2006 Clarinbridge Arts Festival

galway | arts and media | event notice Saturday September 09, 2006 01:23 by poetry news - Over The Edge

Slam poetry brings poetry back to the Old School House

Poetry returns to the Old Schoolhouse in Clarinbridge, where generations of schoolchildren once learned by heart the poems of Yeats, Donne and Milton. But with a difference: on Sunday, October 1st, 7pm Clarinbridge Arts Festival presents its first ever poetry slam. A poetry slam is a performance poetry competition in which the eventual winner is chosen by members of the audience. Poetry slams are hugely popular in the United States. But have only recently come to prominence here, with Galway becoming the undisputed poetry slam capital of Ireland.

Anyone who has a poem they would like to share is more than welcome to come along. Poems should be no more than three minutes long. And each poet should bring two poems, as there will be a second round in which the three poets with the highest first round scores will take part. During the half time break there will be performances by Brendan Murphy, the 2006 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam Champion, and Kevin Higgins, the 2003 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam Winner.

Brendan Murphy was born in Liverpool to English parents and Irish grandparents. He is a graduate of Sheffield University, where he studied the History of Art, Film and Design. His first performance was a Saturday night slot with a friend at his local pub, where they developed an improvised repartee on the week’s events. Brendan has lived in Galway for the last eight years and considers Ireland his spiritual home. Although he has been writing since his early teens he only started to perform his work last December. Brendan is the winner of 2006 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam.

Kevin Higgins has read his poetry at festivals throughout Ireland, Britain and the United States. Kevin’s first collection of poems, The Boy With No Face, was published by Salmon in February 2005. It was Salmon Poetry’s bestselling book of 2005 and was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish poet. A collection of his essays and reviews, 'Poetry, Politics And Dorothy Gone Horribly Astray' will be published by Lapwing this Autumn. Kevin’s second collection of poetry, Time Gentlemen, Please, will be published by Salmon Poetry in 2008.

“What makes Higgins' work so fresh is that the objects of his wrath are both contemporary and powerful. He does not kick people when they are down, like the fake satirist, or flog dead horses for a comfortable audience. His targets are doing damage now and he's out to get them.” Books Ireland

For further details contact Anne Fox Phone: 086-835-1230
Email: anne.fox@amicustec.ie