By Jay Rafferty
Every year in the month of July poets, writers and the artistic of all makes and shapes descend on the little city of Armagh in Northern Ireland to attend lectures, talks, readings and live events provided by the John Hewitt Society. This society was founded with the purpose of “promote[ing] literature, arts and culture inspired by the ideas and ideals of the poet, art historian and political thinker John Hewitt.” and for whatever reason they host a week-long event each year in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh. I normally try to attend one or two events, provided I can get the time off work and can afford them (each event usually costs between £10 and £15. A day ticket could be £45 and up) to support local arts and, of course, to hear some amazing poetry. As a native of the city I’m acutley aware that Armagh has little access to the arts beyond the odd touring play or the John Hewitt International Summer School (JHISS). The city of saints and scholars can’t even boast a bookshop. That is why the Summer School is so important to me. In the north of Ireland the vast majority of the arts is centralised in Belfast and for those of us who can’t afford to visit the big city every other day for fear of missing work or the last bus home such a prestigious event happening in our back garden is a godsend to the decentralised artist. This year was different from the others though. I was incredibly fortunate to apply for and be awarded a non-residential bursary, allowing me to attend all events including a poetry workshop headed by the amazingly supportive Siobhán Campbell and reader, I loved it all.
This year’s theme was Finding the nation: redefining home and country for a shared future. As some of you may be aware, and for those who aren’t I wouldn’t blame you, the concept of national identity in Northern Ireland at an individual and political level is often hotly contested, argued and fought over, moreso perhaps in the last year as Brexit continues to implode around the UK and threatens the Good Friday Agreement which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The opening address did not overly concern Northern Ireland however. Instead we had the good grace of hearing Professor Olivette Otele of the University of Bristol. Professor Otele, who reached us via zoom (curse EasyJet!) and spoke of the complexities of history, collective memory and geopolitics, with particular mentions to her own personal family history as well as the memorialisation of Sir Edward Colston, a 1700s trans-Atlantic slave trader who’s name covers quite a lot of Bristol monuments and public buildings. Professor Otele discussed the toppling of his statue in 2020, which was in reaction to the “execution” of George Floyd and the overwhelming support for the Black Lives Matter movements in England, how since the statue was dumped in the harbour and the topplers prosecuted (and found not guilty) debates have arisen as to what or indeed who should replace it. She spoke extensively about citizenship, race and identity through the lens of memory. To try to summarise all of it in my own words would do a disservice. Professor Olivette Otele’s talk was riveting and drove me to immediately purchase her book “African Europeans: An Untold History” in the foyer. I did say there were no bookshops in Armagh, right? Luckily No Alibi’s bookshop which is situated on Botanic Avenue in Belfast runs a stall at the summer school and it is a awful woe for many student’s wallets.
The day continued with a discussion from the fiction writer Jan Carson (who’s novella, “The Last Resort,” we’ve sang the praises of before) about her new book “The Raptures.” What followed was readings from the poetry collection “Queering the Green,” hosted by Paul Maddern which showcased some of the best queer identifying writers from across Ireland. We laughed, we hurt, we loved the work from this week and “Queering the Green” only set the scene for what was to come! On Monday evening two galleries were unveiled. The first by the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2017, Gareth Reid who presented us with The Island, a gentler and intimate collection of paintings when compared to his work for the National Gallery of Ireland and the Prince of Wales. My favourite was the only one not for sale, though where I’d find a few grand to pay for it I’m still not sure. The second gallery was surreal and gorgeous. The Night-time Adventures of Moondust and Sundance is a blending of watercolour and digital art, inspired by African, Japanese and Asian cultures. As a set they tell a story, individually they are all gorgeous little slices of a world that artist Geraldine Hamoonga Michelo only gives us glimpses at. The first day closed with a Gala concert by the West Ocean Spring Quartet and say we were all pooped is an understatement.
