Applications now open for Michael Hartnett Poetry Award 2020

The call has gone out for submissions for this year's Michael Hartnett Poetry Award, which is presented each year as part of the Éigse Michael Hartnett Literary and Arts Festival in Newcastle West, Co Limerick. 

Established following his death in 1999, the award is given, in alternate years, to poetry collections in English and Irish, in honour of Hartnett's work in both languages. 

This year, the award is for a collection of poems in English, published in 2018 or 2019. 

It must be a single collection, not collected or selected poems and must be a third or subsequent collection published by the poet. 

The Michael Hartnett Poetry Award is jointly funded by Limerick City and County Council and the Arts Council and the prize is worth €4,000. 

This year's adjudicators for the award are poets Thomas McCarthy and Geraldine Mitchell. 

The winner will be announced in the autumn and the award presented to the winning poet at Éigse Michael Hartnett in October. 

Organisers are working on a condensed version of the annual literary festival, which will take place in line with Covid-19 guidelines. 

Previous winners of this prestigious award include Julie O'Callaghan, Vona Groarke, Kerry Hardie, Sinead Morrissey, Paddy Bushe, Maurice Riordan, Aine Ní Fhoghlú, James Harpur, Peter Sirr, Mark Roper and Jo Slade, John McAuliffe and Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Seosa mh Ó Murchú, Mary O'Malley, Macdara Woods, and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh. 

Publishers are now invited to make submissions. Application forms and submitted books should be sent to Limerick Culture and Arts Office, Merchant’s Quay, Limerick V94 EH90 by 5pm on Friday 31 July 2020, email artsoffice@limerick.ie.