Two Donegal writers will be celebrating National Poetry Day with special readings at North West Words in Letterkenny.

The monthly North West Words event is going to feature two local writers who have the unique opportunity to give readings on Thursday 27th April – Poetry Day Ireland.

The Donegal poets will be bridging two poetic traditions by reading in two languages at the free event at 8pm in Florence Food Co Letterkenny.

The poets will be Maureen Curran, who writes in English, and Máire Dinny Wren, who writes in Irish. 

Máire Dinny Wren was born in Gweedore, Co. Donegal. She writes poetry and fiction. Her work has been broadcast on Raidió na Gaeltachta, Raidió Fáilte and Radio Ulster and published widely including in Comhar, An tUltach, Feasta, Irish Pages, An Gael, Goitse, North West Words Arts Magazine, Winners Anthology 2010 – Writers Week Listowel. Her first collection of poetry Ó Bhile go Bile was published in 2011 (Coiscéim), and her first short story collection, in 2016, Go mBeinnse Choíche Saor (Éabhlóid).

Máire Dinny Wren

Maureen Curran grew up in Milford, Donegal where she is a teacher. Her poems have appeared in Boyne Berries, Burning Bush2, Crannóg, Envoi, Poetry Bus, Revival, the Stony Thursday Book, Skylight 47, online at Honest Ulsterman, Lake Poetry, Southword, Spontaneity, and Word Bohemia. She blogs with her group at The Garden Room Writers and tweets @maureenwcurran

Maureen Curran

Maureen looks ahead to the event with excitement. Speaking to Donegal Woman, she looks at the special aspects of reading on Poetry Day: “Poetry Day makes a significant celebration of something many people do quietly. Sharing my poems with an audience on that day is very special, to be doing so at North West Words where I cut my reading teeth makes it more so.

“I’m humbled to represent poetry writing in English in Donegal at North West Words this Poetry Day and delighted to be sharing the stage with Maire Dinny Wren,” she said.

Maureen also looked back on how she sowed the seed of The Garden Room Writers: “I came to poetry writing through teaching students to write. In order to be better able to teach students how to write I began to attend writing workshops.

“Through the supported environment of workshops I learned to trust my voice and to explore the themes that matter to me. The Garden Room Writers grew out of one particular workshop.

“Over the years we have developed our writing, enjoying the peer support a group offers and with occasional expert advice from invited facilitators.

“We have a good degree of success placing our work in journals here and in the UK. You can read about us and see some of our work on our blog gardenroomwritersdonegal.blogspot.com,” Maureen said.

Poetry Day Ireland is a major one-day festival of Irish poets and poetry at home and abroad. The theme for 2017 is “Poetry Connects”. The day is designed to explore the power poetry has to connect friends, lovers and family, as well as transporting thoughts and reflections to other perspectives.

Visit North West Words on Facebook (Click Here) to learn about more events throughout the year.

Follow poetry events taking place around the country at @PoetryIreland and tweet about your own using #PoetryDayIRL