Waterford Writers Weekend 2023 is nearly here, don’t miss out on some fantastic events taking place from 26th – 29th October !

Click Here to View and Download the Full Programme 

Event Highlights include:

Poetry Jam with Luke Morgan & Molly Twomey –  11:00am Saturday 28th October – Waterford Gallery of Art – €20

Writing poetry can feel isolating and this workshop aims to empower new writers to explore the craft of poetry in a supportive, shared environment. It also strives to encourage experienced writers to be open and flexible with their practice, allowing for a greater sense of spontaneity and radical creativity, enabling them to produce new work they could never create alone.

Bios
Molly Twomey, an MA Creative Writing graduate from University College Cork, published her award-winning debut poetry collection, ‘Raised Among Vultures’, in 2022. Her work has been
featured in various journals and she recently received the 2023 Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary.

Luke Morgan, a Galway-based filmmaker, writer, and theatre director, released his 2nd poetry collection, ‘Beast’, in 2022. His debut, ‘Honest Walls’, came out in 2016, and his work has appeared in several poetry reviews.

Léimís! Ceardlann Filíochta: Irish language Poetry in translation with Joanne McCarthy – 11:00am Saturday 28th October – Waterford Gallery of Art – €20

Léimís! Ceardlann Filíochta: Irish language Poetry in translation. Read contemporary poems by Irish language poets, in Irish and in translation. A shared reading experience, with time for reflection and writing. You do not need to speak Irish to attend, all levels of Irish language welcome. All materials provided.

Bio
Joanne McCarthy writes in Waterford in both English and Irish. She is co-editor of the literary journal ‘The Waxed Lemon’ and she is currently reading poetry at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queen’s University Belfast. File dátheangach í Joanne McCarthy atá ag cur fúithí ibPort Láirge. Is comheagarthóir í ar an iris ‘The Waxed Lemon’ agus tá sí ag léamh filíochta fé láthair in Ionad Seamus Heaney, Béal Feiriste.

Alice Kinsella – Milk; On Motherhood and Madness – 1:00pm Saturday 28th October – Waterford Gallery of Art – €8

One of The Irish Times’ ‘Best Books to Look Forward to in 2023’. Alice Kinsella was in her mid- twenties when she became pregnant with her first child, newly engaged and about to embark on a life in an unfamiliar town on the west coast of Ireland. Into this warm cocoon, this big, empty house, would arrive a little baby. And soon Alice’s world began to expand and contract in ways she could never have imagined. Join Alice for a reading from and discussion about her powerful new book.

Bio
Alice Kinsella’s poetry has appeared in Banshee, The Irish Times, Poetry Ireland Review, The North, and Multipoetry Project Krakow, among others. She holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, and a first class honours Masters in Writing from NUI, Galway.

Donal Ryan –  3:00pm Saturday 28th October –  Garter Lane Arts Centre – €10

Donal Ryan, from Nenagh, Co.Tipperary, is the author of six number one-bestselling novels and a short story collection. He has won several awards for his fiction, including the European Union Prize for Literature, the Guardian First Book Award and four Irish Book Awards, and has been shortlisted for several more, including the Costa Book Award and the Dublin International Literary Award. He was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2013 for his debut novel, ‘The Spinning Heart’, and again in 2018, for his fourth novel, ‘From A Low and Quiet Sea’. In 2021 he became the first Irish writer to be awarded the Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature. Donal returns to Waterford to read from his latest novel, ‘The Queen of Dirt Island’, and chat about writing, inspiration and the importance of place.

Event for Children: Mary Murphy – We All Have Something to Say – 10:00am Saturday 28th October – Waterford Gallery of Art  – €5

Join Mary in a fun, inclusive event, based on her picture book, ‘CHIRP!’ (published by
Walker Books). Listen a little, sing a little,and make art with other kids just like you!

Bio
Mary Murphy’s first book, ‘I Like it When…’ was published with Egmont in 1997. Since then she has written and illustrated more than 45 books, mainly bright, strong stories for preschoolers. Many of her books have been chosen for national baby book schemes, most recently ‘Mouse
is Small’ for both Scottish Book Trust and Welsh Book Trust, and ‘Good Night Like This’ for Bookseed in Limerick.

Event for Children: Book Doctors – 11:00am – 3:00pm Saturday 28th October – The Book Centre – FREE (Drop in)

Are you a young reader? Looking for a new series to delve into? Feeling uninspired by your bookshelves at home? Then pop along to Children’s Books Ireland Book Clinic! Chat to the Book Doctor, consult on your favourite reads and leave with a prescription for your next book which you can take to your local bookshop or library! Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors give guidance about books to children and their families.

Based on an informal chat, the white coat-clad Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctors recommend excellent books for any age of young reader, supported by Children’s Books Ireland’s many reading resources. All families are welcome to the Book Clinic, regardless of ability, need or barriers to reading. Every child leaves the Book Clinic with their own individual Book Prescription and a copy of Children’s Books Ireland’s Reading Guide.

The Book Clinic operates on a drop-in, first come first served basis. Each Book Doctor consultation will be 10 minutes in duration.

Event for Children: Mary Murphy – We All Have Something to Say (Relaxed Event) – 11:00am Sunday 29th October – Waterford Gallery of Art  – €5

Relaxed Events are specifically designed to welcome people who will benefit from a more relaxed performance environment, including people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, sensory and communication disorders, or a learning disability. Join Mary in a fun, inclusive event, based on her picture book, ‘CHIRP!’ (published by Walker Books). Listen a little, sing a little,and make art with
other kids just like you!

Bio
Mary Murphy’s first book, ‘I Like it When…’ was published with Egmont in 1997. Since then she has written and illustrated more than 45 books, mainly bright, strong stories for preschoolers. Many of her books have been chosen for national baby book schemes, most recently ‘Mouse is Small’ for both Scottish Book Trust and Welsh Book Trust, and ‘Good Night Like This’ for Bookseed in Limerick.