A Girl's Writing Is Never Done (c) Shauna Gilligan 2026
Some of my reading for the new year: a lovely mix of poetry and prose. The photograph shows books (from top to bottom) by: Celia de Fréine, Isabel Allende (my book swap from the Irish Writers Centre Nollaig na mBan event), Maeve O’Sullivan, Samantha Harvey, Susannah Dickey, Dawn Watson, fran lock, Anne Tannam, Patrick Chapman, Neil Hegarty, and Deborah Levy.
Thanks to poets Daragh Bradish and Ron Carey for the invitation to read as a guest writer at the November Listeners session in Revels in Rathfarnham. I enjoyed reading from Mantles and discussing all things Brigid.
It was a great evening and so lovely to hear poetry from Jean O’Brien, Darragh Bradish, Maurice Devitt, Eamon Mag Uidhir and Eithne Lannon among others. I look forward to the next Listeners session in December!
‘The remarkable thing about Çomak’s work is its lack of bitterness. We might expect anger, or a railing against injustice but instead he writes about love and hope and freedom.’ – Irish Times
Turkey’s longest-serving student prisoner, internationally-regarded Kurdish poet and honorary Irish PEN member Ilhan Sami Çomak was denied release due on 21 August 2024. His latest poetry collection Separated from the Sun: poems by İlhan Sami Çomak, Edited by Caroline Stockford is available from Smokestack Books.
Read more about Ilhan Sami Çomak and the global campaign for his freedom over on Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann
Visit Çomak’s website and sign the petition to free the poet Ilhan Sami Çomak.
Shauna Gilligan Writer 