Irish Eyes

By Mattie Lennon

Are you a writer? Do you want to become a writer? If you answer yes to any of those questions there is one publication that you can’t afford to be without. The Irish Writers Handbook 2026.If you have this publication on your desk or kitchen table you are in a position to consult a team of experts.

If you have published your first book and you are not too well up about publishing you have access to the wisdom of no less than ten writers. Among them household names like who will give you a step by step account of how to deal with defamation law in Ireland.

On the other hand if you are the type of person who sees something in the course of your everyday life but it becomes a persistent image which won’t go away. What do you do about it? Una Mannion quotes another famous writer, Claire Keegan, who tells the reader what she does, “I have to write a story to make the image go away. It’s like an elbow nudging you into examining something you don’t quite understand, but need to."

An essay has been described as something that’s too short to be anything else. Be that as it may, if you are an essay person Susan Tomaselli’s ,Walk the Line: A manifesto on Essays is for you. Ms Tomaselli starts off with, "I came across the phrase ‘taking a line for a walk’ in the notebooks of Swiss-German painter Paul Klee, and I’ve been carrying it with me for decades now. I don’t think it matters that he was talking about drawing: it’s a perfect description of what an essay is.”

Or why not get a few like-minded people and set up a writing group? I did this some years ago and it was a very fulfilling exercise. Apart from fighting with fellow members about deadlines there were no serious hitches. We brought out two collections of writings which went down very well. We even managed to get the foreword of each written by world-renowned literary figures, the late Professor Brendan Kennelly and Lawrence Block. Peter Clarke gives a blow by blow account about what anyone setting up a writers’ group needs to know He even tells you “where to meet!”

If you want to be a poet; and who doesn’t? You have Milena Williamson, Jessica Traynor and Mark Ward to guide you every step of the way.

If you are a competitive person, there are nineteen pages of a directory which gives a list of publishers, eleven pages of agents and seven pages of journals. And contact details for fifty competitions.

What does a commissioning editor look for in a book proposal?

What is the function of a literary agent ? Or do you want a glimpse into the working life of a children’s book illustrator? How do you present your work to a literary festival such as Listowel Writers’ Week? Each and every one of your questions will be answered in the 426 packed pages of this writer’s dream.

Whether you write crime fiction, memoir, YA or want to just find out a little more about how the publishing industry works, the Irish Writers Handbook will be your guide along the way. In this collection you will find some of Ireland’s most talented authors, editors, publishers and creative pro Details from; Wordwell Books, Suite 5, 17, Corrig Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, D18 N6K8.Email: helen@wordwell.essionals offering insight, practical advice and beautiful essays on craft for writers at all stages.

Details from; Wordwell Books, Suite 5, 17, Corrig Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, D18 N6K8.Email: helen@wordwell.ie

From The Irish Post.

A POWERFUL stage drama written by a survivor of Ireland’s Mother and Baby institutions will be performed in Liverpool next month, bringing personal testimony and lived experience to audiences in Britain. A critically acclaimed play written by a survivor of Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes is set to arrive at Unity Theatre this February as part of a UK and Ireland tour.

The Marian Hotel, written by Caitriona Cunningham, draws directly on the author’s own experience of giving birth while confined in the Marianvale Mother and Baby Home in Newry. The production will run in Liverpool on February 6 and 7, following a sold-out run across the north of Ireland. Produced by Sole Purpose Productions, the play is set in 1979 during the Troubles and follows 19-year-old Kitty as she enters the institution after becoming pregnant outside marriage. Alongside other young women, she is subjected to a harsh regime of discipline, shame and forced labour — conditions that reflect the wider reality of institutional confinement experienced by thousands of women in Ireland during the 20th century.

Despite the severity of its subject matter, the play also captures moments of humour and solidarity among the women, who ironically dub the institution “The Marian Hotel” as a small act of resistance and shared humanity. The production has been widely praised for its emotional honesty and compassionate storytelling. Director Patricia Byrne has said the play confronts “a dark time in Irish history, bringing the voices of women who were silenced and shamed back into the heart of our communities”.

Cunningham said she hopes the play will encourage open discussion about a history that continues to affect survivors and their families. “I want it to open conversations that challenge shame and silence around experiences that still resonate today,” she said. The Liverpool performances are supported by Fréa Renewing Roots, which provides emotional and practical support to survivors of Irish institutions now living in the north of England. Former residents of Mother and Baby Homes, Magdalene Laundries, residential schools or reformatories who are seeking support can contact Patrick Rodgers at Fréa Renewing Roots on 07432 138682 or by email at patrick.rodgers@frea.org.uk.

One audience member, who was adopted as a child, described The Marian Hotel as “more than just a play — it is a cathartic experience, a call for acknowledgement, and a tribute to all the mothers, daughters and children affected by this history”.

The production is supported by Arts Council England and Culture Ireland, with Sole Purpose Productions core-funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland. Additional funding has been provided by public donations and The National Lottery.

The Marian Hotel

February 6-7 at the Unity Theatre

1 Hope Pl, Liverpool L1 9BG

See you in March.