The Strong Readingand Award for Best First Collection
Poetry Now Award 2010
Sunday 28th March at 12 noon Pavilion Theatre €7/5
The Strong Reading features readings by the poets shortlisted for The Rupert and Eithne Strong Award 2010 as well as the presentation of The Strong Award by this year’s judge, Liam Carson. This award recognises first collections published in English or Irish by Irish writers in 2009. This award is made possible by the generous support of the Strong family in memory of the lives and work of Rupert and Eithne Strong.
Ray Givans
Tolstoy in Love (Dedalus Press)
Ray Givans was born and reared in the village of Castlecaulfield, Co. Tyrone. He has published four pamphlets of poetry, the most recent being Going Home (Lapwing, 2004). He has been awarded prizes for his poetry in Britain, the US and Australia and was the recipient of the Jack Clemo Memorial Prize for Poetry. His work was included in Artwords (2000), an anthology of emerging or newly emerged artists and poets from Ulster.
Maggie O’Dwyer
Laughter Heard from the Road (Templar Poetry)
Maggie O’Dwyer was born in Dublin in 1951. Since graduation from art college in 1974, her work has been exhibited widely and included in RHA exhibitions. In 2000 she won a Scholarship to the Eastern Washington University Writing Workshop and was awarded a place in the Poetry Ireland Introduction Series in 2007. She has been shortlisted in the Féile Filiochta International Poetry Competition, Davoren Hanna and the satirical category of the Strokestown Poetry Festival.
Tom Mathews
The Owl and the Pussycat and other poems (Dedalus Press)
Tom Mathews was born in Dublin in 1952. After working in advertising he studied Fine Art at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. He has been a freelance cartoonist, writer and critic since 1975. His work appears weekly in The Irish Times and Sunday Independent. He has had 30 one-man shows and his paintings have been exhibited in Living Art, the National Portrait Show and the RHA. He has illustrated a dozen books, written a novel and published three volumes of cartoons.
Peadar Ó hUallaigh
Tír Tairngire (Coisceim)
Rugadh agus tógadh Peadar i gCluain Meala. Chaith sé na seascaidí ina dhéagóir I mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá na blianta fada tugtha aige ag gabháilt do cheol traidisiúnta, ag seimint don gcuid is mó ar an Mór-Roinn. I gCorca Dhuibhne atá sé lonnaithe ó 1984 i leith. Bronnadh duais air ag Féile Filíochta Bhéal Átha na mBuilli sa bhliain 2009.