Welcome to the Munster

Literature Centre

Founded in 1993, the Munster Literature Centre (Tigh Litríochta) 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.

THEO DORGAN

Born in Cork, 1953. His poetry collections include The Ordinary House of Love (Galway, Salmon Poetry, 1991), Rosa Mundi (Salmon Poetry, 1995) and Sappho’s Daughter (Dublin, Wave Train Press 1998). He has also published selected poems in Italian, La Case ai Margini del Mundo, (Faenza, Moby Dick, 1999), and a Spanish translation of Sappho’s Daughter, La Hija de Safo (Madrid, Poesía Hiperión, 2001).

He has edited The Great Book of Ireland (with Gene Lambert, 1991), Revising the Rising (with Máirín Ní Dhonnachadha, 1991), Irish Poetry Since Kavanagh (Dublin, Four Courts Press, 1996), Watching the River Flow (with Noel Duffy, Dublin, Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann, 1999), The Great Book of Gaelic (wiith Malcolm Maclean, Edinburgh, Canongate, 2002) and The Book of Uncommon Prayer (Dublin, Penguin Ireland, 2007).
He was the Series Editor of European Poetry Translation Network publications and Director of the collective translation seminars from which the books arose.

He has worked extensively as a broadcaster of literary programmes on both radio and television. He was presenter of Poetry Now on RTÉ Radio 1, and later presented RTÉ's TV books programme, Imprint. He also served as Co-Director of the Cork Film Festival from 1986 until 1989 (along with Mick Hannigan). He became Director of Poetry Ireland in 1989 and served in this position until 2000. He is a member of Aosdána and was appointed to The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon in 2003. He also served on the Board of Cork European Capital of Culture 2005.

Among his awards are the Listowel Prize for Poetry, 1992. He lives in Dublin.

Author Links

Sailing for Home (extract)

Review: Sappho's Daughter (Poetry Greece)

Address: by Theo Dorgan to UCC Graduating Students

Bio and poems at Poetry International Web

RTE Interview with Theo Dorgan (video)

Read Southword Journal Online

Issue 18 now online.

Sean Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition

now closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Best Irish Poetry in English 2010

Visit our bookstore here.

Poetry International.org

The Munster Literature Centre produces the Irish section of this prestigious poetry site. Current featured poets are from Landing Places, the new Dedalus anthology of immigrant poets. For further information, please visit the site at www.poetryinternational.org.

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.

Workshops

Workshops in poetry and fiction run in Spring and Winter at MLC. Contact Jennifer for more information.

Munster Literature Centre

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

Tel. (353) 021 4312955 Email munsterlit@eircom.net