Bulletin Board

A new 1- year M.Litt. in Modern Poetries in English has been established at the School of English, University of St Andrews with tuition from Neil Corcoran (Director), Michael Alexander, Robert Crawford, Douglas Dunn, Michael Herbert and Neil Rhodes. We are told that ‘The plural of the module’s title is intended to focus particular attention on ideas of, and debates about national, cultural and gender difference in the poetry of this period and its critical reception. The generic specificity of the title, however, is also intended to convey the fact that matters of style, form and structure will also form some of the crucial analysis and discussion.’ There is a website at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_se/pg/poet.html with fuller details. [ Return to top ]

British Association for Irish Studies (BAIS)The is awarding 4 bursaries of £1,000 each to postgraduate students based in a university in Great Britain conducting research on any aspect of Irish Studies with the aim of enhancing a project or alleviate financial hardship through contribution to travel expenses, fees, subsistence, or other expenses related to the completion of the research project. Applicants must be registered for a postgraduate degree in a higher education institution in Great Britain. Applications and references up to three pages should be sent by to Dr Eibhlin Evans, 48, Brampton Road, St Albans, Herts. AL1 4PT. The winners to be announced in May 2000. [ Return to top ]

The Yeats Society of New York announces its Annual Poetry Competition with a first and second prizes of $250 and $100 respectively for poems in English up to 50 lines, not previously published. There is an entry fee of $7 ($6 for each each additional poem). The competition is open to poets ‘anywhere’ with a deadline on February 15th [sorry, Walt - Ed.]. Contact W. B. Yeats Society of NY Poetry Prize, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park S., New York, NY 10003. [ Return to top ]

The School of English at Trinity College, Dublin is is offering a 3-year research studentship in Scottish literature or Irish-Scottish literary connections funded by the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA) as part of a new Arts Research Programme in Irish-Scottish Studies. The value of the studentship is IR£6,000 per annum plus fees. The successful candidate will subscribe to the M.Litt register initially but may transfer to the Ph.D. after one year [terms and conditions apply - Ed.]. Contact Dr Ian Campbell Ross, School of English, Trinity College, Dublin 2; fax: 353 1 6717114; e-mail: <icross@tcd.ie> is the responsible party. The closing date for applications was 14th February 2000 - so look out for this one next time round. [ Return to top ]

The Renvall Institute of the University of Helsinki has operated a British and Irish Studies programme with a strong Irish component since 1995. Their latest venture is the Helsinki Irish Seminar, a monthly Irish Studies research group with a web address at http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/renval. Petri Mirala, the presiding spirit, can be reached at Renvall-instituutti/Renvall Institute, PL 59, PO Box 59, 00014 Helsingin yliopisto 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; or email: <petri.mirala@helsinki.fi>. [ Return to top ]

The Irish Translators’ Association has launched a series of Millennium Lectures on "The Languages of Ireland". To date the series has presented Michael Cronin’s "After Bellsybabble: Reflections on The Irish Translation Millennium" Terence Dolan’s "Translating Irelands: The English Language in the Irish Context", and Jean-Michel Picard’s ‘The French Language in Medieval Ireland’. Cronin made a mark recently with Translating Ireland, an examination of the translation-phenomenon in Ireland down the ages which places him in close proximity to Joep Leerssen as a wise commentator on the ‘antiquarian’ side of Irish literary affairs. Dolan’s Hiberno-English Dictionary, honourably noticed in these pages last year [tu pige! - Ed.], has likewise settled into place as a vade mecum for students of our hyphenated culture. Picard is also at UCD. The Association has premisses in The Irish Writers’ Centre at 19 Parnell Square, Dublin, with a website at http://writerscentre.ie. Michael J. McCann at <mjmccann@connect.ie> and tel./fax 01-627 1249 has all the details. [ Return to top ]

The Irish Studies Centre at the University of North London has recently advertised (and presumably filled) a post-doctoral research-post in 20th Century Irish Diaspora Studies to be carried on under the supervision of Mary Hickman. Proposals with a transnational dimension were particularly encouraged, and forthcoming publications were likewise welcomed. Interviewing took place on 17th February 2000. [ Return to top ]

The Sydney James Joyce Foundation and the Irish Writers Centre (Parnell Sq., Dublin) are offering a four-week Residency at Varuna Writers’ Centre at Katoomba, Eastern Australia, over 20th April- 20th May 2000. The offer affords any Irish author of poetry, prose, fiction or drama the taste of ‘quiet space for writing balanced with the best surf beaches at Byron Bay and great bushwalking in the Blue Mountains’ - all amid 1,000 square miles of national park with cliffs and gullies hewn from a vast sandstone plateau for neighbours (along with four other writers). A special feature is the "Suspended Sentence Award evening, at which previous winners who have travelled to Dublin will co-present with the visiting writer.

The successful candidate will also attend the Sydney Writers Festival as an official guest on May 17th. Airfares & accommodation are covered along with an allowance of Ir£3,500 [thar’s gold in them Blue Mountains - Ed.]. Entrants should have two books in print. Contact to ‘Suspended Sentence 2000’, c/o Irish Writers’ Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 2, Ireland, or the same at Sydney James Joyce Foundation, P.O. Box 1250, Rozelle, Sydney N.S.W., Australia 2039.

Temple Bar Properties invites applications from creative writers for occupancy of three furnished, non residential writers’ studios on Eustace Street in Temple Bar for a 3 or 6 month period between January and July 2000. Established and emerging writers are equally welcome. The studios are offered at a nominal fee and rental per week of £20 including all utilities and VAT. CV’s and samples for the second term of occupancy (i.e., July- December) to this address by 20th March: Gráinne Millar, Programming Manager, Temple Bar Properties, 18 Eustace Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; tel: 01 677 2255; fax: 01 677 2525; email: <info@temple-bar.ie>. [ Return to top ]

ABC-CLIO is canvassing interest in an Encyclopedia of Colonialism (3 vols., 1,200pp.) with a view to publication in 2001. The Encycylopaedia promises to be a comprehensive reference-work covering the subject since 1400 including material on every significant anti-colonial movement [how can they tell? - Ed.] The publishers and editor are currently looking from expressions of interest from possible contributors for over 80 major and some 500 others currently on the headword list. All bright and breezy. The publisher adds, 'We are particularly interested in identifying contributors who would be able to undertake delivery of completed entries within relatively short deadlines necessary to met the projected publication schedule.' From this sentence the whole saga of modern reference works can be inferred. Notwithstanding our jealous comments, those interested should contact Professor Page, Gen. Ed., at <colonial@etsu.edu> or Encyclopedia of Colonialism, Dept. of History, East Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 70672, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.