Readings & News
Jane will celebrate the publication of her second collection with Bloodaxe Books, When the Tree Falls, with launches in Dublin and Wicklow and a series of readings in Ireland, the USA and the UK, see details below. Jane reads twelve poems from her new collection in this film by Neil Astley.
When the Tree Falls will be launched in Dublin and Wicklow:
Hodges Figgis, Dublin on Thursday 26 September 2019 at 6pm
Bridge Street Books, Wicklow Town on Friday 27 September 2019 at 7pm
Heartlands Writers: Saturday 14 September 2019, 7pm, Roscommon Arts Centre
Jane 's first reading from her new collection, When the Tree Falls, will be in Roscommon Arts Centre where she will perform alongside Michael O'Dea and Brian Leyden with musical accompaniment. Jane, Michael and Brian will also give writing workshops in the Arts Centre that afternoon, 2-5pm. Jane's workshop will explore 'The Art of Metaphor'. Click here for more information and to book.
Music Under The Mountains Festival, Friday 20 September 2019, 8pm, St. Kevin's Church, Hollywood, Co. Wicklow
Jane will read from All the Way Home and When the Tree Falls in an intimate evening of poetry and music with Eamon Sweeney (guitars) & Cormac Breatnach (whistles). Click here to book.
Hodges Figgis, Thursday 26 September 2019, 6pm, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.
Professor Nick Grene will launch Jane's second collection When the Tree Falls. All welcome!
Bridge Street Books, Friday 27 September 2019, 7pm, Wicklow Town.
All welcome to join Jane for the Wicklow launch of When the Tree Falls.
Dromineer Nenagh Literary Festival, Saturday 5 October 2019.
Jane and Donal Ryan will read and discuss their work in Nenagh Arts Centre on Saturday 5 October, 8pm. Jane will give a Poetry Masterclass in Lough Derg Yacht Club on Saturday 5 October, 9.30 - 12.30. Click here to book.
Lifelines at Quaker Friends Meeting House, Monkstown, Dublin, Saturday 12 October, 8pm.
Jane will read alongside Geraldine Mitchell and Katie Donovan with music from Eamon Sweeney and Cormac Breatnach at a fundraising event for Blackrock Hospice. This event will celebrate the poetry of the late Shirley McClure and will include a panel discussion about the role of creativity in health and illness.
Washington DC: Irish Contemporary Arts Organisation Solas Nua will host Jane's reading tour in the Washington DC region from 26-31 October. Readings include:
St. John's Church (Lafayette Square) Sunday 27 October, 10am.
Catholic University, Wednesday 30 October, 3pm.
The Irish Embassy, Wednesday 30 October, 6.30pm.
Georgetown University, Thursday 31 October, 2pm.
Solas Nua, Thursday 31 October 6.30pm.
Jane will also have a radio interview with Grace Cavalieri, "The Poem & the Poet" on Monday 28 October and a public interview with Ron Charles (Washington Post) in the "Life of a Poet" Forum on Tuesday 29 October, 7pm.
Jane will give a writing workshop on Saturday 26 October 2019, 2-5pm in the Quaker House, Washington DC. She will also give a workshop at the innovative not-for-profit children's organisation DC SCORES.
Poetryfest, New York, Saturday 2 November, 3.30pm.
Jane will read alongside Michael Dickman in the 2019 PoetryFest at the Irish Arts Centre, New York. Other performers include Martina Evans, Stephen Sexton, Paul Muldoon, Kevin Young and Julie Morrissey.
Woodstock Poetry Festival, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Saturday 16 November 2019, 8.30pm.
Jane will read alongside Julia Copus. Other performers at the festival include Hannah Sullivan, Mary Jean Chan, Raymond Antrobus, Kei Miller, Niall Campbell, Hugo Williams and Bernard O'Donoghue.
Goldsmiths, University of London: Jane will read alongside Anne-Marie Fyfe and discuss the theme of "Poetry and Autobiography" in The Writers Centre on Wednesday 20 November 2019, 5pm.
