International Summer School Monday 23rd ~ Saturday 28th July 2018 The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Armagh
Facing change: shifting borders and allegiances the
www.johnhewi$society.org
John Hewitt Society
In The Frontier John Hewitt wrote of border crossings –
“We pass here into another allegiance: expect new postage stamps, new prices, manifestos, and brace ourselves for the change. But the landscape does not alter…” This year’s Summer School will examine how changing circumstances affect how we think and behave, and how relocation, enforced or voluntary, shapes our life chances. Artists, writers, and speakers will consider the impact of anniversaries on our allegiances, considering what remains constant, what still requires change, and what we can learn from past or different experiences. Hewitt famously described his identity as “Ulster, Irish, British, and European”, yet Prime Minister Theresa May said that a citizen of everywhere is a citizen of nowhere. Can we continue to have multiple allegiances in an increasing polarised world? Alternatively, does holding more than one allegiance give us the ability to live better together? Join us to explore these and other ideas and to enjoy a week of stimulation through literature, arts, and culture. The Society would like to thank our principal funder, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, as well as our sponsors, supporters and audiences for their continued support. In our 31st year, the Society continues to stride forward, offering more opportunities for readers and writers of all ages to explore and celebrate literature and creative writing.
EXHIBITION Daily Lives: Asylum Seekers in Italy and Ireland A Photographic Exhibition by Mariusz Smiejek The Foyer Walls (Upper), Monday 23 July – Saturday 1 September Mariusz Smiejek is an award-winning photojournalist from Poland where he was professionally trained by the National Geographic. His work at the Institute for Conflict Research in Belfast is dedicated to exposing issues related to conflict transformation in its many guises including working with former combatants, families affected by conflict and those seeking a haven in Northern Ireland from conflict elsewhere. Daily Lives documents the lived experiences of asylum seekers in Italy and Ireland North and South, and the images capture a range of emotions and coping strategies including resilience and fortitude, in the face of abject destitution. This project has been supported by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and facilitated by the Institute of Conflict Research (ICR).
EXHIBITION Travelling in a Strange Land A Photographic Exhibition by Sonya Whitefield The Foyer Walls (Lower), Monday 23 July – Saturday 1 September Travelling in a Strange Land is a creative collaboration between Sonya Whitefield and acclaimed writer, David Park. The images in this exhibition arise from Whitefield’s personal response to Park’s new novel of the same title published by Bloomsbury. The works explore a journey of familial love and loss. Using mostly traditional photographic processes Whitefield brings the central character’s love of photography alive with influences from the old masters such as Bill Brandt and Alfred Stieglitz. This series of photographs, with accompanying text, presents a moving, thoughtful and at times chilling reflection of a very human story. “The images captured reveal both a tenderness and a sense of intellectual strength. In the external world portrayed and the shadowed interiors of the heart, her eye has captured again and again what I have struggled to express in words.” David Park Reading & Exhibition Opening Travelling in a Strange Land with David Park & Sonya Whitefield Monday 23 July 2018 7pm £7
EXHIBITION
I am entering the frozen land, although to which country it belongs I cannot say.
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS Monday 23rd, Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th July 2.45pm | 90mins £50 for three-day workshop Develop your writing skills under the direction of one of our seven tutors who are all experienced facilitators and published authors. Each workshop runs over three days, and each intensive session lasts for 90 mins. Spaces are limited – advance booking is essential.
Nessa O'Mahony: Getting Started
David Wheatley: Poetry
Siobhán Campbell: Poetry
This course is not genre-specific but will focus on developing the creative impulse. Nessa O’Mahony has published a verse novel and three collections of poetry, most recently Her Father’s Daughter, and produces the regular literary podcast The Attic Sessions with her husband Peter Salisbury. Nessa lectures in creative writing with the Open University.
Dublin-born and now based in Scotland, where he teaches at the University of Aberdeen, David Wheatley is the author of four poetry collections, including Mocker (2006) and A Nest on the Waves (2010) (both Gallery Press). He is the translator of the bilingual collection Foreign News by Aifric Mac Aodha (2017).
Siobhán Campbell is an awardwinning poet, the author of four collections. Her new collection Heat Signature (Seren Press), was published in 2017. Siobhán received the Oxford Brookes International Poetry Prize 2016 and is the winner of the Templar poetry prize. She lectures in Creative Writing with the Open University.
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS Supported by the Open University
Mary O’Donnell: Short Story
Bernie McGill: Fiction
Ferdia Mac Anna: Memoir
Eoin McNamee: Radio Drama
Mary O’Donnell’s previous publications include Where They Lie (2014), The Elysium Testament (1999) and her best-selling debut novel The Light Makers. Her collection of linked short stories, Empire, was launched in May 2018 by Arlen House. Giving Shape to the Moment: The Art of Mary O’Donnell, Poet, Short-story Writer, Novelist, has just been published by Peter Lang Publishing.
