Poetic duo Armitage and Hayes join forces for Cúirt
English poet, playwright and novelist Simon Armitage will make a return visit to the Cúirt International Festival of Literature in April, when he will be joined by US-born Terrance Hayes for a joint reading on Saturday, April 29.
Yorkshire man, Armitage is the author of almost a dozen collections of poetry with his latest, The Unaccompanied, due to be published by Faber in April. Much of his work is darkly comic and he is known for his deadpan delivery.
He has also published two novels and three best-selling non-fiction titles; All Points North, Walking Home and Walking Away. Armitage’s writing for television and radio includes the BAFTA-winning film Feltham Sings for which he received an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting. His translations of medieval verse include his acclaimed Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and his recent translation of the melancholic poem, Pearl. He is Professor of Poetry at the University of Sheffield and was elected Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford in 2015.
Simon Armitage will be joined at Cúirt by acclaimed American poet Terrance Hayes who won the 2010 National Book Award in Poetry for his collection Lighthead. His latest collection, How to be Drawn was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, while his previous collections, Wind in a Box, Hip Logic and Muscular Music have all received prizes.
Hayes’ work has appeared in literary journals and magazines including The New Yorker, The American Poetry Review, Harvard Review, and Poetry Magazine.
The 32nd Cúirt International Festival of Literature will take place from April 23-30 in various locations around Galway City. The full programme of events will be available from March 7.
■ Simon Armitage and Terrance Hayes will read at the Town Hall Theatre on Saturday April 29 at 8.30pm and tickets are on sale now at www.tht.ie.