The second day was much like the first. Andy Pollak, the founding director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies Armagh gave an incredibly interesting presentation on how the South of Ireland is not prepared for reunification and how elements of northern Unionism need to be reshaped as positive and inclusive if a reunified Ireland is to escape the same kind of violence that defined The Troubles. What became clear to many of us bursary students was that the question selections in Q&A’s was a little biased towards male attendees above the age of 50. We did mention this to a few of the organisers and they were more than happy to accommodate that change in behaviour for us throughout the week. Questions started to come from more women and to the younger attendees (myself included) and quite a few of us bursary students were thankful for it. More literature followed! The County Down author David Park discussed his latest novel “Spies in Canaan” with the prolific memoirist and political commentator Malachi O’Doherty who I became fast friends with throughout the week. He was also a fan of question asking and even got one in with Andy Pollak! And oh, such beautiful poetry. Award winners Victoria Kennefick and Richard Scott read from their collections, “Eat or We Both Starve” and “Soho.” It is incredibly hard to sit as a poet in one of these talks and not start to lash down a few lines of your own, especially when the readers are so funny and honest and wholesome (a theme that persisted throughout the week), even if the poems are a little on the racy side (looking at you Mr. Scott). That evening we heard Gareth Reid talk about the difficult processes of his work and his incredible talent of capturing detailed hands in paint, something I believe most artists hate with a passion. The evening concluded, for me at least (I had to skip Pat Kienvane’s performance of the play “Before” to prepare for a job interview on the Thursday), with the Slugger O’Toole panel that brought together a diverse group from the world of politics who all answered the question What is home to you? Sorcha Eastwood, an Alliance Party MLA talked of the impact growing up in Lisburn during the tail-end of The Troubles; Alex Kane, a political columnist with a heavily Unionist background spoke of a teddy bear he received when he was adopted and still has to this day; Lilian Seenoi-Barr the Programme Manager of the North-West Migrants Forum and SDLP councillor for the Foyleside Ward in Derry City spoke about her childhood in Kenya, the rights of Maasai girls and women and her work combating female genital mutilation in the regiond. I must admit one of these people was much more interesting than the others and it was a shame that we heard the least from Lilian Seenoi-Barr.
Wednesday opened solemnly with a talk given by Martin Collins, the Co-Director of Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre on traveller equality in Ireland post ethnic recognition. I am ashamed to admit that Mr Collins made me realise I had inherited some biases from the community I grew up in towards the Traveller people. We were all shocked and appalled to learn of the high suicide rate for young men in that community and the 13’000 nomadic families living in squalor and desolation in the country today, largely inadequately supported by the local governments. I did not get the chance to but I would like to thank Mr Collins deeply for his talk, I know that it affected us all personally and that everyone in that room had one unfounded belief or another challenged and overturned by his passionate presentation.
After a cup of tea and few free pastries provided for the bursary students, we heard the poetry of Jessica Traynor and Nandi Jola. Whoever paired all these artists together knew what they were doing! Not only did the themes of Traynor’s “Pit Lullabies” and Jola’s “Home is Neither Here Nor there” compliment one another (both discussing elements of motherhood and violence towards women) but their genuinely warm reading voices and sparkling personalities shone all the brighter for reading together. I have to give a shout out to Nandi who inspired a poem that I went on to write and read at the Workshop Showcase on the Friday evening. I never realised how many times as a redhead I’ve heard the words “Can I touch your hair?” What came after this was a conversation between Wendy Erskine and Bernie McGill, celebrating the short story. I wondered throughout this talk (after just finishing Stephen King’s “The Shining” and hearing Jan Carson discuss her novel “Raptures” earlier in the week) did they, as short story writers, picture each new fic as happening within an extended universe, the Erskine Universe or the McGill Universe. The answer was not as MCU adjacent as I had hoped but still, fun to imagine, no? Streamed live from The University of the West Indies in Jamacia following the short story talk was the deeply funny and powerful poetry reading from Edward Baugh (a Professor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies) and Mervyn Morris ( the first Poet Laureate of Jamaica since independence). An amazing event that I invite you all to view on youtube. Also buy “Black Sand” and “Peelin Orange.” You won’t regret it. Wednesday ended with the highlight of the week for some: Ardal O’Hanlon! The comedian most Irish people grew up watching in “Father Ted” in the 90s discussing his latest novel, “Brouhaha” which continues to ride the Irish Best Sellers chart. This man was everything I thought he would be and more. Incredibly funny, quick as a whip and smarter than I could ever hope to be. When pushed to read a little from the book at the end of the night he struggled to find an appropriate section, to which someone in the crowd responded “Sing us a tune then!” If you’re a “Father Ted” fan you know what followed, if you aren’t allow me to give you an education.
