Munster Literature Centre

The Munster Literature Centre is a non-profit arts organisation based in Cork city, Ireland. It was founded in 1993 to support the promotion and development of literature in the Munster region. Amongst its activities, the Munster Literature Centre organises writing workshops and festivals, including the Cork International Short Story Festival[1] and Cork Spring Poetry Festival.[2] The organisation, based in Frank O'Connor House, also maintains a publishing house, Southword Editions, which publishes, amongst other titles, the literary journal Southword.[3] As of 2025, the Irish poet Patrick Cotter was the director of the Munster Literature Centre.[4]

History

The Munster Literature Centre was founded in 1993 and initially based on Sullivan's Quay in Cork city.[5] In 2003, the centre was relocated to the house where Irish author Frank O'Connor was born.[5]

Publications

The organisation's publishing house, Southword Editions, publishes poetry collections and chapbooks, as well as the literary journal, Southword, which was first issued in 2001.[6] Between 2006 and 2010, Southword Editions published an annual Best of Irish Poetry anthology.[7]

Festivals

Two literary festivals are organised by the Munster Literature Centre, the Cork International Short Story Festival and Cork Spring Poetry Festival. The Cork International Short Story Festival was established in 2000 as the Frank O'Connor Short Story Festival.[5][8] The origins of the Cork Spring Poetry Festival can be traced back to the Éigse festival, which first ran alongside the centre's foundation in 1993.[9]

Literary prizes

The Munster Literature Centre awards a number of literary prizes in poetry and short fiction, including the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Prize and the Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize, presented since 2002 and 2010 respectively.[5][10][11] Inaugural awards for the Farmgate Café National Poetry Award and the Southword Debut Poetry Award were issued in 2019[12] and 2023.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Cork International Short Story Festival". corkshortstory.net. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Cork Spring Poetry Festival". Cork Spring Poetry Festival. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Southword Editions". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Patrick Cotter: 'The world is being led by the generation that did not experience World War II'". Irish Examiner. 13 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "Munster Literature Centre". Words Ireland. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Southword". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Best of Irish Poetry". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Success leads to second short story festival". Irish Times. 11 September 2001.
  9. ^ "Éigse 1993-2009". Cork Spring Poetry Festival. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Seán Ó Faoláin Prize". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  11. ^ "Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Competition". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Leanne O'Sullivan wins first Farmgate Market Cafe National Poetry Award". The Irish Times. 20 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Farmgate Café National Poetry Award Winner". munsterlit.ie. Munster Literature Centre.
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