“The Awakened Life”, launched in 2008, addresses important issues that arise in the writing of poetry and fiction. For anyone who has ever wondered how writers find their inspiration and what process they go through to produce the finished work, this will provide a wealth of information, suggestions and advice.
In a series of in-depth interviews, two highly acclaimed writers, Longford poet, Noel Monahan and Laois poet and fiction writer, Pat Boran each discuss the rudiments of their art and outline the writing of a poem/short story from inspiration to publication. Suitable both for those who are just starting out on their journey, and those who have already taken the first steps, this DVD explores such topics as finding inspiration, use of metaphor, creating believable characters, handling dialogue in fiction, and many more. Aspiring writers who are confronting a blank page or experiencing difficulty with the technicalities of their poem/short story will be able to draw on the combined experience of two of Ireland’s most well-known practitioners of their craft, and find the guidance they are seeking.
PAT BORAN
Pat Boran was born in Portlaoise, and currently lives in Dublin where he has been Writer-in-Residence with Dublin City Libraries, Dublin Corporation and Dublin City University. He runs Dedalus Press which publishes contemporary poetry from Ireland and from around the world. He has published four collections of poetry, the first of which, The Unwound Clock, won the 1989 Patrick Kavanagh Award, and was followed by Familiar Things (1993), The Shape of Water (1996) and, in 2001, As the Hand, the Glove. His non-fiction work includes The Portable Creative Writing Workshop (Salmon Publishing 1999). He reviews new publications for a number of literary journals and presents ‘The Poetry Programme’ on RTÉ Radio One.
NOEL MONAHAN
Noel Monahan, from Granard, Co. Longford, is a widely published writer at home and abroad and he has won several national literary awards for his work including: the SeaCat National Poetry Award 2001, the Hiberno-English Poetry Award 2004, the P.J.O’Connor RTE Radio Drama Award 2001, for his play, Broken Cups, the A.S.T.I. Award for his contribution to literature at home and abroad, the William Allingham Poetry Award and the Kilkenny Prize for Poetry. Most recently he won The Irish Writers Union Poetry Award 2006 for “Mickey Maguire”. He has published four poetry collections with Salmon Poetry: Opposite Walls (1991), Snowfire (1995), Curse of The Birds (2000) and The Funeral Game (2004).
