Any good at Haikus? The Royal Canal Haiku Competition 2013

Ever written a Haiku? Ever wanted to write one? Well how about entering a competition to challenge and broadcast your talents. The common practices of Haiku are the use of three lines and seventeen syllables (usually 5-7-5) to create a short poem with allusion to nature or the seasons. But not all haiku adhere to this strict syllable count and many variations can be found.
 

The Royal Canal Haiku Competition 2013,
in association with Haiku Ireland

Haiku Ireland (www.haiku-ireland.com) are delighted to announce the launch of a Haiku Competition in association with the Dublin City North Volunteer Centre (http://www.volunteerdublincitynorth.ie/).

The Centre is planning a Royal Canal Day on Saturday 12 October 2013, which will involve cleaning up the canal as well as celebrating the life and local stories of the canal. For this event, it has been decided to hold a haiku competition on the following theme: canal and city waterways.

Prizes (cash and haiku publications) will be awarded to the winners and the winning haiku will be painted on a wall along the canal.

1. Rules

1.1 Applicants

Eligibility: this competition is open to all (judges excluded) and there is no submission fee.

1.2 Theme

The theme for all entries is canal and city waterways. These words do not have to be in the entry but the theme is to be present in all entries.

1.3 Entries

All entries must be submitted by e-mail to the following address haikuireland@gmail.com with the following subject: Royal Canal Haiku Competition 2013.

-The author's full name, age and postal address must be included.

-Each applicant can enter up to three haiku poems, in one single e-mail posting.

-Entries may be submitted in any language but an English version must be provided. Judges will determine the winners based on English-language versions. All rights revert to the authors after publication of the results.

-All entries must be original to the author and cannot have been previously published. Haiku submissions to this competition cannot be sent to any other publications for consideration until after the announcement of the winners (12 October 2013). Publication is defined as an appearance in a printed book, magazine, or journal (sold or given away), or in any online journal that presents edited periodic content.

2. Deadline

Entries must comply with the above rules and be received by 30 September 2013 (midnight, GMT).

3.         Judges

Gilles Fabre. Gilles Fabre is the editor of the independent bilingual site Haiku Spirit and his haiku have been published in Ireland, France, UK, USA, Japan, Australia, Belgium, India and Canada. Gilles is a founder member of Haiku Ireland and has won the Museum of Haiku Literature Award (British Haiku Society). Because of a Seagull, his first collection published by the Fishing Cat Press, received international critical acclaim.

 

Maeve O'Sullivan. Maeve O'Sullivan has published her haiku and poems very widely, and some have won awards and been anthologised. Her first collection of haiku, Initial Response, was published in 2011 by Alba Publishing and was well-received. Her second collection, Changing the River, will be forthcoming from Alba in 2014. Maeve is a founder member of Haiku Ireland and conducts workshops in haiku with adults and children.

4. Prizes

The winners' results are to be announced on October 12, 2013.

Grand Prize to one winner: €100, and a selection of haiku publications. The winning haiku will be painted on a wall along the canal (by entering the competition, the applicant agrees to this). Second Prize: €50, and a selection of haiku publications. Third Prize: €25, and a selection of haiku publications.

5. Haiku Guidelines

Entries do not need to follow a strict syllable count or to be in three lines. A haiku is a short poem that conveys the essence of an experience of nature or the season intuitively linked to the human condition. Visit Haiku Spirit (www.haikuspirit.org) for more information on haiku, samples and links.

6. Suggested Entry Format

This suggested format includes all requested information.

E-mail subject: Royal Canal Haiku Competition 2013

E-mail text body: 

Full name (i.e. name/surname and first name):

Age:

Postal Address (including country of residence):

E-mail address:

Entries (maximum of 3):

1. 

....

English version of Entry 1 (if applicable):

....

2.

....

English version of Entry 2 (if applicable):

....

3.

....

           

English version of Entry 3 (if applicable)

....

Coppa at the Royal Hibernian Academy

Just a little shout out for the charming staff at Coppa, the new team managing the cafe at the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place, Dublin 2.


Arriving a little warm from my fast paced march over from shopping on Henry Street and running a little late for my meet up with friends, I was greeted by a welcoming smile as I plonked myself at the table and requested a double espresso. It was brought promptly over to our table and a suggestion of "maybe some iced water?" (!) which again was promptly brought over in a bottle with four glasses.

Although we did not eat the array of baked goods looked delish and I will be back soon to give them a try. Ironically we later found ourselves over at Damson Diner, and it was not until later that I found out that Coppa is also run by the Bereen brothers who run Copinger Row and my fave dive Damson Diner, in collaboration this time with DJ/Event Producer Hugh Scully and Italian Restaurant Manager Frederico Riezzo.

