Irish Arts & Writers Festival 2018

Description

Fifteen Irish authors, artists, and poets will descend on the Bay Area for the third annual Irish Arts & Writers Festival this October. The festival, nominated for Irish Central’s Arts & Creativity Awards 2018, showcases the best in contemporary Irish arts & literature.

Internationally acclaimed authors and poets, embracing an array of topics, include:

• Paul Muldoon, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former Poetry Editor at The New Yorker described as “the most significant English-language poet born since the Second World War” (Times Literary Supplement). In conversation with Dean Rader, University of San Francisco Department of English and Robert Tracy, UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus, with introduction by poet, Tess Taylor.

• Fintan O’Toole, literary critic, political commentator and op-ed columnist for the Irish Times and New York Times, and recipient of the AT Cross Award for Supreme Journalism, the European Press Prize, and the Orwell Prize. His Trial Runs For Fascism was the most read Irish Times article ever.
Fintan gives us a fascinating new perspective on the work of George Bernard Shaw in his recent book, Judging Shaw. During the festival weekend, we will also conduct a panel discussion with Fintan on Ireland, Brexit and Borders.

• Historian Christine Kinealy & Poet Nathan Richardson on Frederick Douglass’s Visit to Ireland.

• A unique look at the Northern Ireland conflict through its music, Trouble Songs, by Stuart Baiile, published this year, 20 years post Peace Agreement.

• Poet Gerald Dawe’s essays on In Another World: Van Morrison's Belfast offers a personal response to the musician, and to Belfast, giving a unique perspective on the city’s ‘50s and ‘60s music scene. Event features a concert by Shana Morrison & Caledonia band.

• Bullets Into Bells, with an intro by Irish writer Colm McCann, is a collection of poems that call to end American gun violence. Contributor Tess Taylor will be joined by visiting Belfast poets.

• Irish Eyes on Trump’s America. Caitríona Perry covered the Trump campaign for Ireland’s national television and radio network, RTE, and soon after published In America: Tales From Trump Country. Perry returned a year post-election to check back in with the featured interviewees.

• Independent Publishing and New Irish Writing for the 21st Century, with publisher Declan Meade, Dublin poet Jessica Traynor, and Belfast author Wendy Erskine.

• Author Melatu Uche Okorie. The Nigerian born asylum seeker, now Irish resident, speaks out about new Irish immigrants and the failing Direct Provision system in her new book, This Hostel Life.

• Lifeboat: New Voices in Poetry. Afternoon of Bay Area and Irish poets, both established and new writers. Featuring Raina Leon, Tess Taylor, Stephen Connolly, Leanne O’Sullivan, Manuela Moser….

Music: Soprano and Recitalist Siobhra Quinlan, The Toast Inspectors, Shana Morrison & Caledonia Band
Dance: Irish Dance, and Dance Classes with the Kennelly School of Irish Dance Art with internationally acclaimed Belfast-born painter, Rosie McGurran
Workshops & Presentations on genealogy, memoir-writing, poetry, tbc

More Info

Link

http://www.irishartsfestival.com

Call

415-652-8621 (Box Office)

Email

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