About Lagan Online
Supporting the literary scene in Northern Ireland and beyond through new writing and reading development. A Verbal project.
Lagan Online Description
Lagan Online is a Verbal Group company.
Central to Lagan Online is the aim of nurturing new talent to build careers in a new environment. Lagan Online is committed to being a leading voice in the area of Reading Development and new writing on the island of Ireland.
Lagan Online offers a platform to promote contemporary voices from Northern Ireland through our '12NOW' series of New Original Writers.
Every writer needs readers in order to thrive, and we want to connect great writers with new audiences, offering the first steps in a career path that closely supports and nurtures up-and-coming talent.
Alongside showcasing new work and opportunities for writers, we will be bringing you stories from Verbal's Reading Room programme, seeing how groups react to new local writers and themes, as well as finding out more about some of the partners and organisations we work with to further the enjoyment of reading across Northern Ireland.
Reviews
Grant to establish a Reading Friends Programme up to £10,000.
Reading Friends is an exciting new UK-wide programme that will empower, engage and connect isolated older people through reading.
Reading Friends brings together volunteers (“Reading Partners”) and vulnerable and isolated older people (“Reading Friends”) through social reading.
... Verbal would like to commission one test project in Northern Ireland to explore ways of developing and delivering Reading Friends.
The test project will be funded to undertake activities from September 2018 to 31st August 2019.
How do I apply? Read the Reading Friends Information Document to see if you are eligible: https://verbalartscentre.rit.org.uk/…/r eading-friends-grant…
Please request and fill out an Expression of Interest form from Sinead Devine at the following email address: readingrooms@thevebal.co
Completed forms should be returned to Sinead Devine at the same email address by 1pm on Thursday 28th June 2018.
If you have any questions about the Reading Friends project please contact Sinead Devine in advance on 028 71 266 946.
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Three new poems from Ross Thompson over on The Island Review.
"Each brave morning, the fresh tide surrenders sodden offerings from the silent world between the waves and the abyss. Shoes, pearls,
... issues of Playboy, dated December, kilos of cocaine, shrink-wrapped in plastic, Lego bricks, tins of ham set in aspic"
http://theislandreview.com/…/three-poem s-by-ross-thompson-n…
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On Saturday afternoon, as part of the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival, and in appreciation of the beautiful area in which they live, Ballycastle Writers and Fairhead Photographic Club Club have collaborated to bring together this unique event of photography inspiring words along with a specially commissioned piece of original music.
The writers will read their work and the photos will be exhibited along side the words they have inspired in The Richard Branson Centre (next to the Manor House) Rathlin Island.
Beyond Words is a partnership project between Cruse Bereavement Care NI and Stroke Association NI, providing a range of bereavement services for people over 60, stroke survivors and their carers, and those living in sheltered accommodation.
The project celebrated six years of the programme last week with a celebratory event at Titanic Belfast, recognising the contributions of its staff, volunteers, and participants. Funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Out – Connecting ...Older People Programme, Beyond Words focused on older people at greatest risk of exclusion and/or isolation, aiming to promote four main areas: mental well being, active citizenship, understanding and respect, and improved bereavement care and awareness in the community.
During the lunchtime event, emphasis was put on the importance of storytelling, and how participants were empowered to share their stories of loss, bereavement and life after loss.
http://laganonline.co/beyond-words-celebr ates-stories-post…/
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The ever popular Belfast Book Festival returns on 6th-16th June, with a bumper crop of events ranging from workshops, book launches, poetry, readings, music, family activities and more. Needless to say, you will be spoilt for choice.
We present Lagan’s top ten highlights of the festival, including Bernie McGill Writer, The Squat Pen, Doire Press, Erin Fornoff, David Braziel, Colin Hassard, Maria Isakova Bennett, Poetry NI, Arlen House, Templar Poetry, Belfast's Poetry Jukebox, Mia Gallagher, Rosemary Jenkinson and Wendy Erskine.
http://laganonline.co/belfast-book-festiv al-top-ten-picks/
Poet Ted Deppe joins Sheenagh Pugh and Annie Deppe in this lunchtime event, today at Linen Hall Library
Free admission. Advance booking via the Linen Hall website. https://linenhall.cloudvenue.co.uk/ofmout hwithteddeppesheen…
Aoife Lyons, Psychology Manager at Verbal Arts Centre, talks to BBC Children in Need about Verbal's Reading Rooms project, hosting shared reading sessions with children in care across Northern Ireland.
Well done Therese Kieran who has won copies of Banshee Lit and The Poetry Review! Thank you to all who responded.
We review Anne Fitzgerald's collection Vacant Possession, from Salmon Poetry.
"Vacant Possession is a record of, and an outcry against, the practice of forcing unmarried mothers in Ireland to give up their babies for adoption. Within, Fitzgerald examines the treatment of both mothers and children by the state, spotlighting a national disgrace, the extent of which is still coming to light...
Fitzgerald has presented a record that must to added to the national dialogue of the... unfolding scandals, one that speaks not only to laundry mothers and fellow adoptees, but to anyone who wants to lift up the veil hiding Ireland’s shame."
http://laganonline.co/review-anne-fitzger ald-vacant-posses…/
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COMPETITION TIME!
We've got copies of the latest Banshee Lit and The Poetry Society's Poetry Review to give away.
Just give us a like, and share this post.
... We'll pick the winner over the weekend, cheers!
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Well done Mel McMahon!
Happy birthday Linen Hall Library!
The next Words for Castle Ward meeting is on Saturday, 12 May, 11am-12.30pm at the Education Suite, Stableyard, Castle Ward and it's a feedback session.
For the feedback session, bring a small number of the piece you would like looked at - poem, short story novel extract. Let facilitator Olive Broderick know if you will be attending at wordsforcastleward@gmail.com