First published 2013
Creative writing has emerged as a formal academic discipline in Ireland, and this collection examines how it developed and how it works in practice. Leading Irish authors who also teach share their experiences running workshops, seminars, and university programs. They discuss the challenges of nurturing new writers while maintaining literary standards. The contributors include poets, novelists, and educators who have shaped Ireland's contemporary literary scene. Among them is Sinead Morrissey, whose poetry earned her the T.S. Eliot Prize in 2014. The essays reveal how creative writing instruction adapts to Irish literary traditions while embracing international methods. Teachers describe their classroom techniques, student interactions, and the delicate balance between encouraging creativity and providing honest criticism. The book offers practical insights for anyone interested in how creative writing is taught and learned in Ireland today.
Genres: literary-criticism, education, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: academic, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, teaching
Setting: Ireland
Period: 21st-century
150 pages · Hardcover · Four Courts Press