Welcome to the Munster

Literature Centre

Founded in 1993, the Munster Literature Centre (Ionad Litríochta an Deiscirt) is a non-profit arts organisation dedicated to the promotion and celebration of literature, especially that of Munster. To this end, we organise festivals, workshops, readings and competitions. Our publishing section, Southword Editions, publishes a biannual journal, poetry collections and short stories. We actively seek to support new and emerging writers and are assisted in our efforts through funding from Cork City Council, Cork County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland.

Originally located in Sullivan's Quay, the centre moved to its current premises in the Frank O'Connor House (the author's birthplace) at 84 Douglas Street, in 2003.

In 2000, the Munster Literature Centre organised the first Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival, an event dedicated to the celebration of the short story and named for one of Cork's most beloved authors. The festival showcases readings, literary forums and workshops. Following continued growth and additional funding, the Cork City - Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award was introduced in 2005, coinciding with Cork's designation as that year's European Capital of Culture. The award is now recognised as the single biggest prize for a short story collection in the world and is presented at the end of the festival.

In 2002, the Munster Literature Centre introduced the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Prize, an annual short story competition dedicated to one of Ireland's most accomplished story writers and theorists. This too is presented during the FOC festival. The centre also hosts the Cork Spring Literary Festival each year.

Workshops are held by featured authors in both autumn and spring, allowing the general public to receive creative guidance in an intimate setting for a minimal fee. In addition, the centre sponsors a Writer in Residence each year.

We invite you to browse our website for further information regarding our events, Munster literature, and other literary information. Should you have any queries, we would be happy to hear from you.

SOUTHWORD JOURNAL

Southword is a literary journal featuring poems, fiction and reviews and published biannually by the Munster Literature Centre. Options for purchase include individual copies or yearly subscriptions. The current issue and all back issues are now available from the online bookstore for purchase.

Southword Journal is now published in an online format. See the Southword Journal dropdown menu to read the most current issue.

Now accepting submissions. Please read guidelines below carefully.

How to Submit

Submitting via Submishmash is quick, easy and free! The only details you are required to provide is your name and email address. The advantage to using this site is that submitters will now be able to check the status of their submission, seeing easily for themselves whether their work has been accepted or declined. To send poetry, short stories or creative nonfiction to Southword Journal Online:

           1. Click here to go to Southword's Submishmash page.

           2. Click on Poetry, Fiction or Creative Nonfiction, taking note of the                submission guidelines (which also appear below). IT IS IMPORTANT                THAT YOU CHOOSE THE CORRECT CATEGORY, otherwise your                submission may not be delived to the correct editor.

           3. Create your profile. (Click 'Create account and continue'.)

           4. Follow the form instructions on attaching your work and creating your                bio / cover letter.

Submission Guidelines

Southword has published the likes of Haruki Murakami, James Lasdun, and Colm Toibín if you would like to join their esteemed company carefully read the directions which follow.

1. All manuscripts must be sent via Submishmash in the appropriate categories, during open reading times only. Submissions are no longer accepted by post, as Southword is now an online journal. The previous email addresses for poetry/fiction editors should be removed from your contacts as they are no longer the location to send submissions.

2. Work should be submitted in one of the following file formats: .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf. If sending multiple poems, please submit each poem separately. (This allows you & the judge to withdraw, reject or accept pieces individually). There is a strict submission limit of 6 poems; 2 short fiction pieces of 3000 words each; or 2 pieces of literary criticism of 5000 words each. Authors are paid €30 per poem and/or €120 per story published in Southword journal. If the writer lives outside of Ireland, they will be paid by Paypal. (Information on how to set up a Paypal account: http://www.paypal.com ).

3. If submitting poems, prose and literary criticism simultaneously they will be considered by different editors at different times, so to be sure of a response please submit separately, via the appropriate Submishmash category.

4. The first page of the submission should include an up-to-date biographical note with a cover letter. Nb: Works of translation where the original author is still in copyright will require the bios of both the original author and the translator. On the Southword Journal contents page, the poem will be listed under the name of the original author, and the translator will be credited on the poem/story's page itself.

5. Poems, prose and literary criticism (in English and Irish) are considered between January and March 15th each year for our summer issue. Poetry and literary criticism in English is considered between July and September 15th for our winter issue; poetry, prose and literary criticism in Irish is also accepted during this time. PLEASE NOTE after the close of the submission date the editors will make a selection. Authors will be able to check the status of their submission via their profile on Submishmash. Please note that due to the large volume of submissions received, the editor may take up to 8 weeks after the submission deadline to make their decision.


To keep up to date with the publication year-round, join our Southword Facebook Group.

Cork Spring
Poetry Festival

15 - 18 February 2012

Read Southword Journal

Issue 21 now online!

Poetry International.org

MLC produces the Irish section of this prestigious poetry site.
Current poets: Caitríona Ní Chléirchín, Greg Delanty,
Katie Donovan, & Michael O'Loughlin.
www.poetryinternational.org

The Gregory O'Donoghue
International
Poetry Competition

Now closed. Thanks to
everyone who
entered!

Best Irish Poetry in English 2010

Visit our bookstore here.

Festivals

The Munster Literature Centre hosts two annual festivals. The larger Cork City - Frank O'Connor International Short Story Festival takes place each September, while the Cork Spring Literary Festival, with varying themes, is presented each spring. Further information is available on our drop down menus.

MLC Workshops

Workshops run in spring & autumn. Check back in October 2011 for more details!

Munster Literature Centre

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Frank O'Connor House, 84 Douglas Street, Cork, Ireland.

Tel. (353) 021 4312955, Email: munsterlit(AT)eircom(DOT)net