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Poetic Perspectives with Anthony Joseph at International Literature Festival Dublin 2024

In May 2024 British Council were delighted to bring TS Eliot Prize winning poet, acclaimed musician and novelist Anthony Joseph to Dublin for two inspiring events, in collaboration with International Literature Festival Dublin.

On 19 May, Anthony took part in ‘Poetic Perspectives’, a conversation with two Irish poets on the rise, Gustav Parker Hibbett & Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi. Parker Hibbett is a Black poet and essayist whose first collection, High Jump an Icarus Story, makes its debut in July 2024, and Enyi-Amadi is a poet, communications officer and content creator who has performed in festivals, cultural events and workshops around Ireland.

On 20 May, we were delighted to facilitate Anthony in leading a critical conversation and workshop on the sonnet form and the theme of minority and ethnic heritage in literature with UK and Irish writers. This event provided a space for Black and Global Majority writers to come together and explore and develop their craft.

These events were inspired by Speaking Volumes' Breaking Ground Ireland which was created by University of Galway and Cúirt International Literature Festival to showcases over 90 writers and illustrators from ethnic minority backgrounds on the island of Ireland.

Anthony Joseph is the author of five poetry collections and three novels. As a musician, he has released eight critically acclaimed albums, and in 2020 received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Composers Award.

These events were part of our activity under Culture Connects, British Council's global programme to support organisations and artists in Ireland and the UK to build networks and collaborate, as well as bring artists and audiences together to share and exchange creative ideas. 

Beyond Borders: Cross Border Publishing at International Literature Festival Dublin 2023

In 2023 we partnered with International Literature Festival Dublin on the Beyond Borders: Cross Cultural Publishing event as part of the festival. 

This event looked at the Irish writing scene, where a wealth of writers of all ages and from all backgrounds are making headway in their careers on the international stage. In this context, British Council Ireland and International Literature Festival brought together a panel with three writers from Ireland and the UK to discuss how working across the Irish Sea, between Ireland and the UK, helped their development as writers.

The panel for this event was as follows:

John Patrick McHugh, a writer originally from Galway. His work has appeared in Granta, Stinging Fly, Tangerine and Winter Papers. His first short story collection, Pure Gold, was published in 2021.

Sara Baume, a writer and visual artist based in West Cork. She is the author of three novels, Spill Simmer Falter Wither, A Line Made by Walking and Seven Steeples, as well as the best-selling non fiction book, handiwork, which was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize.

Thomas Morris, the author of We Don’t Know What We’re Doing, a short story collection set in his home town of Caerphilly, South Wales. He was editor of The Stinging Fly from 2014-16.

Kishani Widyaratna, publishing director at 4th Estate and former Editor of Books at Picador Books.

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