Cúirt International Festival of Literature facts for kids
The Cúirt International Festival of Literature (pronounced kirtch) is a super cool yearly event. It happens in Galway, Ireland, every April. The word cúirt is from the Irish language and it means "court".
This festival brings together writers from Ireland and all over the world. It lasts for about a week. You can enjoy many different events there. These include:
- Poetry and story readings
- Fun discussions
- Poetry slams (where poets perform their work)
- New book launches
- Special workshops to help you write better
- Music and spoken word shows
- Art displays and theatre
The festival started in 1985. At first, it was mainly about poetry. But now, it includes all kinds of literature and art!
Many groups help make Cúirt happen. These include Údarás na Gaeltachta, the National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Arts Council. Galway City Council and Fáilte Ireland also support it.
Each year, Charlie Byrne's Bookshop sets up a special bookshop. You can find it inside the Town Hall Theatre during the festival.
Festival History
The very first Cúirt festival was in 1986. It was called "Galway's International Poetry Festival." It took place from March 12 to 15. Many famous poets were there. Some of them included John Cooper Clarke, Paul Durcan, and Eavan Boland. The festival's founder, Fred Johnston, was also part of it.
By the 2010s, Cúirt started to include more different types of events. Things that used to be small side shows became a big part of the main program.
In 2010, the festival celebrated its 25th birthday! Writers like Joyce Carol Oates attended. However, a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull erupted. This caused big problems for air travel. Many writers could not make it to Galway because they were stuck.
The 2012 festival had many well-known writers. These included John Banville and Lydia Davis. There was also a "pop-up collaborative poetry studio" in a pub. This was a new and fun idea for people to create poetry together.
In 2013, two very famous poets, Seamus Heaney and Michael Longley, appeared together. This was one of Seamus Heaney's last public appearances. Edna O'Brien, another great writer, was also there.
The 2017 festival remembered a French writer named Michel Déon. He loved Ireland and had recently passed away at 97 years old.
In 2018, popular writers like Sally Rooney and Bernard MacLaverty took part. Award-winning poets Sinead Morrissey and Daljit Nagra also joined.
In 2020, the festival faced a big challenge. Due to the pandemic, Cúirt could not happen in person. The organizers decided to do something amazing. They held the world's first completely digital literary festival! Events were broadcast online for free through YouTube. This allowed everyone to enjoy the festival from home.
Cúirt New Writing Prize
The Cúirt New Writing Prize is a special award given at the festival. It helps new writers get noticed. Winners receive cash prizes of €500.
In 2012, Kevin O'Shea won for poetry. Eamon Kelly won for fiction. In 2013, Caoilinn Hughes won for her poems. Hugo Kelly won for his short story. In 2014, Colm Scully won for poetry. Philip Connor won for fiction. They each received €500. There was also a Young Cúirt winner, Saffron Lily, who won €100.
