I'm currently one of the judges for Verbal Arts Centre's Seamus Burns Creative Writing Competition, for which a shortlist of six poems has just been announced.

Launched in July, the prize has been made possible through a generous, anonymous, donation as a tribute to Seamus Burns, father of Derry-Londonderry writer Mark Burns. Entrants were tasked with creating a poem to engage with an audience aged 18-24, dealing with the themes of resilience and exploring how individuals adapt to overcome setback in their lives.

We had a lot of brilliant entries exploring the idea of resilience, from offering advice, to intensely personal testimonies, all challenging adversity and searching for a way forward. It’s been incredibly inspirational reading these poems, and we hope that whoever wins, their poetry will equally inspire others to find comfort and hope.

​Last night in Greece saw the launch of the 'Young Irish Poets' anthology by Vakxikon Publications, a bilingual anthology featuring the literary talents of Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Dylan Brennan, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Alice Kinsella, Stephen Sexton, Seán Hewitt, Rob Buchanan, Ingy Pops, Elaine Feeney, Jess Traynor and myself.

This is the first time my poems have appeared in translation, which is a real thrill (and a double thrill of still being considered a young Irish poet at 39!).

Many thanks to Ingrid Casey and Manuela Palacios-Gonzalez for making the anthology a reality and bringing it to life, I'm honoured to be included.

You can read the introductory essay to the collection, 'Switching Darkness Off', by Manuela Palacios-Gonzalez.