Useful writing resources
This page contains a list of books, organisations, magazines, websites and other resources that we’ve found to be of use to both ourselves and our authors over the years. We have to give a big mention at the outset to our sister site Writing4all.ie which is fast becoming a highly useful resource for emerging and established Irish writers.
Writing4all.ie contains a forum where Irish and worldwide authors can post work for free, receive feedback and review writing by their peers. If you are interested in joining, simply register on the site and allow your creative juices to flow.
Writing4all.ie also provides access to local writing and reading groups, literary festivals, writing courses and national and international literary news as well as details of exciting writing competitions as well as having a comprehensive resource section.
If you have a favourite site or resource that you think we should add to the list below, please contact us.
Useful writing organisations
Association of Freelance Editors, Proofreaders and Indexers
AFEPI has a full list of freelance proofreaders and editors in Ireland as well as a useful FAQ covering many aspects of getting your work whipped into shape prior to publishing. It’s a great resource for those who are looking to find out more about editing or proofreading or are looking for a professional to help them with their work.
Website: www.afepi.ie
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland is the Irish government agency for developing the arts. They work in partnership with artists, arts organisations, public policy makers and others to build a central place for the arts in Irish life.
Website: www.artscouncil.ie
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland. They are the main support for artists and arts organisations, offering a broad range of funding opportunities through their Exchequer and National Lottery funds.
Mail: info@artscouncil-ni.org
Website: www.artscouncil-ni.org
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest libraries. They hold over 13 million books, 920,000 journal and newspaper titles, 57 million patents, 3 million sound recordings, and so much more.
Website: www.bl.uk
National Library Of Ireland
The mission of the Library is to collect, preserve and make available books, manuscripts and illustrative material of Irish interest. Users of the Library include those engaged in long-term research, others who may wish to view a book or newspaper article or those with a specific once off need.
Mail: info@nli.ie
Website: www.nli.ie
The Library Council
An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) was established to provide advice, assistance and services to library authorities in relation to the public library service.
Mail: info@librarycouncil.ie
Website: www.librarycouncil.ie
Ireland Literature Exchange
Promotes literature of Ireland internationally. Primarily awards translation grants to international publishers, showcases Irish writers abroad and hosts literary translators in Ireland.
Website: www.irelandliterature.com
Poetry Ireland
Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann is the national organisation for poetry in Ireland. As an organisation they are dedicated to developing, supporting and promoting poetry through Ireland.
Mail: poetry@iol.ie
Website: www.poetryireland.ie
Writing Centres
Irish Writers Centre
The Irish Writers’ Centre is the national development agency for the development of writers and writing in Ireland. Mail: info@writerscentre.ie
Website: www.writerscentre.ie
Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre
The Seanchaí – Kerry Literary & Cultural Centre is a visitor attraction in the Heritage Town of Listowel which presents the works of the great Kerry writers in a unique audio-visual experience.
Website: www.kerrywritersmuseum.com
Mail: info@seanchai-klcc.com
Munster Literature Centre
Based in a centre in Cork city, dedicated to supporting and developing literature and writers throughout Munster. Also runs a number of literary festivals and awards.
Website: www.munsterlit.ie
The Western Writers’ Centre
The Western Writers’ Centre (Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlín Maude) Galway is the only writers’ centre West of the Shannon, Ireland.
Website: www.twwc.ie
Writing magazines
Irelands Own Magazine
Ireland’s longest running magazine and a great supporter of Irish writers.
Mail: Irelands.own@peoplenews.ie
Website: www.finnvalley.ie
Irish Book Review
The Irish Book Review reviews high quality, upmarket books of Irish interest, i.e. written by Irish authors, or where the subject has some specific interest to an Irish audience.
Website: www.irishbookreview.com
The Dublin Review
The Dublin Review is a quarterly magazine of essays, criticism, fiction and reportage
Website: www.thedublinreview.com
Writing courses
Dingle Writing Courses
An autumn series of residential writing workshops across a variety of literary genres that takes place in the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry.
Website: www.dinglewritingcourses.ie
Writing festivals
Dublin Writers festival
An important literary festival which coincides with BloomsDay. The recipient of the IMPACQ Award is announced during the festival Website: www.dublinwritersfestival.com
Strokestown International Poetry Festival
An international poetry festival that takes place in Co. Roscommon over the first weekend in May and aims to provide a forum for excellence in poetry in both English and Irish.
Website: www.strokestownpoetry.org
Writers’ Week
One of the longest running literary festivals in Ireland. It has a particular commitment to promoting and developing younger and emerging writers alongside readings by high profile Irish and international writers.
Website: www.writersweek.ie
Yeats’ Society
An annual event which celebrates Irish and international contemporary writers.
Website: www.yeats-sligo.com
The Shop
The Shop seeks to put good Irish poetry before its foreign readers, good foreign poetry before its Irish readers. Each issue of The Shop contains work by established poets, both Irish and foreign, and also poems by talented newcomers, some of them never previously published.
Website: www.theshop-poetry-magazine.ie
Reference
yourDictionary.com
Comprehensive index of online dictionaries in more than 200 different languages. Includes an index of online grammars, word of the day by email, and several pages of linguistic fun.
Website: www.yourdictionary.com
LookWAYup dictionary
LookWAYup is a large online English dictionary that tolerates small spelling errors, shows definitions for multiple senses of the word, and for each sense shows synonyms, related terms, and usage examples.
Website: www.lookwayup.com
DICT Development Group
A Web interface to several freely available online dictionaries, including Webster’s 1913, the Jargon File, and the US
Gazetteer.
Website: www.dict.org
Dictionary.com
Free online dictionary search, translator, word of the day, crossword puzzles and word games, and vocabulary learning
resources for many languages.
Website: www.dictionary.com
EZresearch.com
Provides a directory of dictionaries.
Website: www.ezresearch.com
Lexicool
Searchable directory of bilingual and multilingual dictionaries.
Website: www.lexicool.com
WordSpy
Wordspy is the Word lovers guide to new words.
Website: www.wordspy.com
Translation
BeTranslated
Translation services from and to English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Italian.
Website: www.betranslated.com
Applied language
Language translation to and from 140 languages. Fast turnaround, professional translation at excellent rates. All translators translate into mother tongue and live in-country.
Website: www.appliedlanguage.com