Rathfarnham Castle: With music from Sonamus and others, Jane will read at a special concert to mark the centenary year of the Irish Republic, 21 November 2019, 7.30pm.
Irish Group Analysis Society: Jane will speak about poetry and psychoanalysis with a reading from When the Tree Falls and All the Way Home, followed by a group discussion of this theme: Carmelite Community Centre, Aungier St. Dublin 2 on 23 November 2019.
Poetry by the Weir, Sligo: Jane will read from When the Tree Falls and Shirley McClure's Sligo friends will read from Origami Doll in Osta Café, 29 November, 7pm.
Books Upstairs Sunday Session: Jane will read with Katie Donovan & Maureen Boyle on 8th December in Books Upstairs, 17 D'Olier Street, Dublin, 3pm.
dlr Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire: Jane will read with Julie Morrissey & Grace Wilentz on Thursday 16 January 2020, 7pm.
Wexford Library: Jane will read from When the Tree Falls in Wexford Town on Thursday 20 February 2020, 7pm.
Killagoley Training and Activation Centre Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford: Jane will give a reading on 21 February 2020, 2pm.
Plans are afoot for Jane's return visit to read in Hingham, New England in the Spring 2020.
News
2019
When the Tree Falls, Jane's second collection, will be published by Bloodaxe Books on 26 September 2019.
All the Way Home, an illustrated sequence of poems responding to a family archive of WWI photographs and letters was published by Smith|Doorstop in April 2019, in collaboration with the Mary Evans Picture Library. All the Way Home has received highly favourable reviews in Dublin Review of Books, The Yorkshire Times, Sphinx Reviews and Crossways Literary Magazine.
'Swim', a poem from Jane's second collection, When the Tree Falls, is filmed here as part of a series of films about the river Liffey.
In this episode of the Words Lightly Spoken podcast Jane introduces and reads a poem from When the Tree Falls.
Jane's poem 'Cut' will be published in Future Perfect, an anthology of winning poems from the Trocaire/Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition. The anthology is edited by Mary Shine Thompson and will be launched on 20 September, 5pm, in Poetry Ireland, Parnell Square, Dublin.
'Who owns the field?' from The River features alongside poems by Mary Oliver, Margaret Atwood and Alice Oswald in the August 2019 issue of Harper's Bazaar. The feature will be reprinted in the Korea edition of Harper's Bazaar.
Poetry as Life Force - Jane's article about editing Origami Doll, New & Collected Shirley McClure (Arlen House, 2019) featured in the Irish Times on 2 May 2019.
In early May 2019 the US World War One Centennial Commission WWrite Blog featured Jane's reflection on writing All the Way Home.
Jane gave a reading from All the Way Home and facilitated a poetry workshop at the Boyle Arts Festival, July 2019.
Katie Donovan and Jane presented Origami Doll, New & Collected Shirley McClure (Arlen House, 2019) at the inaugural Shaking Bog Nature Writing Festival, June 2019.
Jane gave a reading from All the Way Home in Wexford Library, 13 June 2019.
The Irish issue of The North, guest-edited by Nessa O'Mahony & Jane, was launched at the Belfast Book Festival with readings from many contributing poets, 9 June 2019.
Jane read her poem, 'Fox Rock Mine' at the launch of The Miners' Way (a 19km walking trail) in Glendasan & Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow, 7 June 2019.
Jane gave a reading from All the Way Home and launched Origami Doll, New & Collected Shirley McClure (Arlen House, 2019) at Listowel Writers' Week, May 2019
With music from Sonamus and the Londubh String Quartet, Jane read poems in a special concert to mark the centenary year of the Irish Republic in Ashford, May 2019.
Origami Doll, New & Collected Shirley McClure (Arlen House 2019), edited by Jane Clarke, was launched in Dublin, Kilkenny College & Listowel Writers' Week, May 2019.
The title poem of Jane's debut collection, The River, was featured on BBC 3 Words and Music, 13 May.