Bernie McGill’s publications include novels The Butterfly Cabinet (2011) and The Watch House (2017) and a short story collection, Sleepwalkers (2013). Her short fiction has been shortlisted for numerous awards and in 2008 she won the Zoetrope All-Story Award in the US. Her work has been anthologised in the awardwinning collections, The Long Gaze Back, The Glass Shore and Female Lines.
Ferdia Mac Anna is a novelist, playwright, film & television director and musician, who has published three novels and two memoirs, Bald Head, A Cancer Story and The Rocky Years: The Story of an (Almost) Punk Legend. Now an Open University tutor, he has taught Creative Writing, Screenwriting and Scriptwriting for over twenty years.
The author of seventeen novels, including The Ultras, 12:23, Resurrection Man and the Blue Trilogy (The Blue Tango, Blue Orchid and Blue is the Night), Eoin McNamee also writes for TV and for BBC Radio 4’s Afternoon Plays and 15 Minute Dramas, and is a former Imison Award Winner for his first radio play, The Road Wife.
Monday 23rd July
FictiOn Opening AddreSS Transcending Boundaries of the Past and of the Future Dr. Martin Mansergh 11:15am £8 Dr. Martin Mansergh is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister of State at the Department of Finance and Minister of State for the Arts from 2008 to 2011. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Tipperary South constituency from 2007 to 2011. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2002 to 2007. He played a leading role in formulating Fianna Fáil policy on Northern Ireland, and is a recently elected member of the Royal Irish Academy.
Patrick Gale in conversation with C.L Dallat 1.30pm £7 From the author of BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt and of novels including the Richard and Judy Book Club bestsellers Notes From An Exhibition and A Perfectly Good Man. Patrick Gale’s latest novel is a bittersweet comedy about resilience and survival. Take Nothing With You is the conflicted story of Londoner Eustace who realises his hopeless love for a man he has never met on the same week that he discovers that he has thyroid cancer. Patrick’s novels offer an irresistible insight into love, relationships, intimacy and betrayal. “Just a wonderful, wonderful read; couldn’t bear the sight of the pages on the left thickening up and the pages on the right thinning out as i came to the end.” Stephen Fry on take nothing With You.
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pAnel diScUSSiOn
reAding & exhibitiOn Opening
What Went Wrong? 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement.
Travelling in a Strange Land:
4.30pm £7 Hosted by Peter Osborne, Chair of the Community Relations Council, the panel will discuss why the Civil Rights movement was replaced by the violent conflict. The panel discussing these issues will include Brid Rodgers, founding member of the SDLP; Colm Gildernew MLA, Sinn Féin representative for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Gregory Campbell MP, Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Londonderry and Trevor Ringland, solicitor and founder of the One Small Step campaign. Supported by Stratagem
David Park & Sonya Whitefield in conversation with Malachi O’Doherty 7pm £7 Award-winning author, David Park, one of the most important voices in contemporary Irish writing, has written nine previous books including The Light of Amsterdam, which was shortlisted for the 2014 International IMPAC Prize, and, most recently, The Poets' Wives, selected as Belfast's Choice for One City One Book 2014. David’s new novel, Travelling in a Strange Land, is a psychologically astute, expertly crafted portrait of a father's inner life and a family in crisis. David will be joined by photographer, Sonya Whitefield, whose exhibition gives us her personal response to Travelling a Strange Land. “An extraordinary novel, at once startling and quietly brilliant. david park is a one of ireland's great novelists and this is, perhaps, his best.” roddy doyle
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Monday 23rd July
pOetrY reAding Michael Longley & Imtiaz Dharker Introduced by C.L. Dallat 8:30pm £10 Michael Longley has long been acknowledged as one of our greatest living poets, “a keeper of the artistic estate, a custodian of griefs and wonders” according to Seamus Heaney. Among Michael’s honours are the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and, most recently, the PEN Pinter Prize for Poetry in 2017. He has published 11 collections of poems, the latest of which, Angel Hill, was shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize. Acclaimed poet, artist and documentary film-maker Imtiaz Dharker was born in Pakistan, raised in Glasgow and now lives between London and Mumbai. Awarded the Queen’s Medal for Poetry in 2014, her collections include The Terrorist at My Table, Leaving Fingerprints, Over the Moon and her latest, Luck is the Hook, all published by Bloodaxe Press. “if there were to be a World laureate, then for me the role could only be filled by imtiaz dharker.” carol Ann duffy
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Tuesday 24th July
pOetrY Philip Gross & Kim Moore Introduced by Anne-Marie Fyfe
tAlK The John Hewitt Lecture: John Hewitt and the Irish in Coventry Ciaran Davis 9:45am £7 In 1957, John Hewitt left Belfast to become director of Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. During the late 1950s many Irish people migrated to Coventry to work in factories, hospitals and schools. This talk will explore the role that Hewitt played in Coventry’s cultural scene and examine his complex relationship with other Irish people in the city. Project Officer Ciaran Davis attended the JHISS in 2017 to interview people who knew Hewitt and this footage will be shown in the talk.
