Alms is the arresting acronym for the Association of Literary Magazines in Scotland. There are currently 17 magazines under the umbrella of ALMS, including the prestigious Chapman, the Edinburgh Review, Cencrastus, as well as smaller, less well-known ones such as Cutting Teeth, Deliberately Thirsty, The Dark Horse, Shinklin Star, and the all-Gaelic quarterly, Gairm. "We got going last April, with the help of a grant from the Scottish Arts Council," explains Gerry Stewart of the association. "We got together for promotional purposes: I suppose you could call us a collective to promote all the literary magazines in Scotland. The smaller ones sometimes had a hard time getting publicity. It's working really well, and the editors aren't working in isolation any more." Sadbh wonders if the editors of Irish literary magazines have ever considered a similar co-operative venture - or if Irish editors are too famously contrary to work together successfully. Information about the Scottish magazines from ALMS, 4 Broughton Place, Edinburgh EH1 3RX, Scotland.
While there is an increasing number of prizes available for Irish-language writers, the majority of them are still confined to this country. But the $5,000 Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Poetry Award, which is now in its fourth year, is based at the University of St Thomas Centre for Irish Studies in Minneapolis, US. This award is not exclusively given to Irish-language writers, but Louis de Paor was the first such writer to pull off the coup this year. This should hearten those who feel that Irish language writers invariably get sidelined when it comes to major awards. Previous winners are Eavan Boland, John F. Deane, and Peter Sirr.
Children's Books Ireland will be the first folk to use the lecture room at the magnificent and newly opened Chester Beatty Library, for its one-day spring seminar on March 11th. The seminar will be opened by Rosemary Hetherington, President of the CBI. Speakers are the hugely successful children's writer Martin Waddell, Jeremy Strong, and illustrator Patrick Lynch. In the afternoon, panelists Stephanie Dagg, Lucinda Jacob and Gordon Snell discuss the topic of writing for different age groups. It's £35 for the day to non-members of the CBI, which includes caffeine supplies and lunch; more details from Claire Ranson, CBI, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.
Those of us who would despair that ours has turned into a godless, selfish society will be heartened by the news that the religious bookshop, Veritas, is doing such good business that the Cork branch has just moved to bigger premises on Carey's Lane. The official opening is this Wednesday. "We're bucking the trend," explains Frank Dineen, the shop's manager. "We've taken on five new staff, and we have a much larger stock now in the new shop. Despite what the media would have you believe about the state of the Church in Ireland, we are very busy!"
World Book Week is coming up very soon; it'll run from March 6th to 12th, with World Book Day on March 10th. Apparently, the idea of World Book Day began in Catalonia, where on Cervantes's birthday, the tradition began of giving roses and books to loved ones, which Sadbh thinks is a killer romantic combination. To celebrate the week, there will be £1 book vouchers given to schoolchildren. There'll also be readings in bookshops and schools around the country, as well as workshops for the armies of ever-aspiring writers. Brendan Kennelly has written a poem in honour of World Book Day and RTE radio and television will run several slots featuring well-known people, such as Bertie Ahern and Bob Geldof, musing on their favourite books. No doubt all the bookshops will be doing their own in-house promotions and book bargains for the week. So get out there and buy plenty of roses and books for yourself and the folk you love.
GET ready for a fest of Jay's shirts, house parties, lyrical narcissism, and boats beating against the tide. April 10th marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Great Gatsby, which Cambridge University Press is declaring is "the most widely read American novel of the 20th century". There will be reissues all over the place, including CUP's publication of Trimalchio, the original version of The Great Gatsby, which is apparently quite different to the book we know, and which is bound to have the academics in a happy investigative tizz.
Sadbh