On 10 May Jane gave a reading in the United Arts Club, Dublin which was established in 1907 by W.B. Yeats Lady Gregory and Countess Markievicz et al.
Jane was delighted to introduce her former tutor, the Welsh poet Gillian Clarke, as well as Amanda Bell and Jane Robinson at the Strokestown Poetry Festival 4 May, 2019.
Jane gave a reading in Blessington Library for Poetry Day Ireland on 2 May and at the Listeners, Rathfarnham on 29 April, 2019.
Poetry as Life Force - Jane's article about editing Origami Doll, New & Collected Shirley McClure (Arlen House 2019) featured in The Irish Times on 2 May.
The US World War One Centennial Commission WWrite Blog featured Jane's reflection on writing All the Way Home, 1 May.
Neil Astley (Bloodaxe Books) visited Glenmalure in April to film Jane reading twelve poems from When the Tree Falls. He also filmed Jane reading six poems from The River.
All the Way Home was launched in Manchester on 17 April and Blake Morrison, poet & memoirist, launched it in London on 9 April. Culture Ireland supported readings at both events.
Lucy Collins, Professor of English UCD, launched All the Way Home in Poetry Ireland on 4 April 2019.
On 8th March Jane read alongside Jo Shapcott at the International Women's Day celebrations in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow.
Jane gave a reading to students and teachers, past and present, in St. Dominic's Grammar School, Belfast on 27 February 2019.
The Irish issue of the prestigious UK poetry journal, The North, guest-edited by Jane and Nessa O'Mahony, was launched in London on 25 February and in Dublin on 24 January, kindly hosted by the Irish Literary Society and Poetry Ireland.
Jane gave a reading and responded to student questions at the Oscar Wilde Centre, Trinity College, Dublin on 12 February.
2018
'Who owns the field', from Jane's debut collection, The River, is featured in Issue 6 of the Australian literary journal, Other Terrain.
Olivia O'Leary interviewed Jane about All the Way Home on The Poetry Programme, 4 November 2018. You can hear the interview, including Jane reading three poems from the sequence, here.
Jane and Nessa O'Mahony guest edited the Irish issue of The North, one of the best loved UK poetry journals.
'On the boat', from Jane's debut collection, The River, is featured in Issue 6 of the Australian journal, Backstory.
Poems from The River will be translated into Romanian as part of a Bloodaxe collaboration with the MA Programme for the Translation of Contemporary Literary Texts (MTTLC) at the University of Bucharest.
Two poems from The River are featured in an anthology of contemporary writing, New Roscommon Writing 2014-2019, published by Roscommon County Council.
Poetry Ireland invited Jane and Blake Morrison to discuss memoir and poetry and to read from their work in the James Joyce Centre, Dublin on 13 November 2018.
Jane performed poems from All the Way Home with Eamon Sweeney (guitars) & Cormac Breatnach (susato whistle) at the Kilbride Music Festival, 9 November 2018.
Jane read a poem from the forthcoming All the Way Home in an event commemorating Irish WW1 casualties - St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, 1 November 2018.
All Saints National School, Mullingar invited Jane to facilitate a WW1 poetry reading and writing workshop on 17 October with 5th & 6th classes. The workshop was supported by Westmeath County Council.
Jane launched Ron Carey's collection, Running Down the Sun on 23 November, Jessica Traynor's collection, The Quick and Doireann Ní Ghríofa's collection, Lies, on 30 October and Breda Wall Ryan's collection, Raven Mothers, on 11 October 2018
As part of the Dublin Festival of History, Jane gave a talk about WW1 poetry and read from her forthcoming collection, All the Way Home, in Richmond Barracks, 3 October, 2018. In advance of the event she was interviewed on Arena, RTE Radio 1. Here is a YouTube clip from the interview and the interview in full.
Jane facilitated a poetry masterclass, 'Revisiting the Line' in the Irish Writers' Centre in October 2018.
For Culture Night 2018, Jane performed the Poetry & Music of Wicklow with Eamon Sweeney (guitars) and James Mahon (uilleann pipes) in Bridge Street Books and at the Trocaire/Poetry Ireland event in Dublin.