11.15am £7 Philip Gross has published some twenty collections of poetry, most recently A Bright Acoustic (Bloodaxe, 2017). He received a Cholmondeley Award in 2017. The Water Table won the T.S.Eliot Prize 2009, and Love Songs of Carbon the Roland Mathias Award (Wales Book of The Year) 2016. A new science-based collection for young people, Dark Sky Park, comes from OtterBarry Books in July 2018. Kim Moore’s first full-length collection The Art of Falling was published by Seren in 2015 and won the 2016 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. Her pamphlet If We Could Speak Like Wolves was a winner in the 2012 Poetry Business Pamphlet Competition, and went on to be shortlisted for a Michael Marks Award and named in The Independent as a Book of the Year.
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tAlK Facing Change: the identity perspective Nabeel Goheer
FictiOn Liz Nugent in conversation with Claire Allan 1.30pm £7 Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in theatre and more recently has written extensively for radio and television drama including RTÉ’s Fair City. In 2014 her first novel, Unravelling Oliver, was a Number One bestseller and won the Crime Fiction Prize in the 2014 Irish Book Awards. Her second novel, Lying in Wait, went straight to Number One in the Irish bestseller charts, remained there for nearly two months and won her a second IBA. Liz will be discussing her latest novel Skin Deep, a sinister thriller set on the French Riviera, with novelist Claire Allan.
4.30pm £7 Nabeel Goheer specialises in the development of diplomacy and strategy of international organizations; reform of the international governance architecture; civil paths to peace and management of change in complex and exponential times. Nabeel Goheer is Assistant Secretary General at the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organization of 54 member countries aimed at promoting peace, democracy, human rights and development. It has more than 100 constituent organizations. www.thecommonwealth.org
“Monumentally good. liz nugent is a beautiful writer and among the very best storytellers in the world.” donal ryan
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Tuesday 24th July
MUSic Ulaid & duke Special 8.30pm £15 When contemporary songwriting and traditional music meet, the results can be something to be treasured. Such is the case with the collaboration between folk supergroup, Ulaid (Dónal O’Connor, John McSherry and Seán Óg Graham), and singersongwriter extraordinaire, Duke Special. This project draws on Duke Special's songwriting skills, from pre-rock'n'roll to modern acoustic pop. He injects drama and theatricality, bringing storytelling to the fore with meditative twists and turns amid the melodic architecture. Ulaid's mixture of skills in arrangement, interpretation, composition and stunning musicianship lend a peculiarly folk-but-modern air to this special collaboration.
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Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Wednesday 25th J u l y
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The Centre For Cross Border Studies Lecture Professor Arthur Aughey
Raymond Antrobus & Rachel Long Introduced by Anne-Marie Fyfe
9.45am £7 The Centre for Cross Border Studies, based in Armagh and Dublin, researches and develops cooperation across the Irish border in a wide range of practical areas, notably education, health, the economy, technology and information for citizens. Arthur Aughey is Emeritus Professor of Politics at Ulster University and has published widely on UK and Irish politics. The centre cooperates extensively with the North/South Ministerial Council and other all-island bodies created under the Good Friday Agreement. www.crossborder.ie
11.15am £7 Raymond Antrobus is a Hackney-born British Jamaican poet, educator, editor and curator of spoken word collective Chill Pill. His pamphlet, To Sweeten Bitter (2017) was published by OutSpoken Press and his forth-coming debut collection is The Perseverance (October 2018). He is a Complete Works III fellow and one of the world’s first recipients of an MA in Spoken Word education (Goldsmith’s University). He is also one of three current recipients of the Jerwood Compton Poetry fellowship. “culturally inquisitive, direct, energetic, sanguine, thoughtful, articulate, focused, creative and passionate. his monologues are stunning studies of voice and substance, and his lyric poems are graceful and finely crafted.” Kwame dawes Rachel Long is a poet and leader of Octavia - Poetry Collective for Women of Colour, which is housed at Southbank Centre, London. She was shortlisted for Young Poet Laureate for London in 2014, and awarded a Jerwood/Arvon Foundation mentorship in 2015 and was mentored for one year by Caroline Bird. Her poems have featured in Magma, The Honest Ulsterman and The London Magazine. She is Assistant Tutor on the Barbican Young Poets programme 2015-present.
