Welcome
by An Cathaoirleach, Cllr Lettie McCarthy
I am delighted to welcome you to the sixteenth annual dlr Poetry Now International Poetry Festival.
Every year dlr Poetry Now gives poetry enthusiasts an opportunity to hear some of the greatest poets of our time read from their work. This year dlr Poetry Now is thrilled to welcome acclaimed Canadian poet Anne Carson to give the 2011 Keynote Address. She will be joined over the weekend by poets and speakers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Estonia and Poland. Of course, Irish poetry will be well represented too with readings by the winner of the 2010 Irish Times Poetry Now Award, Sinéad Morrissey and the winner of the 2008 Rupert and Eithne Strong Award, Dave Lordan, amongst others.
The festival also offers aspiring poets a chance to get involved at workshops and panel discussions and provides an education programme running in tandem to dlr Poetry Now with schools in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
dlr Poetry Now continues to host the prestigious Irish Times Poetry Now Award for the best poetry collection by an Irish poet in 2010 and the Rupert and Eithne Strong Award for the best first collection by an Irish poet in 2010.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council partners with many creative individuals and organisations on the dlr Poetry Now Festival and in particular I would like to thank the Arts Council, The Irish Times and the Strong Family for all their continued support.
On behalf of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council I would like to welcome all our participants and visitors to dlr Poetry Now and wish you all a most enjoyable weekend of poetry.