Marché de la Poésie
Ireland : Country of Honour

Marché de la Poésie is one of the major literary events of the year when hundreds of booksellers, publishers, writers, musicians and lovers of poetry occupy place Saint-Sulpice on the Left Bank of Paris. Ireland has been chosen as ‘country of honour’ this year and will be represented by Eavan Boland, Ciaran Carson, Eamon Grennan, Biddy Jenkinson, Medbh McGuckian, Maighréad Medbh, Paula Meehan, John Montague, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Joseph Woods. Together with readings and discussions, two new anthologies and two new collections in French translation will be launched. Two concerts - traditional music and jazz (see Music section) – will resound in this beautiful square in the centre of the 6ème arrondissement.

In conjunction with the Marché de la Poésie, a month-long series of poetry events is taking place in Paris and its outskirts. The CCI is organising three evenings for this Périphérie, the first of which is the launch of the Marché and its Périphérie at the Embassy of Ireland on 27 May in the presence of the great poet Paul Durcan (by invitation only). On 13 June, Seamus Heaney, Nobel Laureate, will give a special reading in the courtyard of the Centre Culturel Irlandais; on 27 June the final evening of the Périphérie will feature readings by Harry Clifton, Vona Groarke and Derek Mahon. (Details below)

Full details of the programme for the Marché and its Périphérie: www.poesie.evous.fr