APRIL 2007

The DunLaoghre Poetry Festival in presently in full swing. Here are a few drawings I made. They are rather harsh as I was virtually drawing in the dark and had to make a strong line to even see where to put the next one.............

ALICE QUINN who gave the introductory address, a lesson in itself to everyone here on how to speak or lecture in a university, giving and sharing her insight into Elizabeth Bishop's new hoard of papers and paintings ; with images of scrawled notebooks and paintings availing of Internet technology. A very close acquaintance with her subject and her love of words and rhythms and the special inflections of Bishop's work. No um....s or er..........s and no use of that infuriating appendage ...."you know".

RITA ANN HIGGINS who gave the audience immense amusement and, during the morning, she had given 300 children the delight and enthusiasm to run off and write their own poems.

SEAN O'BRIEN, the poet of the night, whose translation of Dante's Inferno promises really rewarding reading and who gave a most beautiful elegy for his friend the poet Donaghy.

JEAN VALENTINE, a quiet American voice

BEI DAO a poet of beautiful lines and fragile references as he builds up the forms he creates.An exile from China.

MICHAEL LONGLEY

MATT KIRKHAM
"It's no news that history can make a man cry...." Matt won the Strong Award for his collection The Lost Museums.

Maria Macmanus read from her brilliant little volume Read the Dog

CLAIRE MALROUX

CHRISTOPHER REID