Jane was featured in an article about writing in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine, 8 September, 2018.
As part of Heritage Week 2018, Eamon Sweeney (guitars), Cormac Breatnach (susato whistle), James Mahon (uilleann pipes) and Jane gave a series of performances in Bray, Tinahely and Hollywood; Music and Poetry of Wicklow.
In late August, Jane gave a reading alongside other authors from the anthology celebrating 250 years of Hodges Figgis bookshop, Reading the Future, New Writing from Ireland, Arlen House, 2018.
Tom D'Evelyn writes an appreciation of 'River at Dawn' from The River in his poetry & philosophy blog, 20 August 2018 - Form Matters.
'Base Hospital, Boulogne', a poem from Jane's WWI sequence is featured on the Mary Evans Picture Library Blog, Poems & Pictures, 19 July, 2018.
One of the poems in Jane Clarke's World War One sequence was nominated by One Poetry Journal for the Best of Net US Awards, August 2018.
'Swan', a poem from Jane's forthcoming second collection with Bloodaxe Books is featured in a new anthology celebrating Patrick Kavanagh. The Lea-Green Down, edited by Eileen Casey and published by Fiery Arrow Press, was launched on 18 July, 2018.
Novelist & educator, Shauna Gilligan interviews Jane here about her forthcoming collection with Bloodaxe Books, When the Tree Falls.
Jane gave a talk about writing poetry to the inaugural Lake District Summer School of Nature Writing, 30 June, 2018.
Journalist, Ronan McGreevy quoted from Jane's poem. "In Glasnevin" in his Irish Times article of 21 June, 2018 about the gay patriots who helped found the state.
Nessa O'Mahony interviews Jane and Geraldine Mitchell about poetry of place, nature and landscape in The Attic Sessions.
A new poem from Jane's WWI sequence is featured in the latest issue of One, a twice-yearly US poetry journal.
UCD Library Special Collections invited Jane to read eight poems for the Irish Poetry Reading Archive. All are published here on YouTube.
Carlow Writers' Collective invited Jane to read at the Carlow Arts Festival, 10 June 2018.
Jane gave a reading alongside poet, Lemn Sissay and fiddler, Danny Diamond at the Strokestown Poetry Festival on 5 May 2018.
Jane gave a reading with poet, Michael Coady at the Cúirt International Festival of Literature in Galway on 24 April 2018.
The Herald Scotland featured two poems from The River, 'First Love' and 'Arctic Hare', 20 April 2018. POEM OF THE DAY is edited by Lesley Duncan.
Near FM podcast from Monday 26th February where Jane reads a new poem, "Birthing the Lamb" and is interviewed about her work.
Poet, Ciarán O'Rourke interviews Jane here for his new website of Irish poets reflecting on their writing: Island's Edge, Poets on Poetry.
As part of Way with Words, a new Co. Wicklow literature festival, Jane facilitated a workshop to set up of new writing groups and hosted Moya Cannon's reading & an open mike in Arklow Library.
Jane judged the 2018 New Writing Poetry Prize for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.
The Irish Times published a new poem of Jane's on 6 January 2018, "She pulls herself up." This poem is in memory of Jane's close friend, the poet, Shirley McClure.
Hodges Figgis marked its 250th year anniversary with an anthology of new Irish writing. Jane has a poem in this extensive anthology, Reading the Future, New Writing from Ireland.
An anthology of new poems in response to Patrick Kavanagh will be published later in 2018. Jane wrote a poem, "swan", in response to Kavanagh's beautiful lyric, "Consider the Grass Growing".
In March 2018, Jane was the guest speakers at the Briena Staunton Practice of Writing Seminar in the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, Trinity College Dublin.
Clonmel Literary Arts Society invited Jane to give a reading and lead a discussion of her work in February 2018.
2017
Katie Donovan, Siobhan Campbell and Jane gave a reading to a full house in The Rathgar Bookshop on Thursday 30 November.