www.johnhewittsociety.org
FictiOn Mary O’Donnell in conversation with Jan Carson 1.30pm £7 Mary O’Donnell’s four novels include Where They Lie (2014) and The Elysium Testament (1999). Her bestselling debut novel The Light Makers was recently reissued by 451 Editions. Poetry includes Unlegendary Heroes (Salmon), The Place of Miracles (New Island) and Those April Fevers (Ark Publications). A full critical volume of essays on her work, Giving Shape to the Moment: the Art of Mary O’Donnell, Poet, Short-story Writer, Novelist, has just been published by Peter Lang Publishing. Her collection of linked short stories, Empire, was recently released by Arlen House.
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Wednesday 25th July
exhibitiOn lAUnch Daily Lives: Asylum Seekers in Italy and Ireland A Photographic Exhibition by Mariusz Smiejek The Foyer Walls (Upper)
pAnel diScUSSiOn Writing & Refugees 4.30pm £7 The Institute for Conflict Research is a local charity working internationally on research, training and community development programmes addressing the impact and legacy of conflict, identity and social exclusion. Using the arts as a primary methodology, their programmes support participants as they build resilience, recovery and reconciliation. Ian Duhig has written seven books of poetry; his work has been shortlisted for the Roehampton, Forward Best Collection and TS Eliot Prizes. Duhig recently edited Any Change: Poetry in a Hostile Environment, an anthology of work from Leeds’ different immigrant communities. Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh is Registrar and Deputy President of NUI Galway. He has worked on the legacy of the Holocaust, the German involvement in Celtic Studies and, more recently, on Jews in Irish literature and history.
6pm – 6.30pm FREE Mariusz Smiejek is an award-winning photojournalist from Poland where he was professionally trained by the National Geographic. His work at the Institute for Conflict Research in Belfast is dedicated to exposing issues related to conflict transformation in its many guises including working with former combatants, families affected by conflict and those seeking a haven in Northern Ireland from conflict elsewhere. Supported by the institute for conflict research
Supported by the institute for conflict research
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dAnce & MUSic Edges of Light With iconic dancer Colin Dunne and celebrated musicians Tóla Custy, Maeve Gilchrist and David Power 8.30pm £12 The John Hewitt Society is thrilled to present Edges of Light, an exciting new collaboration between the prodigiously talented dancer and former star of Riverdance, Colin Dunne, award-winning Co Clare fiddler Tola Custy, New York-based harpist Maeve Gilchrist and renowned uilleann piper David Power, a regular collaborator with Martin Hayes. This newly-commissioned work is a sparkling kaleidoscope of melody and rhythm inspired by the sights and sounds of an Irish dawn, a mix of contemporary and traditional music with dance not only as a visual element but part of the soundscape of the whole piece. Mixing contemporary and traditional music with dance, this theatrical show is an exciting celebration of melody and rhythm. The combined talent of these hugely talented artists is an experience not to be missed. Commissioned by Music Network “it was an absolutely beautiful, moving and joyous experience tonight. loved it.” helen daly, the Sugar club
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Thursday 26th July
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Challenging the two traditions: women, literature and memory. Eli Davies
Ailbhe Darcy and David Wheatley Introduced by Paul Maddern
9.45am £7 Eli Davies is a writer and PhD researcher at Ulster University, exploring the relationship between gender, memory, literature and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. She completed an M.Phil in Irish Literature at Trinity College Dublin in 2003 and between then and 2016 worked as an adult education teacher, writer and editor. She has written on popular culture, literature and politics for various publications and is co-editor of Under My Thumb: Songs That Hate Women and The Women Who Love Them, an anthology of women's music writing published by Repeater. She is also one of the writers selected for this year's Irish Writers' Centre XBorders: Accord project.
11.15am £7 Ailbhe Darcy is an Irish poet living in Wales. Her most recent book is Insistence (Bloodaxe 2018). She is also the author of A Fictional Dress (Tall Lighthouse 2009), Imaginary Menagerie (Bloodaxe 2011) and a collaboration with S.J. Fowler, Subcritical Tests (Gorse Editions 2017). Her work has appeared in various anthologies including Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century, Identity Parade: New British and Irish Poets, and The Wake Forest Series of Irish Poetry. David Wheatley is the author of five collections of poetry, his most recent is The President of Planet Earth (Carcanet/Wake Forest UP, 2017). His critical study Contemporary British Poetry was published by Palgrave in 2015. His writing has won various prizes, including the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, the Vincent Buckley Prize, and the Friends Provident (Irish) National Irish Poetry Competition. He was a judge of the 2015 National Poetry Competition, and lives with his wife and son in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Supported by poetry ireland
www.johnhewittsociety.org
FictiOn Sheila Llewellyn in conversation with Malachi O’Doherty 1.30pm £7 Sheila Llewellyn’s debut novel Walking Wounded is a work of fiction, set in the context of real events which took place in 1940s psychiatry. It is based on extensive medical research by the author, and her own experience of treating sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In 2011, Sheila won the P J O'Connor RTÉ Radio One Drama Award and the New York International Radio Silver award. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the Bridport, Seán Ó Faoláin, and Hilary Mantel Prize, and twice for the Costa Award. Publications include The Glass Shore, and Irish Pages. She has a Ph.D from the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry, Queen’s University, Belfast.
