Being

​Colin Dardis is a neurodivergent writer, editor, arts facilitator and sound artist from Northern Ireland. He currently edits the Poem Alone blog, and co-hosts the Purely Poetry open mic in Belfast with his wife, Geraldine O'Kane.

His work has been published widely throughout Ireland, the UK and USA, and shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing, Erbacce Prize and Over The Edge New Writer of the Year Award, amongst others.

​His sound art project DARDIS has released over 20 albums and EPs from Adventurous Music, Inner Demons Records, aquietroom, 1tracktape, Default Standard Records and more.

Having had a speech impediment when younger, attending speech therapy classes throughout primary school, Colin's initial interest in language and words grew out of these formative experiences. His personal history of autism and mental illness is also an ongoing influence on his work, which has led to a number of charity readings and work in this field.

As an MC, Colin has hosted hundreds of events including open mics, slams and readings across Ireland. He launched the Make Yourself Heard open mic nights in 2006 in the renown Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, at a time when the city had no live poetry scene to speak of outside of the universities, and very few platforms for poets to engage in and showcase their work. In October 2011, he co-founded the popular Purely Poetry monthly event in the Crescent Arts Centre, building it up to become a cornerstone in the NI literary scene through open mics and poetry slams. From 2012 to 2020, he was the editor for FourXFour, an online quarterly poetry journal; and from 2016 to 2018, editor for Lagan Online.

In 2018, Colin was commissioned by ACNI and NICON to write a poem for the 70th anniversary of the NHS. In 2019, his poem Affinity, commissioned by CO3 and Arts Council of Northern Ireland, was presented to Senator George Mitchell at an award event to honour his leadership role in peacebuilding within Northern Ireland. Previously, Colin was an ACES '15-16 recipient from ACNI.

Colin has read, ran workshops and facilitated events with an array of festivals, literary organisations and charities: All Ireland Poetry Slam, Arts & Disability Forum (now University of Atypical), Aspects Festival, BBC Northern Ireland, Belfast Book Festival, Belly Laughs Comedy Festival, Community Arts Partnership, Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT), Creative Writers Network, Crescent Arts Centre, CS Lewis Festival, Eastside Arts, ERC Voices, European Heritage Open Days, First Fortnight, Funeral Services Northern Ireland National Poetry Competition, Holocaust Memorial Day, John Hewitt Society, Music In Mind Festival, Newcastle Arts Festival, Open Arts, Open House Festival, Over The Edge, Poetry Ireland, Stendhal Festival of Art, Translink NI, Verbal Arts Centre and many more.

​For readings, workshop enquiries, bookings, commissions, and book orders, please email colonyink [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk in the first instance.

Awards

  • 'I Have Looked for Inspiration' - winner, Impspired Soundwaves Poetry Competition 2025
  • ​'Whatever Thing Death May Be' - shortlisted, Knocklyon Literary Festival Writing Competition (Poetry) 2024
  • 'Stubborn Mathematics' - longlisted, Bangor Literary Journal 11th Annual Bangor Poetry Competition 2024
  • ‘Fair Weather Dreaming’ - longlisted, Renard Press Building Bridges Poetry Competition 2024
  • Longlisted - Dreich Classics Chapbook Competition, 2023
  • Longlisted - Dreich Slims, 2023
  • 'A Dream of Bogwood - longlisted, Best Single Poems, Disabled Poets Prize, 2023
  • 'Girl Pondering Her Neck' - longlisted, The Poetry Kit Spring Competition 2022
  • Longlisted - Erbacce Prize 2022
  • 'Sheep Dip' - semi-finalist, The Jack Grapes Poetry Prize 2021
  • The Dogs of Humanity - shortlisted, Best Poetry Pamphlet, Saboteur Awards 2020
  • 'After Grenfell' - runner up, Aryamati Poetry Prize 2019
  • Shortlisted - Erbacce Prize 2019
  • Highly commended - Cobh Readers & Writers Poetry Competition 2019
  • 'The Barber Who Never Cuts Hair' - shortlisted, Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2019
  • Longlisted - Best Reviewer of Literature, Saboteur Awards 2018
  • 'Mix' - shortlisted, Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2018
  • Finalist - Princemere Poetry Prize 2017
  • Shortlisted - Over The Edge New Writer of the Year Award 2017 - Poetry
  • Longlisted - Over The Edge New Writer of the Year Award 2016 - Poetry
  • ​Longlisted - Erbacce Prize 2016
  • 'Missed Fight'​ - longlisted, Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2016
  • 'A Fusion'  - winner, Glebe House Harmony Trust poetry competition 2015​ ('In Equal Measure' also shortlisted)
  • Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) 2015-16, Arts Council Northern Ireland
  • 'Light Source' - winner, Fun Palaces #WriteScience Poetry Competition 2015
  • 'Mountaineering' sh0rtlisted, Dermot Healy International Poetry Competition 2015
  • 'Comet' - longlisted, Allingham Arts Festival Poetry Prize 2014
  • 'Perhaps' - winner, Edit Red Writers' Choice Award for Poetry 2006
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Colin acknowledges the kind support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through their Arts Career Enhancement Scheme and Support for the Individual Artist Programme.