The new anthology, Metamorphic, 21st century poets respond to Ovid, was launched in Poetry Ireland on 29 November, 2017. Jane wrote a poem for it responding to the Arachne and Minerva story, "Weave".
Jane took part in a panel discussion and reading with Paula Meehan, Stephen James Smith and Philip St. John in The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely on 10 November 2017.
Jane read at the Avondale Voices Concert in St. Saviour's Church, Rathdrum on 5 November 2017 in aid of Rathdrum Cancer Support.
Jane recorded her poem, "In Glasnevin", on 31 October, 2017, for the Richmond Barracks exhibition to commemorate the 77 women imprisoned there after the 1916 Rising. The poem was inspired by the lives of Elizabeth O'Farrell and Julia Grenan, who had leading roles in the Rising.
"Every Tree", a poem from The River, was Poem of the Day in The Herald (Scotland), 14 October, 2017.
Roscommon Country Council organised a series of writer workshops in schools. Jane worked with 5th year students in Roscommon Community College, 16 November 2017.
The Arts Council / An Comhairle Ealaíon awarded Jane a literature bursary in September 2017 for the completion of her second collection.
"The Ringer", a poem from The River, was Poem of the Day in The Herald (Scotland), 14 September, 2017.
Jane read one of her new poems, "Ploughing in Wexford" on Poetry File, now featured in Evelyn Grant's Weekend Drive, at 5.50 pm, Saturday 30 September.
Jane gave a reading with poet, Geraldine Mitchell at the Bray Literary Festival, 23 September 2017, during which Nessa O'Mahoney interviewed them on the theme of "Poetry & Landscape."
Jane facilitated a writing workshop and gave a reading with local poets in the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, 9 September, 2017.
Jane has four new poems in the Summer 2017 issue of the North. Issue 58 is available to order from http://www.poetrybusiness.co.uk/.
"A Poem, An Image" - Jane and fourteen other poets are invited by Roscommon County Council Arts Office to respond to one of the fifteen new artworks by Roscommon artists on display in the Civic Offices, August 2017. The poems will be displayed alongside the artworks in September 2017. Jane has written a poem in response to "Friendship" by Carol Wood.
Jane gave a reading with Rita Ann Higgins and Louis de Paor at the Ledbury Poetry Festival 2017. Here is a Ledbury Poetry Festival video of the reading.
A new poem, "Four Storeys Up", was Poem of the Week on the RTE website from June 30 - July 30, 2017
American poet, Teri Cross Davis, and Jane gave a reading in Poetry Ireland on 29 June 2017.
Numéro Cinq published a new sequence of poems by Jane, in memory of her father - 13 June 2017.
Jane read a new poem, "Cattle Stick" on the Lyric FM Poetry File on 1 June 2017.
Jane read her Listowel Writer's Week Poem of the Year 2016, "In Glasnevin" at the Listowel Writers' Week Opening Night, 31 May, 2017.
"He stood at the top of the stairs", is featured in the first issue of Poetry Ireland Review to be edited by Eavan Boland. It is Poem of the Week on Poetry Ireland's homepage, 22 May 2017.
Jane read new poems at the Trocaire-Poetry Ireland Poetry Competition Awards Ceremony on 24 May, 2017 in the National Library, Dublin.
Jane recorded a poem, "Birthing the Lamb" for the weekly poetry feature on Near FM, community radio in Dublin North East; 23 May 2017.
Hingham Poetry Group invited Jane to give a reading in Hingham in May 2017. She also gave a reading in Jones Public Library, Amherst and a workshop in Cambridge, MA.
Poet, Thomas McCarthy, reviewed The River in the April 2017 issue of the TRUMPET, Poetry Ireland's literary pamphlet. "...this is poetry of exceptional beauty and accomplishment." See Reviews page for more detail.
Jane gave a workshop, Promoting Your Poetry, at a Poetry Ireland and Words Ireland seminar for Poetry Day Ireland, 27 April, 2017.
RTE Radio One's Drivetime broadcast a short interview with Jane on 27 April as part of a piece about Poetry Day Ireland.
