Seamus_Heaney_Centre_for_Poetry

Seamus Heaney Centre

Seamus Heaney Centre

Queen's University Belfast creative writing school

The Seamus Heaney Centre is located at Queen's University Belfast, and named after the late Seamus Heaney, recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Heaney graduated from Queens in 1961 with a First Class Honours in English language and literature.[1]

Quick Facts Formation, Type ...

It was officially opened in February 2004 as ‘The Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry’, and its founding director was the poet and Queen's graduate Ciaran Carson.[2][3] Carson retired as director in 2014. He was replaced by Prof. Fran Brearton from 2014-17, with assistant director Prof. Sinead Morrissey, and then by Glenn Patterson 2018-present.[4]

On 30 April 2009, it gave Heaney a 70th birthday party involving a literary evening.[5]

On 22 August 2023, Queen's University announced the centre, renamed in 2018 ‘The Seamus Heaney Centre’, will be relocated to 38-40 University Road, Belfast, which will receive a £4.9 million renovation. The new centre will display archived material in an exhibition area, and have an expanded poetry library, a large venue area, teaching rooms, academic offices, and scriptorium. It is set to open to the public in early 2024.[6][7]

First Collection Poetry Prize

The prize is awarded to a poet whose first collection of poetry has been published in the previous year by a UK- or Ireland-based publisher.[8] It is part of the Seamus Heaney Legacy Project funded by Atlantic Philanthropies. The winner receives £5,000 and is invited to give the Tom Quinlan Lecture in Poetry at New York University with travel accommodation and a $1,000 honorarium included.

Previous recipients of the Prize are:

  • 2023 - Mark Pajat for Slide (Cape Poetry)[9]
  • 2022 - Victoria Kennefick for Eat or We Both Starve (Carcanet 2021)[10]
  • 2021 - Sumita Chakraborty for Arrow (Carcanet, 2020)[11]
  • 2020 - Laura Scott for So Many Rooms (Carcanet, 2019)
  • 2019 - Ned Denny for Unearthly Toys (Carcanet)[12]
  • 2018 - Richard Osmond for Useful Verses (Picador Poetry);
  • 2017 - Adam Crothers for Several Deer (Carcanet)
  • 2016 - Kate Miller for The Observances (Carcanet)
  • 2015 - Fiona Benson for Bright Travellers (Cape Poetry)
  • 2014 - Tara Bergin for This is Yarrow (Carcanet)
  • 2013 - Sarah Jackson for Pelt (Bloodaxe Books)

References

  1. [1]
    Madden, Anne (22 December 2011). "Seamus Heaney's papers go to Dublin, but we don't mind, insists QUB". The Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  2. [2]
    "Seamus Heaney poetry centre for Belfast". RTÉ Entertainment. 17 February 2004. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2004.
  3. [3]
    "Indian, Irish poets create world's first cultural event". India Edunews. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 21 November 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  4. [4]
    "Queen's University Belfast - The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queens". 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. [5]
    "'Birthday Party' Celebrates Poetry of Seamus Heaney". 4NI. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  6. [6]
    "Queen's announces new £4.9m Seamus Heaney Centre". BBC News. 22 August 2023. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. [7]
    "Queen's University Belfast unveils plans for new €5.7m Seamus Heaney Centre". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  8. [8]
    "First Collection Poetry Prize | Seamus Heaney Centre". www.qub.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  9. [9]
    Savage, Joanne (28 June 2023). "Queen's University announce Mark Pajak as winner of Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize 2023". News Letter. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  10. [10]
    "Announcing the winner for the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize 2022". Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  11. [11]
    "Poetry Prize 2021". Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  12. [12]
    "News | Seamus Heaney Centre". www.qub.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
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