I unfortunately missed a few talks on the Thursday preparing and taking the job interview (I didn’t get it but that’s ok. They were lovely and liked me a lot so that’s something at least.) What I did get to hear was Louise Kennedy and Una Mannion discuss their novels “Trespasses” and “A Crooked Tree.” What warmed a lot of us in that talk was the obvious affection these women have for one another as friends and writers. The talked about their writer’s group in Sligo and how both books found their origins from some of the writing they did there. Speaking of friends, I haven’t shared what was perhaps the best part of the week. The wealth of talent I had the good fortune to meet that week baffles me! Poets, prose writers, crime writers…I can’t go on. I’ll go on. I made many lasting friendships, had many pints of Guinness and workshopped many touching, funny, gentle, raucous poems at this event and with a bit of luck you’ll hopefully be reading pieces by them in the near future, if not from Sage then from another lucky lit journal. There was revelry in Mckenna’s Bar, Red Ned’s, The Vintage and too many renditions of “On Raglan Road” in each.
Friday was, for many, the end of the Summer School and perhaps was one of the best days of the whole week. Beginning with some words about the man himself, Dr Tara McEvoy talked about John Hewitt extensively, his connections to the short-lived Lagan Magazine (of which Hewitt featured in every issue) and the connections between his own work and that of his contemporaries. She also spoke with Dr Frank Ferguson of Ulster University, an old lecturer of mine, who is also a Committee Member of the John Hewitt Society and a very entertaining teacher. The Galley Press then presented three of their latest collections from three remarkable poets, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, John McAuliffe and Molly Twomey. It is incredibly beautiful to hear poetry read in Irish and Ailbhe drew many a misty, tearing eye in that auditorium. Molly’s work too stuck a huge emotional chord with us, her poetry talking very openly about the relationship the speaker has to their eating disorder and how it has affected their family as well as themselves. The journalist, Audrey Magee followed up with a discussion and brief of her new novel “The Colony” about two men (one English, the other French) visiting a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Something I learned this week that I’ve always suspected is Irish writers, present company excluded, are incredibly funny. Magee’s deadpan delivery of “It’s grand” from her Irish boatman to the panicking painter boarding his dingey got us every time. What followed was a showcase of some of the amazing writing talent I’ve already praised and a certificate ceremony for the bursary students (oh and a free feed). The highlight of the week, for me at least, was the performance of “Misses Liffey” a musical act by Darina Gallagher and Sinead Murphy. It’s inspired by and features depictions of the women from the works of James Joyce that take place along the length and breadth of the River Liffey. I brought my mum to see this one and she loved every minute, even the Anna Livia Plurabelle monologue that kicked it off and confused a fair few of us. The humour, the energy of the performers and, of course, the music itself was a perfect way to finish out the week; with a tune.
I was incredibly fortunate to attend the John Hewitt International Summer School this year thanks to the generosity of the Society Board, Committee and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council but even if I can’t attend everything next year you know for a fact I’ll still be there! If you can make it, go to it. You wont regret one second. Well, you might regret the walk home after the pubs but you know what I mean!
Jay Rafferty is the Poetry Editor of Sage Cigarettes Magazine.