ViSUAl ArtS tAlK Northern Ireland political collection at Linen Hall Library 2:45pm £7 The Northern Ireland Political Collection (NIPC) documents the activities and views of all parties to the conflict and subsequent Peace Process, from paramilitaries to government. It covers publications by organisations on the margins of the direct political process, as well as by those chiefly concerned with social issues. A large proportion of these items are held by the NIPC in Linen Hall Library alone. This will be an illustrated presentation of the history behind this unique resource.
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Thursday 26th July
pAnel diScUSSiOn Unfinished Business? The women’s sector speaks out. 4.30pm £7 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement, and the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time. Establishing equal rights between women and men is an ongoing issue, and continuing inequalities have been the focus of many challenging current affairs including the #metoo movement, Times Up campaign, and the rising statistics of gendered crimes such as domestic homicide. The panel discussing these issues will include Kelly Andrews, Chief Executive of Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid; Kellie Turtle, Women’s Resource and Development Agency, and Betty Carlisle, Shankill Women’s Centre.
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theAtre The Man From God Knows Where The Life and Times of Thomas Russell in Words and Music With Jane Cassidy & Maurice Leyden 7pm £9 ‘The man from God knows where’ was a figure of mystery and awe to the tenant farmers of Ulster in the 1790s. Today many still know Florence Wilson’s poem, but few could tell you the man’s name. Thomas Russell, soldier, revolutionary and first librarian of the Linen Hall Library, played a major part in the Irish Risings of 1798 and 1803. Folk-singers, writers & broadcasters, Jane Cassidy and Maurice Leyden, tell the story of this remarkable man, through eye-witness accounts of his life and times, extracts from Russell’s diary, woven together with local traditional songs, expressing the drama and pathos of that ‘time of the hurry’, when Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter combined to fight for a reform of parliamentary representation.
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Thursday 26th July
theAtre Loco and Reckless Productions present the acclaimed hit show
The Man in the Woman’s Shoes Written and performed by Mikel Murfi 8.30pm £13 Duration: 75 minutes – no interval Double Bill Ticket Offer: £20 for both Mikel Murfi shows when booked together Returning to Summer School in Armagh in response to much demand, don’t miss out on this extraordinary, hilarious solo performance which has played to sold out houses wherever it goes, touching critics and audiences worldwide. Set in 1978, the play features Pat Farnon who has ‘some business’ to do in town. We follow him as he walks to town and back, meeting unforgettable characters including the redoubtable Kitsy Rainey. A beautifully observed piece, utterly simple, with Mikel Murfi’s ‘astonishing acting’ being universally praised. “A miniature masterpiece.” the times “One of the most delightful theatrical experiences i’ve had in a long time.” gay byrne
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Friday 27th July
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Women Waging Peace: The Challenges Encountered in Making and Implementing the Good Friday Peace Agreement Monica McWilliams
Ruth Carr & Maria McManus Introduced by Paul Maddern
9.45am £7 When the Northern Ireland peace talks concluded on Good Friday 1998, Senator Mitchell told the signatories to the agreement that ‘the hard work starts now’. The Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition was one of the parties involved in making and implementing the agreement and can testify to the hard work that this involved. This talk will focus on the challenges faced over those years and the difference it makes when women become involved in a peace process. Monica McWilliams was a delegate to the multiparty peace negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. She co-founded the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition and was elected to the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly from 1998-2003. As Emeritus Professor at UU, she has recently completed a large-scale research project on the impact of conflict on women’s lives spanning the past twenty-five years.
