Longford to host evening of spoken word and live music as part of Poetry Ireland tour

Poetry Ireland announced details of an evening of spoken word and live music, which will take place in Longford’s Backstage Theatre on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 8pm.

The evening will feature a line-up of acclaimed poets, including Colm Keegan, Felispeaks, Danez Smith, and Erin Fornoff, as well as a special guest performance by singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson alias SOAK.

The event forms part of Poetry Ireland’s ‘Ireland Is’ spoken word tour, which brings Keegan, Felispeaks, McNish, Smith and Fornoff together with musicians in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Longford this autumn.

Through their performances, the artists will shine a light on the Ireland of today and explore themes of identity and social justice, including issues of race, gender, body image, relationships, feminism, equality, love, resilience, and more.

Speaking at the announcement of ‘Ireland Is’, Director of Poetry Ireland, Liz Kelly said: “With this spoken word tour, we are offering audiences a diverse and profound mix of voices and perspectives that explore the Ireland of today in all its complexities.

“The tour takes its name from Colm Keegan’s list poem ‘Ireland Is’ and, like the poem itself, the performances will present us with an opportunity to reflect on Ireland’s multifaceted and contradictory identity; one which is glorious, beautiful, multicultural, open-minded, welcoming, and, at the same time, the opposite of all these attributes, too.”

The Poetry Ireland Director spoke of the depth of talent in the programme: “We are thrilled to gather a group of exceptionally talented poets and musicians, who will bring their unique perspectives and styles to this tour. ‘Ireland Is’ promises raw, honest and thought-provoking expressions of the human experience and asks us to question and engage with the world around us. We invite everyone to join us for one of these poignant performances, which celebrate the power and energy of the spoken word.”

Poet Colm Keegan added: “A poem can be a great start to a conversation; after reading my poem ‘Ireland Is’ in many different settings, including prisons, homeless hubs, primary schools, youth clubs and nursing homes, I’ve found that people always want to add to it.

“Poems can be powerful catalysts for self-expression and creativity, and I really look forward to sharing the stage with Felispeaks, Danez, Erin, and SOAK to find out what ‘Longford Is’.”

Tickets for ‘Ireland Is’ are priced €18-21 and can be purchased directly from the Backstage Theatre ( www.backstage.ie  ).

For more information about the ‘Ireland Is’ tour, visit www.poetryireland.ie .