leontia flynn was born in 1974. she won an eric gregory award in 2001 and her first book of poems these days (jonathan cape, 2004) won the forward prize for best first collection, and was shortlisted for the whitbread poetry prize. on the basis of this work she was also named one of twenty ‘next generation’ poets by the poetry book society. her second poetry collection drives (jonathan cape) was published in 2008, when she won the rooney prize for irish literature and a major Individual artists award from the arts council of northern ireland.
the whitbread judges described these days as ‘a breathtakingly accomplished debut. these days transforms flynn’s everyday experiences into literary jewels. she has exceptional insight and the writerly rigour of a poet many years her senior’.
fran brearton described the poet as ‘one of the most strikingly original and exciting poetic voices to have emerged from northern ireland since the extraordinary debut by paul muldoon 35 years ago’.
leontia flynn completed a ph.d. thesis on the poetry of medbh mcguckian in 2004, and has published a number of articles based on this work. she has also written numerous non-academic reviews and essays, and is a frequent conbtributer to belfast’s free newspaper the vacuum.
leontia flynn lives in belfast where she has been research fellow at the seamus heaney centre for poetry at queen’s university since 2005.
her third collection profit and loss, is due in 2011.
saturday, march 5 at 4pm
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