11.15am £7 Ruth Carr was born in Belfast where she lives and works as a freelance tutor and editor, concerned with raising the profile of women in literature. In 1985 she edited The Female Line, the first anthology of women’s writing to come out of Northern Ireland, which relaunched as an ebook with herpress in 2016). She has published three collections: There is a House and The Airing Cupboard (Summer Palace Press, 1999 & 2008) and most recently, Feather and Bone (Arlen House, December 2017). Maria McManus has collaborated extensively with others to put poetry into public space in projects such as Quotidian-Word on the Street, Cirque des Oiseaux, DUST, and Label Lit. She is curator of Ireland’s first Poetry Jukebox, currently situated at The Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. She is author of Available Light (Arlen House, 2017), We are Bone (2013), The Cello Suites (2009) and Reading the Dog (2006) all from Lagan Press. Supported by poetry ireland
www.johnhewittsociety.org
FictiOn Michael Hughes in conversation 1.30pm £7 Michael Hughes was born and raised in County Armagh and is now based in London. He read English at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, before training in theatre at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris and he worked for many years as an actor on stage and screen, under the professional name of Michael Colgan. Michael’s first novel The Countenance Divine, described in TLS as "wonderfully ambitious", was well received when it was published by John Murray in 2016. His powerful new novel, Country, is a vivid and brutal reimagining of Homer’s Iliad, the oldest war story of them all, set in the Troubles of late twentieth century County Armagh. "there is real pleasure to be derived from hughes's imagination, especially his instinct for tactile description." tlS "Michael hughes writes like a brilliant cross between david Mitchell and hilary Mantel." toby litt
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Friday 27th July
READING Crime Fiction with Stuart Neville, Abir Mukherjee & Steve Cavanagh 2:45pm £8 David Torrans, owner of No Alibis Bookstore, in conversation with three of the most popular crime fiction authors. Each author will read and discuss their work. Stuart Neville is a multi-award winning author from Armagh. His Jack Lennon and DCI Serena Flanagan series have won him vast critical acclaim. Stuart also writes under a pseudonym, Haylen Beck, these books are set in the US and are inspired by his love of American crime writing. Abir Mukherjee, is an award winning author and rising star of historical crime fiction. He is the writer of the best-selling Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee novels, set in Calcutta in the early 1920s. Steve Cavanagh is a critically acclaimed award-winning crime writer from Belfast. His Eddie Flynn novels have been published in over twenty countries. His novel The Plea won the Prix Polar Award for Best International Novel and his latest, Thirteen, is to be published in paperback this Summer.
www.johnhewittsociety.org
creAtiVe Writing ShOWcASe
theAtre
4.00pm – 5.30pm Free Always a highlight of the week, our annual showcase provides an opportunity for some of those attending the Summer School’s creative writing workshops to read their new work for you. Followed by The Lord Mayor’s Reception
I Hear You and Rejoice
Loco and Reckless Productions present Written and performed by Mikel Murfi 8pm £13 Duration: 80 minutes. No interval Double Bill Ticket Offer: £20 for both Mikel Murfi shows when booked together Following the universally acclaimed The Man In The Woman’s Shoes, Mikel Murfi returns with his followup, a new tale of the indomitable Pat Farnon. Later in life, this cobbler and all-round contented man embarks on a journey he had not quite planned and finds that every twist in the road can bring its own surprises. Returning to the characters of Pat and Kitsey Rainey, this is a tender account of a most unlikely union: you may never look at life in quite the same way again! "A masterclass in the art of the monologue" time Out "Murfi is a magical performer" the times
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
Saturday 28th July
pUbliShing WOrKShOpS A Beginners Guide to Surviving as a Writer with Jan Carson 9.45am – 12.45pm £15 Join local novelist and short story writer Jan Carson for a masterclass in showcasing your writing and increasing your profile as a writer. This three-hour interactive workshop will cover useful topics such as how to get your manuscript published, finding the right agent, securing readings and festival bookings, increasing your online presence and knowing when to turn work down. With plenty of opportunity to ask questions and network with other writers, this event should leave you with some practical tips on how to increase your confidence and profile as a working writer. All attendees are asked to bring paper, pen and a short piece of their writing along to the workshop.
How to Submit Your Writing to Literary Journals with Tara McAvoy 9.45am – 12.15pm £15 Literary Literary journals and magazine offer writers opportunities to develop ideas that may not otherwise find a publishing home. The past decade has seen a resurgence in small presses and journals, with 30+ publications across print and online media seeking submissions. Established in 2016, The Tangerine provides a platform for new writers of poetry and short fiction as well as long-form journalism, essays and criticism. Editor and founder of The Tangerine Tara McAvoy talks about establishing the Belfast print magazine and what editors are looking for from writers.
