As part of Islington Irish Month, we are collaborating with London Met University’s Archive of the Irish in Britain.
Each week through March, we will share a digital item from the archive with some commentary from the Special Collections team.
To find out more or to visit the Archive, click here.
First established in 1996, the Irish Writers in London Summer School at London Metropolitan University provides an informal, but informed, setting for participants to read and discuss contemporary Irish literature. It’s also an opportunity to explore the different relationships writers have with place and identity, whether born in Ireland or of Irish descent. For centuries, London has had a profound influence on the imaginations of writers and readers. This has particularly been the case for those who have migrated here from elsewhere. For the Irish, coming to London has been a recognisable yet often unsettling experience. Migration has informed Irish people’s perception of themselves for centuries and nowhere is this more evident than in the country’s literature. The conflicts of cultural identity that migration sometimes provoke have provided the inspiration for countless writers.
Since it began over 25 years ago, the Summer School has invited over one hundred writers to discuss their work, including Edna O’Brien, Eimear McBride, Matthew Sweeney, Emma Donoghue, Ronan Bennett, Martina Evans, Maurice Leitch, Julia O’Faolain, Shane Connaughton, Anne Devlin, Blake Morrison, Polly Devlin, John Healy and Jess Kidd.
This year’s School will take place from 9th June to 15th July. More details.
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