"Cattle Stick", one of Jane's new poems will be broadcast on RTE Lyric FM Poetry File on 1 June, 2017 at 11 am.
A six poem sequence from Jane's new work will be published in an upcoming issue of the on-line journal, Numéro Cinq.
To celebrate National Poetry Month, April 2017 in the US, Standard Issue UK posted Hazel Burke's response to 'Back of an Envelope' from The River.
Jane has recorded two poems for the new RTE Lyric FM & Poetry Ireland poetry slot. Poetry File will be broadcast every Thursday at 11 am, starting on Ireland Poetry Day, 27 April, 2017.
Jane judged the 2017 Rush Harbour Festival poetry competition.
Jane is interviewed here about the influence of the river Suck in her first collection, The River.
Jane was one of the judges for the Poetry Ireland/Trocaire Poetry Competition 2017.
2016
Jane's poem, 'In Glasnevin', first published in The Irish Times, won the inaugural Irish Poem of the Year Award 2016 at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards. Here's an interview from the awards night.
Jane has a new poem in the anthology in honour of Eavan Boland from Arlen House, Washing Windows? Irish Women Write Poetry. She also has a new poem in the recent issue of Prelude, a New York based journal.
The River was chosen as one of the 28 best poetry collections on a US blog for 2016 - you can read the selection here.
Jane was the guest reader on the Gillian Clarke and Imtiaz Dharker Poetry Masterclass in Ty Newydd, National Writing Centre of Wales, October 2016.
To mark Remembrance Sunday 2016, the Mary Evans Picture Library featured one of Jane Clarke's new poems here.
Jane travelled to the US in October 2016 for two readings and a workshop at the Los Gatos/Listowel Festival of Irish Literature. She also gave two readings in DC; a joint reading with Terri Cross Davis in the Hillyer Art Space with for Solas Nua and a reading with questions in St. John's Church, Lafayette Square. Pen/Faulkner Foundation invited Jane to give a workshop to students in Bell Multicultural High School, DC.
'Who owns the field?' from The River was the featured poem on the RTE website, September 17th 2016.
Jane Clarke won the 2016 Hennessy Literary Award for Poetry with three poems from The River, 'For Isobel', 'The Blue Bible' and 'Every Tree'. Poet and novelist, Paul Perry gave the judges' commentary: "The winner emerged with a clarity, a hard-earned singularity - a quiet modest voice, one which has an integrity of the lived life to it - neither showy, nor glib, no tricks, or easy punch-lines - but a definite and respectful sense of tradition. Fine detail marked these poems out, 'the fishtail chisel with its shallow sweep', 'the fiddleback grain'. Here are poems of memory, of childhood and affection, written with lyrical grace, finesse and elegance."
The River was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize 2016, for "a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry evoking the spirit of a place." One of the three judges, poet Moniza Alvi, praised the "quiet, lucid, subtle poems, nevertheless urgent in their presentation of a farming background in rural Ireland, and the poet's enduring attachment to it."
Jane is featured with a poem from The River, photographs and an interview in the August 2016 issue of Elementum, a new journal of nature and story.
To celebrate National Poetry Day UK, October 2016, Hazel Bourke wrote a response to 'Back of an Envelope" from The River.
Jane is also featured with an interview and a poem from The River in a new documentary about the river Suck.
2015
Jane has two new poems & an interview in the current special issue of Poetry Ireland Review: The Rising Generation.
A poem from The River is included in a new collection of essays about Yeats, published by Lilliput Press & edited by Declan Foley: Yeats 150.
Jane reviewed an important new study in the May 2016 Dublin Review of Books, Contemporary Irish Women Poets: Memory and Estrangement by Lucy Collins, Liverpool University Press.
Jane gave a joint reading and interview with poet, Shirley McClure, in the University of Alicante, Benissa, Spain in October, 2015. From September to December 2015, Jane and Shirley also read together in the Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, Books Upstairs, Dublin, Bray Arts, Bray and the Imagine Festival, Waterford.