WAlKing tOUrS OF ArMAgh 11am-12noon & 1pm-2pm For those who want to explore everything the City has to offer, a guided walking tour is a must. You’ll walk through Armagh’s rich history as you hear stories and anecdotes about the area, learn about the City’s renowned Georgian architecture and unearth some hidden gems along the way. Departing sharp from Armagh Visitor Information Centre.
www.johnhewittsociety.org
AFTER HOURS Relax at the end of the Summer School day with one of our informal late night events.
bOOK QUiz Monday 23rd July 9:45pm The Market Place Bar Trivia, conundrums, opening lines, bookish musical queries and a few other literary treats we’ll keep up to ourselves for now are all being lined up, as we bring our popular quiz to the Summer School.
liVe MUSic Thursday 26th July 9:30pm The Market Place Bar A pleasure to hear from local musicians and relax after the day’s Summer School events.
ArMAgh theAtre grOUp preSentS Open Mic night Friday 28th July 9pm £5 (Tickets at venue) Abbey Lane Theatre, off Thomas Street An Open Mic Night - JHISS Special Poetry, Songs, Yarns & Surprises All proceeds go directly to Armagh theatre group. refreshments provided.
Box Office: 028 3752 1821
BURSARY SCHEME The John Hewitt Community Bursary Scheme The John Hewitt Society offers opportunities for people from Northern Ireland and beyond to experience literature, art and political debate and to explore issues of difference and identity in partnership with many community, voluntary and non-profit organisations. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors a limited number of community bursaries are available which cover the full cost of attendance at the Summer School. The community bursary scheme is an important aspect to our outreach programme. Feedback from attendees tells us that without it many would be unable to attend the Summer School. Previous bursary students have gone on to become published writers, lead workshops, host live author events, invited to read at poetry and writing festivals, and work in the literary sector.
What is a bursary? A bursary offers financial support to those who otherwise would not be able to attend the Summer School. Full bursaries include accommodation for five nights, breakfast and refreshments and ticket entry to all events. Sign up to our mailing list at www.johnhewittsociety.org to receive our newsletter with information on the bursary scheme and our year-round programme of events. If you are interested in sponsoring our bursary scheme please contact hello@johnhewittsociety.org or call 028 9032 4522 “really enjoyed, stimulated by an excellent and varied programme….thank you. i have been amazed and delighted by the consistently high standard of all the events i have attended.” “i’ve made new contacts to enhance my writing, i socialised with new friends, went to pubs & restaurants and even got to read in the theatre. it has been a life changing event for me.”
FREE
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£18 8.00 per p person
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YOU UTH U H HO HOST TE EL Reccently reefurbisheed | Rang ge of multiulti-shaare & priv p ate rooms o available a | En-suitee rooms with private a e showerring faccilities | Free WiFFi
Book at www.arma aghyoutthhosteel.com or ccontacct Armagh h City Yo outh Hostel t: + +44 [0]] 28 3751 1800 e: iinfo@aarm maghyouthhossttel.com
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SUPPORT THE JOHN HEWITT SOCIETY
With your assistance, we can engage readers, support writers and inspire the next generation with great literature. We cannot do this without your help. There are several ways to support The John Hewitt Society: Make a donation online through Virgin Money Giving Search ‘Virgin Money Giving The John Hewitt Society’ Or visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/TheJohnHewittSociety
Send a text to 70070, including our JustTextGiving code TJHS30 and the amount the you would like to give (£1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10). E.g. text TJHS30 £5 to 70070 donate £5 to the Society Make online purchases through easyfundraising.org.uk & select The John Hewitt Society as your chosen charity Search ‘easyfundraising The John Hewitt Society’ Or visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/thejohnhewittsociety
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John Hewitt Society
The John Hewitt Society promotes literature, arts, and cultural activities inspired by the ideals and ideas of the poet John Hewitt.
The John Hewitt Society offers opportunities for people from Northern Ireland and beyond to use literature, art and culture to explore issues of difference and identity. The Society actively promotes cross-community and cross-border links, creating events to encourage debate, understanding, tolerance and acceptance of cultural diversity.
