Poetry readings can often err on the side of passivity - passionate they may be but it's all in the voice. However, the readings in Waterstone's in Dublin's Dawson Street on Tuesday evening to celebrate the publication of poetry journal, Verse, took off in a big way when Maighread Medbh took to the floor.
Kicking off her shoes and taking hold of the mike, she didn't so much read as perform her own work. Bookended by Rita Ann Higgins, Kerry Hardie, Julie O'Callaghan and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, it made for a vigorous evening.
Verse is an American-based publication, but for this issue on Irish women poets it had enlisted the services of poet Vona Groarke as guest editor. "It was a bigger undertaking than I had thought," she said. "But my work was made a lot lighter by the generosity of the contributors."
Keep an eye out this weekend for all the Racine scholars who have arrived in Dublin for a tercentenary conference organised jointly by TCD, UCD and the Alliance Francaise. From the Sorbonne there's Georges Forestier; from Oxford, Alain Viala; from Bordeaux, Jean-Michel Delacomptee; from Munster, Susanne Hartwig; not forgetting scholars from universities around Ireland.
While the conference kicked off in Newman House on St Stephen's Green yesterday, there is still time to catch some of the papers - today's sessions, which are open to the public, take place in the Ussher Theatre in TCD and the Alliance Francaise on Kildare Street.
Of particular interest should be a concert in the Trinity College chapel tonight - although Moreau's oratorio, Esther, which has a text by Racine, was written in the 17th century, it has never before been heard in Ireland.
Reading Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two- Birds can be a dizzying experience at the best of times but tomorrow's non-stop reading in Dublin, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the book's publication, promises to be an even more hectic experience than usual. The brainchild of the Society of Jem Casey and Austrian director Kurt Palm, who met over - what else - a pint of plain in McDaids last year, the reading will take place on board a 1947 double-decker bus as it tours around pubs associated with O'Brien and his work. Kicking off at Davy Byrnes at 11.30 a.m. the bus stops at Paddy Cullen's in Ballsbridge (1.15 p.m.), O'Rourke's, Blackrock (2.15 p.m.), Eagle House, Glasthule (3.15 p.m.), The Sorrento, Dalkey (4.15 p.m.), The Punch Bowl, Booterstown, (5.15 p.m.), Clarke's and the Vintage, Ringsend (6.15 p.m.) and finally Grogan's, South William Street at 7.15 p.m.
A £4 charge entitles anyone to board the bus, borrow a copy of the book and listen to the readers who include politicians Liz McManus and Ruairi Quinn and actors Brendan Conroy and Philip O'Sullivan. Oh, and they will get a free pint of plain, courtesy of Beamish Stout, at the next destination. All proceeds go to the Alone charity.
After last week's Booker furore, it's good to get news of another Irish author making a shortlist. Seamus Smyth's first novel, Quinn, has been quietly making a name for itself in the world of crime writing - Smyth has had three offers from film companies, and they are rumoured to be in six figures at that. Now the book by the Belfast-born, Galway-based writer has made the final three in the running for the 1999 John Creasey Memorial Dagger award. In existence since 1973, these awards honour a first work of crime fiction and are considered prestigious in the rarefied world of crime writing. If he wants to attend the award ceremony to see if he has scooped the prize, Smyth may have to take his life in his hands - it takes place in Manchester in the chillingly named Dead On Deansgate crime festival in Manchester from October 22nd to 24th.
Two items from literary Laois: the first is the recently published Laois Anthology for 1999, From Here To The Horizon, which was the result of Rita Kelly's stint as writer-in-residence in the county. An eclectic mix of poetry, short stories and journalism from more established writers such as Pat Boran and Hugh O'Donnell as well as newcomers, it's lovely to see the fruits of the writer-in-residence scheme between covers in this way.
The second item is news of a symposium commemorating two 19th century sons of Laois, poet and story-teller John Keegan and political writer James Fintan Lalor in Dunamase Theatre, Portlaoise, this weekend.
Politicians feature strongly in the line-up - Alan Dukes and Rory O'Hanlon, as well as DUP councillor Oliver C. Gibson and SDLP councillor Pat McDonnell will discuss Politics and the Pen tonight at 7.30 p.m.