Read Your Favourite Author Night

Once a year, it's nice to change the format and read a favourite piece from a favourite writer. Clane writers had a belated Christmas get together last night and a range of personally selected favourite writings were brought along. The great thing about this piece of sociability, as well as catching up with your writerly friends, is that you get to find out about authors who are new to you or to hear about ones you had (nearly) forgotten about.

American author and poet, Maya Angelou (poem Phenomenal Woman), Irish poet W.B.Yeats (Sailing to Byzantium) American travel journalist, Martha Gelhorn, Wilfred Owen (poem Anthem for doomed youth), Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan (Children's story Tales from Outer Suburbia) featured.

My own choices: A Tale of Workers Michael Corrigan (from Prairie Schooner)

and Frida Kahlo visits Ballinasloe and Dancing with Paul Durcan from The Juno Charm

by Nuala Ni Chonchuir.

Reading out someone else's dazzling offerings has to be good for the muse. A bit like singing along to a brilliant song, you always sound like you're in tune.