“It was a pleasure to attend Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin's poetry reading and be taken on a journey through the poet's works as she read poems from different stages in her creative career. The vivid imagery of her writings made the words come alive and created an enchanting atmosphere. It was also a special experience to hear a poem in Irish and witness the power and magic of poetry in a language that I didn't understand.”
Lena Fend
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“Ní Chuilleanáin's poetry reading was truly inspiring particularly when she translated one of her Irish poems to English. It really showed the power of exploring different universal concerns and emotions in different languages.”
Tracy Oghogho Uwadiae
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"I am very glad I took the opportunity to attend this poetry reading. I gained some exciting new inspiration for my own writing, and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin gained a new fan. The images she paints with her poems are incredibly vivid. She lets the reader (or, in this case, the listener) experience scenes from other people’s lives for just a few seconds – she offers a glimpse into their situations and emotions, sometimes beautiful, sometimes harrowing. It felt as if I was right there, watching the sunset on an Italian hotel terrace, or listening to the tapping of a girl’s fingers on the tablecloth, as she practices her piano-less concerto. The poems also included several, delightful mentions of cats, which convinced me to immediately buy The Map of the World."
Stefanie Haszler
Photo by Gizem Dogrul.