Mark McGuinness | Poet

The New Irish Poets

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If you find yourself in Dublin between pubs you could do an awful lot worse than pop into Books Upstairs. They have a fantastic Irish Poetry section, where I was lost in O’Hara-esque quandariness before picking up the terrific anthology The New Irish Poets, edited by my near-namesake Selina Guinness.

It features Irish poets who have published their first volume within the past 10 years, which means the youngest poet is Leanne O’Sullivan (21) and the oldest Fergus Allen (80) – both of whose collections I’ve read and recommend. There are a few other familiar (to me) names in the book, including Colette Bryce, Sinead Morrissey and Kerry Hardie. And I can’t believe Maurice Riordan qualifies, it feels as though he’s been around much longer than a decade.

I started the book on the no. 247 bus to the airport and honest to goodness this is where the book fell open:

Poetry

It’s a bit like looking through the big window
on the top deck of the number 47.

I’m watching you and her and all of them,
but through my own reflection.

(Nick Laird)

I couldn’t find the anthology on the Books Upstairs website (hence the Amazon link) but there’s plenty more online. And my experience of the shop was first class – I spoke to a fellow called Des who was very friendly and knowledgeable. Give him my regards if you visit the shop.

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Comments

  3. Thanks Michael, that’s an original way of presenting poems. Do you create the videos yourself or use a designer?

    I see you’re into karate, I’ve been learning aikido for a year and feel I’m starting to grasp what it’s about. I’m sure it’s good for my poetry to have a mind/body discipline.

  4. Hello, am going to a an Irisih poets night on 17/3 in London so this looks interesting, will check out the recommended sites,

    byeeeeeeeeeee

  8. Hello, I really enjoyed your site. Would you consider linking up with me? Tell me what you think of my freewrites, I’m always up for criticism.

  9. Thanks Alice. I’m actually planning on redeveloping this site soon so if I add any links they’ll get swept away in the transformation! Your site looks interesting, sorry I don’t have time for an in-depth critique.

    all the best – Mark

  10. Even though you are on the other side of the pond, and I cannot visit the places you mention–I have enjoyed your site.