Joseph O’Connor and Donal Ryan for Frank McCourt summer school

A stellar cast of writers has been assembled for the 2017 Frank McCourt Creative Writing Summer School, which takes place at NYU’s Glucksman Ireland House from June 22nd to 25th. Participants include bestselling authors Joseph O’Connor, Donal Ryan and Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, poet Mary O’Malley, UL professor Eoin Devereux, Kerry Neville, Darragh McKeon, and McCourt’s widow, Ellen Frey McCourt.

Actor Lisa Dwan will be sharing her unique perspective on reading and acting Beckett and will give a reading from his work. Singer Iarla Ó Lionáird will perform with O'Connor, who will be reading from his international bestseller, Star of the Sea.

Loretta Glucksman said: “It’s our joy at Glucksman Ireland House to help link Frank’s two cities, Limerick and New York. He remains beloved in both.”

UL Professor of Creative Writing Joseph O’Connor said: “The summer school offers a taste of creative writing as we teach it at UL, with the emphasis on enjoyment, collegiality, mutual respect and love of words, in a community of writers working together.”

The summer school is open to applications from everyone, whether resident in New York or willing to travel from Ireland.

[ frankmccourt.ulfoundation.com/ ]

Franco-Irish heritage

The 12th annual conference of the Association of Franco-Irish Studies takes place in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on May 19th and 20th, with the theme of Patrimoine/Cultural Heritage in France and/or Ireland. Keynote speakers are Dr Eoin Flannery, Prof Sylvie Mikowski and Prof Harry White.

[ arrow.dit.ie/afis/ ]

Hamburg looks west

WestWords, Hamburg's first Irish Literature Festival, takes place from May 19th to 21st. The brainchild of Irish poet and Hamburg resident Terry McDonagh, the festival's highlights include Dermot Bolger's one-man play The Parting Glass (performed by Ray Yeates) which tells the story of an Irish football fan, Eoin, and shattered sporting and economic dreams. Jan Wagner and poet Matthew Sweeney will read from their work as well as from Hund und Mond, Wagner's recent translation of a selection of Sweeney's work.

[ westwords.de ]

Crime on the screen

Sinéad Crowley will be discussing adapting crime fiction for the screen with Zygmunt Miloszewski, Poland's leading crime fiction writer, on Sunday, May 28th at 1pm in the Irish Film Institute. The talk will be combined with a screening based on one of his novels, A Grain of Truth, as part of the International Literature Festival in Dublin.

Finding the plot in Farmleigh

Mia Gallagher, whose second novel Beautiful Pictures of the Lost Homeland was February's Irish Times Book Club choice, is currently writer-in-residence at Farmleigh in Dublin's Phoenix Park. She hosts novel-writing masterclasses on Saturdays May 27th and September 2nd. The initial session will identify a set of realisable writing aims for each participant over the summer.

In the follow-up masterclass, writers will be able to share any new challenges, questions and breakthroughs identified during that time. Places are free of charge but limited to 12 people, and allocated through a submission process. To apply, email 250 words to linda.moran@opw.ie by 5pm on May 19th, stating what you think is the biggest problem you are facing with your novel, and what you would like the masterclass to help you with.

Further adventures into Heaney

Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy, Co Derry hosts an illustrated lecture by Rand Brandes, Heaney's authorised bibliographer, on Saturday May 27th at 3pm, entitled "Furtherances: The Publishing Life of Seamus Heaney". Brandes will chart the rise of the Nobel laureate from his first publications in QUB's student journals Q and Gorgon to his international, award-winning final volumes. Along the way, Brandes will share his many personal and professional interactions with the poet as he worked on Seamus Heaney: A Bibliography 1959-2003, which he co-authored with Michael J Durkan.

[ seamusheaneyhome.com ]