Celebrate Poetry Day Ireland at The Lyric Theatre

Join the Lyric Theatre in celebrating Poetry Day Ireland with a free lunchtime reading by two of Northern Ireland’s most exciting contemporary poets.

“An invasion of waves: motorists urged
to be cautious on the Portaferry Road,

a weight of water assaults the exposed
North Coast. Fury of wind and tide against

ancient white rocks that erode so slowly
they remember the lengthening light long

before the first people arrived here.”

From Hint of the Sea in the Breeze at Steamboat Quay, by Olive Broderick

Olive Broderick is a recipient of the Hennessy X.O. Literary award and currently featured as one of Lagan Press’s 12Now up-and-coming literary talents.  She is recognised as one of the brightest voices in contemporary Northern Irish poetry.

“By a horseshoe bay, calm, clean and ringed by green fields,
we squeeze the last drops from a postcard holiday

spent by the sea. Through glassy memory and dream,
time curves like liquid. You ebb towards me then flow

away. I tightrope walk the sharp teeth of the beach,
combing for treasure, weighing shells, measuring stones

and digging to Australia with my toy spade.”

From July, by Ross Thompson

Ross Thompson is an award-winning poet and writer, and also one of Lagan Press’ 12Now up-and-coming literary talents. His work is inspired by and draws on recurrent themes that include the sea and cinema.

Rebecca Mairs, the Lyric’s Literary Manager says: “We’re delighted to invite Ross and Olive to share their wonderful new work with Lyric audiences.  The Lyric has a rich history of celebrating Irish poetry and poets – a deep-rooted connection that’s reflected in our very name.  Yeats, Hewitt, and Heaney have all played an important role in the development of the theatre.  What better way to honour their contribution than to celebrate contemporary literary talent?”

In keeping with Poetry Day Ireland’s theme this year – “Poetry Connects” – The Lyric Theatre is delighted to be offering this event in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive.  

Olive and Ross will be reading a selection of their recent work, including new poems on the theme of coast and sea which were inspired by the content of the Digital Film Archive. Commissioned as part of Northern Ireland Screen’s forthcoming project, ‘Coast To Coast’, these spoken word contributions have been set alongside edited archive films by TACA and new soundtrack compositions by Dáithí McGibbon. These new films and classic archive, featuring Seamus Heaney and John Betjeman, will also be shown at the event.

Thursday 27^th April 2017

1pm-2pm, Lyric Theatre Belfast