The music was cool and surprisingly benefited from some singing along to by the cafe staff who were obviously enjoying themselves. Sandwiches, salads and soups are on the menu and the coffee is very good. It's open from 8.30am so can be popped into for a pre-shop breakfast, pre-work coffee and opens in the evening during show season.

Coppa @  Royal Hibernian Academy, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2

New Reviews: Tenth of December by George Saunders/ All That Is by James Salter

Catching up on some books published earlier this year I first approached Tenth of December by George Saunders. Wow! What words to describe his original thought and unique story lines? Satire described by the New York Times as 'dark and demented', likened to 'the illegitimate offspring of Nathaniel West and Kurt Vonnegut' these comments go someway o preparing you for the unusual and mind-opening ride that is the experience of reading George Saunders.
  
Tenth of December is a collection of ten short stories published in various literary magazines between 1995 and 2009. Saunders world is both dark and surreal. Unsure sometimes if we really know what is going on, he takes us on journeys that are both unbelievable in their outlandishness as well as being scary in their truth of the potential of human nature in all its guises. Certain stories stick long with you after reading, be it for its disturbing nature or its insight into what could be. With tales ranging from the father who dressed the pole in the backyard for all occasions, internal memos to employees, futuristic drug trials on prisoners to a decorative use for female immigrants.
Daring in approach and stretching the readers mind to accommodate new concepts in storytelling, you experience the extreme feelings of laugh-out-loud and tears of shame.

Tenth of December is published by Bloomsbury www.bloomsbury.com

The publishing of All That Is by James Salter was hailed as 'an extraordinary literary event.' Salter, now in his late 80s has written a novel opening in the US naval battles with Japan and introducing Philip Bowman, a man who returns to postwar America and finds himself in the world of publishing, a literary career in a newly emerging and still somewhat private world. His falling in love and eventual marriage brings him in touch with another world that of the wealthy Anglo Americans but love evades him in reality and he takes time to find true love.
  
Covering important periods of American history and equally important human emotions, Salter is known for his sparse and sometimes haunting prose. The problem with this sparsity is that sometimes it is hard for the reader to get that all important connection with the character, to feel a need to follow their life tribulations. Phrases abound in his praise such as 'elegant' , 'highest artistry' and 'vividly imagined'. All these are true but my patience for Bowman sometimes wore thin in his muted quest for life. The disconnect is all relevant in Salter's writing, as is the affording of the same emotion for common events and tragedy however his more intimate sexual passages are sometimes questionable or even maybe clunky. The wandering between characters and the loose plot cohesion do not do justice to the beauty of the prose and ultimately the reader just does not feel the required sympathy for the main characters necessary to really love this book.

All That Is is published by Picador www.picador.com

Review: Mount Merrion by Justin Quinn

Mount Merrion is poet  Justin Quinn's first novel.  In his acknowledgements he notes 'A novel that covers forty-plus years and touches on details of social life, business and politics incurs obvious debts to history' and this tells you a lot about Quinn's book. It is one that over seven chapters brings the reader snap-shots of a family's life and development, and often leaves you wanting to know more.

   

The novel opens in 1959 in a new County hospital where Declan Boyle has been admitted. The journey travels through the years, each time skipping six to nine years, following the progress of Declan, his wife and their children. The story brings in the recent history of the country and to a certain extent this means that the reader starts to see where the story is leading. The characters are well drawn and believable if a little clichéd. I found myself sometimes frustrated as the story skipped forward when I wanted to know more of that chapter in their life. Declan Boyle's wife Sinéad is an interesting character and the impact of 1970s Ireland on a young lonely mother was a part of the story I would have liked to see developed.

Mount Merrion is an enjoyable read and Quinn's use of reference such as that of historians Diarmaid Ferriter and R. F. Foster amongst others adds real credibility to the story. It has unexpected twists that bring tragedy to the tale, realistic turns that add depth and the return of characters to bring the story full circle.



Mount Merrion by Justin Quinn is published by Penguin Ireland www.penguin.com

New Lindt Chocolate Bars - what's not to like?!

In my opinion there's always room for more chocolate in this world. And in this respect I am always interested when new chocolate bars are launched on the market. The Irish are great chocolate lovers and this month we are can mean more than a greeting when we say 'Hello!'. Being sold in Supervalu and Centra from the start of the month HELLO is a new range of Lindt chocolate.

HELLO Bars (100g) - available in four flavour combinations - Cookies & Cream, Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Brownie and Crunchy Nougat. €2.79 (on promotion at €2).


                                        

HELLO Treat Bars  - For those in search of a little treat on the go available in the same flavours as the bars. €1.29 (on promotion at €1).







HELLO Gifting Range The boxed collection from HELLO is available in a range of options.

