Hallelujah for 50ft Women

This beauty arrived through my letter box this morning! My advance copy of Hallelujah for 50ft Women poems selected by Raving Beauties and printed by Bloodaxe. My poem The Beast is Dead, Long Live the Beast is in there, amongst some knock me down inspiring poetry... much needed refreshment for my muse - after a year of novel writing, the process has begun to feel like wading through mud :)

'This new anthology is inspired by a passionate desire to celebrate our bodies in a fully realised way, leaving Barbie’s grotesque silent pliability in her box for good. Instead of pouting, our mouths have the power of language, our romantic fluttering hearts give and receive compassion, skin ages with grace when we see beauty in everything, a pierced belly button connects us to our ancestors and a belly needs to be strong before it's flat.

This book has been selected from over a thousand submissions. New poets published here for the first time are proud to share this anthology with established writers such as Selima Hill, Kim Addonizio, Jackie Kay and Helen Dunmore. By revealing the complex depths of our relationships with our bodies Hallelujah for 50ft Women makes a much needed contribution to a compassionate understanding of our evolving selves.'

Poethead

C Murray

Fancy being inspired? Poethead, a poetry blog run by C Murray, features a wonderful poem by Moyra Donaldson,  The Goose Tree today. The blog also contains a wealth of information on contemporary and historical poetry by women, including an index of Contemporary Irish Women Poets

WomenRuleWriter Interview

I'm over at Nuala Ni Chonchúir's WomenRuleWriter Blog in Galway today.

Nuala is an award winning novelist, short story writer and poet.  Here's The Irish Times on her latest short story collection Mother America - ‘Ní Chonchúir’s precisely made but deliciously sensual stories mark her as a carrier of Edna O’Brien’s flame.’ 

One of Nuala's questions was Who are the women writers who make you think yes! and why? You can read my answer, and the full interview here

 Next week I'll be in the UK for my last interview chatting to Jennifer aka Old Kitty.

MSLEXIA WOMEN'S POETRY COMPETITION 2010

copyrightniamhboyce2010 "Feather Head"
WOMEN WHO WRITE
This is a poetry competition from Mslexia Magazine, a publication for women who write. The judge is Vicki Feaver and all winning poems will be published in Mslexia magazine. The entry fee is £5 for up to three poems.
Closing date: 26 JULY 2010
Details (Some of them anyway!)
#Poems may be in any style, of any length, on any subject. Sequences will be judged as separate poems. Each poem should be typed, on A4 paper, single sided and with pages numbered.

#Please do not write your name on the same sheet as your poems. Your poems will be judged anonymously. Enclose a separate sheet with your name, address, telephone number, email address, plus the title/s of your poem/s.
Mark your envelope ‘Women’s Poetry Competition.’

#The entry fee of £5 allows you to enter up to three poems. You may enter as many times as you like, provided each set of poems is accompanied by the £5 entry fee.
Entry fees are payable in sterling.

#Entries may be submitted online. Payment of entry and the submission of poems must be done at the same time. There is a £1 processing charge to cover administration.
Entries sent by post can be paid for online via our website (you must send a copy of your payment confirmation with your poems) or you can phone +44 (0)191 233 3860 with your credit/debit card details. Cheques should be made payable to Mslexia Publications Ltd.

#Winners will be contacted by post in September 2010 and winning poems will be published in the OCT/NOV/DEC issue of Mslexia.

We will accept poems from women of any nationality from any country. You do not have to subscribe to Mslexia to be eligible, but you do have to be a woman.
Further details can be found at Myslexia
Oh! and the prizes are - 1st Prize £1,000, 2nd prize £500, 3rd prize £250 - 22 other finalists will win £25 each. Good luck women!