Strokestown International Poetry Prize

 Grace Wells

Grace Wells was born in London in 1968.  Her debut poetry collection, When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things (Dedalus Press, 2010) won the 2011 Rupert and Eithne Strong Best First Collection Award, and was short-listed for the London Fringe Festival New Poetry Award. In 2013 it was translated into Italian by Kolibris Press. Her second collection of poems Fur (2015) has recently been published by Dedalus Press. Formerly Writer in Residence with Kilkenny County Council she mentors writers on behalf of Waterford City and County Council. Earlier books include, Gyrfalcon (2002), a novel for children, which won the  Eilís Dillon Best Newcomer Bisto Award, and was an International White Ravens’ Choice. Other publications for children include Ice-Dreams (2008) and One World, Our World (2009).

Paddy Bushe

Paddy Bushe is a Dublin man living in Kerry since 1973, and was a teacher there until 1990. He has published nine collections of poetry, seven in English and two in Irish, as well as three books of translations. He is a member of Aosdána. He has won the Strokestown International Poetry Prize, as well as the Michael Hartnett Prize and Duais an Oireachtais, and is a former Director of the Strokestown International Poetry Festival. His new collection, On A Turning Wing (Dedalus, 2016) will be launched in Strokestown at this year’s festival.

 

The Percy French Prize

Margaret Hickey

Margaret Hickey is a writer, editor and translator. Her first book, Irish Days, is a collection of oral histories and she hopes shortly to publish a history of food and drink in Ireland from the Stone Age until today. She has read widely in public, including at the Ennis Book Festival, at the Group 8 artists evening in Ballinasloe and at the Iniscealtra Arts Festival in Co Clare. Based beside the Shannon, near Portumna, she is Vice Chair of the town’s annual Shorelines Festival and is the proud winner of the first ever Strokestown Poetry Festival prize for political satire.

 

Duais Filíochta Dhúbhglas de hÍde -The Douglas Hyde Irish Language Poetry Prize.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin has published seven collections of poetry. She is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. She is a founder of the literary magazine Cyphers. Her first collection won the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award in 1973. In 2010 The Sun-fish was the winner of the Canadian-based International Griffin Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the Poetry Now Award. Her latest book of poetry The Boys of Bluehill was launched at the 20015 festival. She is a member of Aosdána.

 

Roscommon Poets Prize