Author Archives: Mary Montague

My first contribution to The Guardian’s Country Diary appeared yesterday: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/06/country-diary-light-bellied-brent-geese-eelgrass-strangford-lough Kez Armstrong, formerly Warden at Castle Espie, and Graham McIlwaine of the Irish Brent Goose Research Group were very helpful to me as I wrote this piece. Thanks to … Continue reading →

I am delighted that my poem ‘Itch’ is included in this new anthology of 250 Irish writers to celebrate 250 years of Dublin bookshop Hodges Figgis. I was honoured to read as part of the launch of the anthology at … Continue reading →

I was delighted to be commissioned by The Guardian to write a short piece on the Sperrins for a feature on wild places. Although I no longer live there, the Sperrins will always be close to my heart, so it was … Continue reading →

Look what was lying on my mat when I got in from teaching in Dungannon today! Galway’s Skylight 47 with my poem Sehnsucht secreted inside. My first time to hold this publication in my mitts and what a gorgeous layout and … Continue reading →

I am delighted and honoured that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has given me a grant from the General Art Award Scheme (National Lottery funded) under the Support for the Individual Artist Programme. This will contribute towards the costs … Continue reading →

The spectacular exhibition of the Dinosaurs of China at Wollaton Hall has been on my to-do list for months. I read about it first in The Guardian, way back in July and it seemed particularly serendipitous that the fossils made … Continue reading →

It’s arrived! I had the great pleasure of Poetry Ireland Review (122), edited by Eavan Boland, landing on the mat with my poem ‘The Opposite Birds’ therein. I’m in great company with a host of poets that I admire – … Continue reading →

Very pleased to have had new poems (The Reckoning; The White Dove; Action; Healing) published in Poetry NI‘s FourXFour, (Issue 22 Summer 2017, which can be downloaded here). I’m in great company with Maura Johnston, Therese Kearney and Anita Gracey. … Continue reading →

The recent Belfast Book festival featured a recording for Lunar Poetry podcasts. I was delighted to be one of the poets recorded, with Anne McMaster, to showcase Women Aloud NI. The episode also features an interview with the editors of … Continue reading →

Delighted to have had my poem Post Mortem published in the latest edition of Cyphers.  Cyphers 83 also features a number of poems, articles and moving tributes to the much-missed Leland Bardwell, former editor. Thanks to the Macdara Woods, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (editors), … Continue reading →