Board, Committee & Staff Chair: Tony Kennedy, OBE Board & Committee: Ryan Cornett | C.L. Dallat | Anne-Marie Fyfe | Dr. Myrtle Hill | Bill Jeffrey Dr. Paul Maddern | Carmel Maguire | Tess Maginess | Paul McAvinchey | Dr. Martin Tyrrell General Manager: Hilary Copeland
Social Media Consultant: Andrew Moore
Principal Funders
The John Hewitt Society is a not-for-profit, charitable status, limited liability company registered at: The MAC, 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast, BT1 2NJ. Company No: NI 41294 NI Charity No: NIC102629
Summer School Sponsors
Booking Information Book online: www.marketplacearmagh.com Book by phone: The Market Place Theatre Box Office: 028 3752 1821 Book in person: The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre, Market Street, Armagh, BT61 7BW Box Office Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 4.30pm. Open until 7pm on performance nights. Tickets: Individual events:
£7, or otherwise specified
Day ticket: (Entrance to all events on any specified day, except workshops)
£40 includes tea/coffee/refreshments
Weekly ticket: including Creative Writing Workshop
£225 includes tea/coffee/refreshments
Weekly ticket: excluding Creative Writing Workshop
£175 includes tea/coffee/refreshments
Creative writing workshop programme
£50
Saturday Publishing Workshops
£15 each
Events run for approximately 60 minutes unless otherwise stated.Creative writing workshops run for 90 minutes.The Theatre operates a ‘Carers Go Free’ scheme – contact Box Office for details. Stay in touch: www.facebook.com/john.hewitt.3158
@The_JHS #JHISS #HewittRocks
Attending the Summer School Latecomers: please note that events will start on time as advertised. Please arrive at events in sufficient time. Out of respect for our speakers and guests, latecomers may not be permitted entry after the event has commenced. How to get to Armagh There are regular bus services (250 & 251 to Armagh from central Belfast. Buses leave from Belfast Europa Bus Centre. Portadown Train station is 10 miles from Armagh. Parking Parking may be available to patrons on performance evenings in Saint Patrick's Trian car park. Simply follow signs for The Market Place Theatre, Saint Patrick's Trian or The Visitor Information Centre. Please note that the car park is a Paying Car Park. The Theatre is situated at the top level of the car park, although parking is available on all levels. There are disabled spaces on each level of the car park. On-street parking is also available nearby, at The Mall and Sainsbury's Car Park. Access The Market Place Theatre are delighted to provide special assistance, if required, to all theatregoers. Should any member of your group require the use of any of these facilities, please contact The Box Office 028 3752 1821 in advance of your visit if possible. Auditorium
The Market Place Theatre Main Auditorium is situated on three levels: Stalls | Mid Gallery | Upper Gallery. There is space reserved for wheelchair users. Studio Theatre The Studio Theatre has unreserved seating. Patrons may choose their own seats when the doors open for a performance in the Studio and seats are allocated on a firstcome-first-served basis. There is space reserved for wheelchair users. There is wheelchair access to the building from the top level of the rear car park. A wheelchair is also available on site. There is a lift which serves all levels of the building. An Infra Red Loop system is available in the Main Auditorium and Studio Theatre. A Copper Wire Loop system is available in Workshop Room 1 and Workshop Room 2. Facilities include lifts to all levels of the building, an infra-red system to assist patrons with hearing difficulties, spaces for wheelchairs, disabled toilets, and street-level access to the building for wheelchair users. Detailed access & venue information is available through at DisabledGo.com One carer goes free for every paying disabled guest. Assistance dogs welcome.
PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE Monday 23th
Tuesday 24th
Wednesday 25th
Thursday 26th
Friday 27th
Saturday 28th
9.45am
10.45am Official Opening
Talk Ciaran Davis
Talk Professor Arthur Aughey
Talk Eli Davies
Talk Monica McWilliams
11.15am
Opening Address Martin Mansergh
Poetry Philip Gross Kim Moore
Poetry Raymond Antrobus Rachel Long
Poetry Ailbhe Darcy David Wheatley
Poetry Ruth Carr Maria McManus
Publishing Workshops 9.45am12.15pm
1.30pm
Fiction Patrick Gale
Fiction Liz Nugent
Fiction Mary O’Donnell
Fiction Sheila Llewellyn
Fiction Michael Hughes
2.45pm
Creative Writing Workshops
Creative Writing Workshops
Creative Writing Workshops
Visual Arts Talk Linen Hall Library
Crime Fiction
Panel Discussion Gregory Campbell MP Trevor Ringland 4.30pm Brid Rodgers
Talk Nabeel Goheer
Panel Institute of Conflict Research Writing & Refugees 6pm Exhibition Launch
7pm
Reading & Exhibition Launch Travelling in a Strange Land. David Park & Sonya Whitefield
8.30pm
Poetry Michael Longley & Imtiaz Dharker
10pm
Book Quiz
Panel Kelly Andrews Kellie Turtle Be=y Carlisle
Creative Writing Showcase 4.00pm-5.30pm Lord Mayor’s Reception 5.30pm
Theatre The Man From God Knows Where: Thomas Russell by Jane Cassidy & Maurice Leyden
Music Ulaid & Duke Special
Dance & Music Edges of Light. Colin Dunne, David Power, Tola Custy and Maeve Gilchrist
Theatre Mikel Murfi in The Man in the Woman's Shoes.
8pm Theatre Mikel Murfi in I Hear You & Rejoice.
Music in The Market Place Theatre Bar
9pm Open Mic with Armagh Theatre Group
Walking Tours of Armagh 11am-12noon & 1pm-2pm