We are delighted to invite you to an evening of celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of Creative Writing in the Department of English, UCC. 

We plan an evening of readings by some of the newly published graduates from the MA and PhD programmes and we would be delighted if you would join us on:

Thursday, 16^th February 2023 at 6.30 p.m. in the Aula Maxima, UCC

The evening will be opened by the President of UCC, Professor John O’Halloran

UCC’s MA in Creative Writing was founded in 2013 and is directed by award-winning novelist Dr Eibhear Walshe.  To date, the MA programme has graduated 150 students from Ireland, the US, Canada, France, Scotland, Poland, Malta and Cyprus. Creative Writing needs an ecosystem to thrive including publishers, book shops and — most importantly of all — readers. Many of those readers, writers and publishers will join UCC Creative Writing graduates in the Aula Max on 16^th February.   As well as developing careers as authors, UCC Creative Writing graduates have gone on to work with ground-breaking publishers and to start their own magazines, contributing to Irish cultural life.

Flanking the successful growth of the MA in Creative Writing, BA English students can study the subject as part of their programme, while a growing group of PhD candidates have taken higher degrees in Creative Writing. PhD candidates in Creative Writing have won funding from the Irish Research Council, while the PhD by Prior Publication route has enabled UCC research to recognise the achievements of such noted Irish writers as Mary O'Donnell, William Wall and Rita Kelly.

UCC Creative Writing has developed links with the Arts Council, Listowel Book Festival, the West Cork Literary Festival, Munster Literature Centre, Cork World Bookfest, Cork International Short Story Festival, Ó Bhéal and Fiction at the Friary; as well as with publishing outlets including the Irish Examiner, The Stinging Fly and Books Ireland. Industry links include Romero Games and a number of Irish publishers including Banshee Press and Skein Press. UCC Creative Writing also has a successful relationship with the Fulbright Commission.

Creative Writing forms part of the University’s plan to harness and activate our extensive cultural and artistic heritage and to capitalise on our creative assets and skills. Last Autumn UCC launched its first Arts and Culture Plan (2022-2026) and the University community as a whole looks forward to the opportunities that are opening up as part of that strategy.

Refreshments will be served - RSVP to englishdepartment@ucc.ie by Wednesday, 8 February 2023. 

Dr Eibhear Walshe, Director, Creative Writing, Department of English, University College, Cork  eibhear.me   http://creativewritingucc.com/www/