Caldwell and Laird among Northern Irish writers showcased at British Council Literature Seminar

Writers from Northern Ireland including Lucy Caldwell and Nick Laird will be showcased at the British Council Literature Seminar, taking place in Berlin this weekend (24th to 26th February). 

The event, Now Neu NI: Contemporary writing from Northern Ireland, will showcase both new and established writers over three days, with writer and director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, Glenn Patterson, acting as chair. 

He will be joined by six other writers from Northern Ireland including novelist Caldwell, who releases her latest novel around the Belfast Blitz on 3rd March; Laird, a poet, screenwriter and curator from Co Tyrone; and Dublin-based writer Michelle Gallen. 

Also on the bill are emerging writers such as Abby Oliveria, a writer and performer based in Derry/Londonderry; Belfast poet Padraig Regan; and Bebe Ashley, a poet and PhD student at the Seamus Heaney Centre. 

The weekend will consist of readings, panel discussions and author-led workshops. Patterson said: “I first went to the British Council’s Literature Seminar in the 1990s. To be returning there to chair a seminar which focuses on writing from Northern Ireland is a huge privilege. It is heartening to think we could have programmed three weeks of new writing–such is the quantity and quality of the work coming out of here just now–but these three days are an opportunity to introduce to German audiences some writers who they have not met yet in translation and to celebrate new work by writers they may be more familiar with. If everyone leaves thinking ‘I would love to read more,’ it will have been three days very well spent.” 

Jonathan Stewart, director for the British Council Northern Ireland added: “We’re delighted that this year’s literature seminar will focus on writers from Northern Ireland–both well-established and emerging. Over the years, Northern Ireland has produced world-famous poets, playwrights and novelists, and there is a wealth of talent from here. We hope this showcase will help bring Northern Ireland writers to new international audiences, while building and strengthening connections between Northern Ireland and Germany.” 

The British Council Literature Seminar in Germany has brought new literary voices from the UK to Germany for over 30 years. Previous featured writers include Ian McEwan, Robert Macfarlane, Salman Rushdie and Jeanette Winterson. Chairs of the seminar have included Valentine Cunningham, A S Byatt, Patricia Duncker, Professor John Mullan and 2019 joint Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo.  

Events will be livestreamed from British Council Germany’s Youtube Channel from 7.30pm on 24th February here.

To find out more visit the website.