                          
HELLO Thank You box                the HELLO Heart Tin  

                    
the HELLO Cube                                HELLO Thins  


But this isn't just a chocolate launch- it's a matchmaking event as well!! Lindt will be at the Tonic Bar in Blackrock on Thursday 26th September at 8.30pm. MatchMaker guests will get to say ‘Hello’ (get it?!) to new people whilst enjoying a selection of Lindt HELLO goodies from the newly launched range. You can't go wrong!
Details of the event can be found at www.thematchmaker.ie 
 

Autumn is Here! Art in Dublin.

We've had a "Long Hot Summer", but unlike Paul Weller's lyrics it did not pass us by. Dubliners got out there in their thousands attending festivals, visiting beaches, lazing in parks and just generally making the most of the good weather. We all look better for it, but with the rain this weekend we are starting to think it may now be over. Autumn is a great time to visit Dublin's galleries; walking the streets is comfortable enough in the cooler weather and you don't feel guilty about being indoors.


Opening on the 18th September at IMMA www.imma.ie is a new exhibition of the works of surrealist Leonora Carrington. Running until 26th January, this is the first major retrospective of her work in Ireland.


Opening on the 11th October and running until 30th March, the Chester Beatty Library www.cbl.ie has a new exhibition for autumn. Costumes Parisiens consists of fashion plates from 1912 to 1914 taken from Journal des Dames et des Modes.


The Gallery of Photography www.galleryofphotography.ie is always worth a visit and a new exhibition opened on 24th August which runs until 1st October. Mark Curran's The Market takes floor stock traders from around the world as its subjects.
 

Despite the ongoing renovations in the old building of the National Gallery at Merrion Square, new exhibitions continue via the Clare Street entrance. August saw the opening of The World of Performance which is on until 8th December in Room 1. An exhibition dedicated to works portraying ballet, theatre and opera. Also still running until the end of September is Shades of Grey; painting without colour in Room 13.
   

I'm a great fan of the work of Stephen Brandes who has exhibited widely but whom I first saw in the Douglas Hyde gallery. His work can be seen in the foyer of the Royal Hibernian Academy www.rhagallery.ie until the 20th December. Other artists exhibiting at the Royal Hibernian are Tony O'Malley, Bennie Reilly, Joanna Kidney, Marlene McCarty and Natasja Kensmil.
 Stephen Brandes


Tony O'Malley                          Bennie Reilly                            Joanna Kidney

   
Marlene McCarty                         Natasja Kensmil

Get out there and enjoy some great art!

Review: The Round House by Louise Erdrich

There are a lot of platitudes banded around when it comes to book reviews and we have all been misled by quotes on books about it being "the best book I've read this year" etc. as we make a rushed purchase at the airport bookshop. In the case of Louise Erdrich's most recent novel, two giants of literature are quoted on the front cover;

       'Louise Erdrich is the most interesting American novelist to have appeared in years.' Philip Roth
       'Louise Erdrich is the rarest kind of writer; as compassionate as she is sharp-sighted.' Anne Tyler

Well in this case we can believe the hype, because The Round House is superb. Unusual, educating, sad, uplifting, frustrating ...I could go on, but this is just to illustrate the extent of emotions Erdrich is able to draw from her reader as we follow the story of young Joe and his family and friends.
      

The Round House is set in North Dakota on a reservation in 1988. An attack has taken place but the details are slow to emerge as a result of the trauma suffered by the victim, Geraldine Coutts. Both the police, her husband Bazil, who is the tribal judge, and Joe her thirteen year old son want to know what happened but Geraldine shuts everyone out and takes to her bed and from this one incident the family's whole world is changed. It is Joe who tells the story and it is Joe who is determined to avenge his mother's attacker. He becomes part of the adult world overnight, a world that he finds ineffectual in its methods of justice, undertaking his own investigation along with his trusty posse of friends-Cappy, Zack and Angus. What he finds causes a separate chain of events to occur alongside the original one, events he is not able to control.

This superb tale, set in the little known world of the Indian tribes has tragedy alongside great humour. Erdrich manages to bring in historical political injustices that the Indian people have suffered without the reader feeling pity but more admiration for how they have held their heads high over hurdles that could have knocked them down. But even though the identity of the peoples is tantamount to the story, the real tale is with Joe, a teenager who takes on the challenge of tracking down his mother's attacker, becoming an adult before he is ready and learning many of life's lessons in  a very short space of time. The characters are richly drawn and we believe in them from the start. We want justice for the crime and are behind Joe even when his choices seem foolhardy. The drawing in of ancient Indian tales is a fine technique, adding weight and extra interest to the text.



The Round House won the US National Book Award. Erdrich has written thirteen books, her previous book being The Plague of Doves, winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The  Round House is published by Constable and Robinson www.constablerobinson.com