./Cork poet Jennifer Matthews. They will be joined by writer and editor Mark Jarman (Canada) in a discussion on the headaches and joys of getting published.

EuroChild Link-Up

Thursday, 25th of April at 11.15

Involving Cork schools, a live link-up with a school in Romania, and input from a school in Equatorial Guinea, this is Tigh Filí’s latest initiative in spurring young people’s creative expression.

Yesterday was Day 5 and sadly the last day in the wonderful Ban Filí tour. We ended the tour in the fabulous Munich Readery in the heart of Munich where the hosts, lovely Lisa and her partner John invited us into their bookshop for the closing reading of the tour. Again the poets brought something new to the evening reading a selection of their poems and engaging in a question and answer session afterwards in which they discussed the various obstacles in their careers as poets. A large crowd gathered from places such as England, Ireland, America and Germany itself – all eager to hear about the tour and to chat to the authors. Ann, Kathy and Cliona all agreed that the tour couldn’t have ended in a better venue and we are all keen to return next year and enjoy Lisa and John’s hospitality once more. An overall tour update will be provided next week with in-depth details of the tour and special mentions to all who kindly helped, supported and facilitated us on the 2013 Ban Filí tour.

]]> http://www.bradshawbooks.com/2013/04/day-5-munich/feed/ 0 http://www.bradshawbooks.com/2013/04/day-4-berlin/ http://www.bradshawbooks.com/2013/04/day-4-berlin/#comments Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:21:18 +0000 Bradshawbooks http://www.bradshawbooks.com/?p=2860 ]]>

Day four of the Ban Filí tour was situated in the historic and bustling Berlin in the exquisite St Gaudy Cafe run by Niall who owns and has been running the cafe for three years. Cliona, Ann and Kathy were received by a warm audience in the beautifully lit events room at the back of the premises. We were also honoured with the presence of Embassy representative Sarah McGrath who was kind enough to say a few words before the event began. Each poet brought something new to their readings including Ann who spoke about the the dangling cranes that adorned the room which reminded her of the butterflies and swallows that have inspired much of her collection. Afterwards the audience engaged with the poets and some of the female listeners expressed interest in collaborating with the Ban Filí anthology. Overall the night was an enjoyable and successful affair and we hope to be back next year in such a wonderful venue!

The travelling Tigh Filí poets had the honour to be received by the prestigious Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris tonight by its director Sheila Pratschke. Introduced by tour organizer Bernadette Greenan the three poets entertained the sizable audience with new and old poems from their collections. Ann, Kathy and Cliona engaged the audience with tales that inspired their poetry and demonstrated the amazing talent Irish women poets possess.  A former Irish college since 1578, the CCI was inaugurated in 2002 and offer many amazing and intriguing Irish events to suit all tastes. Tigh Filí had the good fortune to collaborate with the CCI on this occasion – no small feat considering Seamus Heaney will follow the poets with a reading in the courtyard of the centre in June!

Pic L-R: Cliona O’Connell, Bernadette Greenan, Anne Bahuaud (CCFB), Anne Egan and Kathy D’Arcy in the reading room of Maison de l’Europe.

The Tigh Filí poets had a great first reading last night in Nantes in the lovely reading room in Maison de l’Europe. Anne Bahuaud of the CCFB welcomed the group with the popular and tasty French drink Kir and introduced other members of the CCFB who came along to enjoy the evening. A group that are eager and enthusiastic to promote British culture in France, the CCFB collaborate on many Irish-French events and activities. Anne Egan opened the evening by discussing what sowed the seed of creativity in her as a child and revealing a new poem inspired by a statue of Duchess Anne of Brittany that is situated in the heart of Nantes. Cliona O’Connell followed with a reading from her collection White Space. Kathy D’Arcy closed the event by also offering the attendees exclusive access to a new poem composed in French. The reading took place in Maison de l’Europe, an association that encourages relationships between all organisations throughout Europe. The poets also had the opportunity to meet other French female poets interested in collaborating on a new Tigh Filí/Ban Filí that will set in motion the 2014 Ban Filí tour.

Tigh Filí poets Cliona O’Connell, Ann Egan and writer-in-residence Kathy D’Arcy had the honour of meeting Dept Lord Mayor of Rennes Cllr. Rosaline de Francais today in the beautiful and historic Rennes City Hall. The event kicked off the 2013 Ban Filí European poetry tour on the cobbled streets of Brittany’s capital. Situated in the heart of the sun-soaked city, the Mairie (City Hall) boasts   impressively structured rooms drenched in the history of France, before and after its Revolution. The Dept Lord Mayor and members of the Rennes-Cork Twinning Committee warmly welcomed the Bradshaw poets and spoke of the strong and fulfilling relationship between our two cities. The event concluded with a presentation to Cllr. Rosaline de Francais of Cliona, Ann and Kathy’s latest collections of poetry.

Bradshaw Books would like to wish a hearty good luck to our writer-in-residence Kathy D’Arcy who has two upcoming readings in the next two weeks. Her first reading is on Wed 6th March in The White House in Limerick City at 8pm. The White House has become renowned for its open mic poetry sessions every Wednesday night and has been instrumental in promoting and encouraging new and established writers since its inception in 2002. All are welcome to go and hear Kathy read!

Fri 15th March will see Kathy perform the Lunchtime reading at the prestigious Irish Writers Centre in Dublin. A long-standing mecca for established and aspiring writers, the Irish Writer’s Centre continually provide an array of workshops, tutorials, readings and other literary events with the sole aim of championing Irish writers and literature at home and abroad. Lunchtime readings are a great opportunity for experiencing the best of Irish literature on the busiest of days. Be sure to pop in for Kathy’s reading!

The article can be read here.

Thursday evening saw the well attended and lively book launch of our three writers Chuck Kruger, Ann Egan and Mary Melvin Geoghegan. Kruger’s third short story collection, Whiff of Whales, was introduced by Alannah Hopkin of the Irish Times and proved popular with guests on the night. Inspired by the island of Cape Clear, Kruger’s collection is both vivid and intriguing as it envelops the experiences, memories and hopes of the islanders. Liam Ronayne introduced both Ann Egan’s and Mary Melvin Geoghegan’s poetry collections, describing them as both provoking and unique, drawing particular attention to Melvin Geoghegan’s poem ‘Leonard Cohen at Lissadell House’. The atmospheric setting of Cork City Library facilitated a large audience that found the evening enjoyable and interesting.  There was also high praise for Maire Bradshaw on the night, particularly by Dept Lord Mayor Councillor Joe Cavanagh, for her never-ending support and inspiration to poets and writers alike.

Many thanks to Cork FM Community Radio for hosting Bradshaw Books’ children’s  writer in residence Laura Brett and, editorial assistant Bernadette Greenan on the Le Chéile show on Saturday.

Laura and Bernadette joined show hosts Ann Dalton and Barra O’ Caoimh to discuss the Eurochild children’s poetry and art project, it’s origins since 1995 and introduce the recently published bumper 2012 Eurochild anthology.

Thanks also to young poet Ciara Duggan who read her poem Halloween and Leo Thompson, young editor of Eurochild who read An Trá written by Alisha Ní Chárthaigh, GS Bheanntraí, Co Cork.

Le Chéile host Ann had many personal favorites to chose from but singled out ‘Writing a Poem’ by Max White from St John the Baptist NS, Middleton, Co Cork, a poem she said both adults and children could identify with when beginning to pen a poem and faced with a blank page.

Check out the extraordinary natural talent children have for writing poetry in Eurochild 2012. Available to purchase on www.eurochild.net.