Sadbh, always keen on the Irish angle, was most interested in the announcement on Monday that Roy Foster is to be a Booker Prize judge this year. How he'll fit in reading all those books on top of his work as Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, beavering away at volume two of his massive life of W.B. Yeats - and numerous other commitments - it's hard to imagine, but like they say, if you want something done, give it to a busy man. Another Irish link on this year's panel is the presence of art critic and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup whose journalist father Peter was a much valued colleague on this newspaper until his untimely death in his 30s in 1978.
No novice to book awards, Mariella Frostrup has served on the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Esquire Non Fiction Awards committees. Foster and Frostrup's fellow judges are Sunday Times literary editor Caroline Gascoigne and novelist Rose Tremain, with author and journalist Simon Jenkins as chairman. Leaks about how they gel as a group and the highs and lows - dare we suggest blow-outs - of their spell cooped up together will no doubt reach our ears as the year progresses. Then abracadabra; all will be revealed in London's Guildhall on November 7th.
Shoot the Scattering is the name of a unique photographic project, based in Co Clare. Over the last two years, six photographers - John Kelly, Mike Mulcaire, Veronica Nicholson, Christy McNamara, Eamon Ward, and Patrick McHugh - have been shooting film of Clare emigrants in 31 countries. The photographers focused on 55 emigrants, who now live and work in countries as varied as Pakistan, China, Australia, Japan, Spain, Poland, and Zimbabwe - all certainly now a long, long way from Clare.
The photographs have been gathered together in a book called Shoot the Scattering, which is available in a collectors' limited edition of 250, each one signed by patron Dr Paddy Hillery and the photographers, for £250. The organisers are hoping for large sales of the limited edition to libraries, the corporate sector, collectors, and Clare-lovers, since all proceeds go to the county's branch of St Vincent de Paul. There will be a paperback version launched later in the year, at the more modest price of £25. Orders and more information from 086-8076126 or Shoot the Scattering, c/o McMahon Group, O'Connell Street, Ennis, Co Clare.
The British Poetry Society is announcing the winners of the prestigious annual National Poetry Competition this weekend. First past the post was Simon Rae, who has been presenting BBC Radio 4's Poetry Please for five years, with his poem Believed. For the second year running, an Irish poet has taken second prize. Dubliner Enda Wyley, whose most recent collection is Socrates in the Garden, took the £1,000 second prize with her poem `Diary of a Fatman'. Last year, Cork-born Greg Delanty took second place and his compatriot, Michael Riordan came third, so the Irish seem to be starting a trend. Perhaps next year an Irish poet will win the £5,000 outright: now that would be a good example of successful Anglo-Irish relations. Entry forms for next year's competition are already available, (more SAEs needed) from The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BU: Website; www.poetrysoc.com
Listowel Writers' Week alerts us that the prize for its annual short story competition will be known from this summer onwards as the Bryan McMahon Short Story Award, in honour of the late Kerry writer . The prize-money for the winning story increases this year to £1,500, and the adjudicator is doyen of the field, David Marcus.
Workshop facilitators this year will be: short-story writer Claire Keegan for short fiction; poet and non-fiction writer Pat Boran for a "getting started" workshop; poet and novelist Mary O'Donnell for a "more advanced writer" workshop; playwright Mary Halpin for writing for theatre; novelist Christine Dwyer Hickey for novel-writing; poet Michael Coady for poets starting out; poet Medbh McGuckian for poets who have had some work published already; RTE radio producer John MacKenna for writing for radio; and director Gerry Stembridge for screen-writing. More information by calling 068-21074, or sending an SAE to Writers' Week, PO Box 147, Listowel, Co Kerry.
Sadbh notes that footballer, label lad, Spice-spouse, and doting daddy David Beckham has taken up writing poems: something to keep his mind occupied while waiting for the ball to come his way. Beckham is one of several famous folk who have contributed poems to an forthcoming Quartet anthology called A Hug O'War, from which all proceeds will go to the children of Kosovo.
Sadbh