Poets Abroad is a group of poets who first met online in 2015 via a poetry workshop facilitated by Kevin Higgins. Towards the end of the course a number of us said that we would be interested in staying in touch.
The initial group included Eimear Connolly, Leslie Thomas, Dick Edelstein, Julie Gilligan, Audrey Molloy, Frances Browner, Bobbie Sparrow and Bernadette Gallagher. The name Poets Abroad was suggested by Bernadette and it was adopted. The idea behind the name was more towards poets walking about in the world. As it happens a number of the group live in US, Australia, mainland Europe, UK and Ireland. The group now exceeds 20 writers and we communicate via a private Facebook group set up by Frances Browner, sharing poems, feedback and other material related to poetry.
The first poetry reading was held in Books Upstairs, Dublin in 2016 organised by Bernadette. The idea grew out of an initial plan to meet Audrey Molloy for coffee on a visit home but after a number of months of planning this turned into a formal poetry reading with Alvy Carragher as the guest poet followed by seven poets from Poets Abroad. Maurice and staff at Books Upstairs were incredibly supportive and the reading was a success and a joyous occasion. So much so that we have turned it into a yearly event with plans in place up to 2025.
Poets Abroad, Books Upstairs, Dublin 2016 organised by Bernadette Gallagher
[From L to R] Special guest Alvy Carragher, and Poets Abroad poets Leslie Thomas, Bobbie Sparrow, Iseult Healy, Frances Browner, Audrey Molloy, Dick Edelstein and Bernadette Gallagher.
Special guest Kevin Higgins [centre] and [From L to R] Poets Abroad poets Leslie Thomas, Iseult Healy, Julie Gilligan, Bobbie Sparrow, Shelley Tracey, Roisín Browne, Frances Browner and Bernadette Gallagher.
Other member of Poets Abroad not mentioned above include: Giles Turnbull, Deirdre Daly, Barbara DeCoursey Roy, Jo Burns [Jo Erbacher], Mary Heneghan, Karin Molde, Louise Viera, Rosie Barrett, Finn Monahan, Gobnait Kearney, Ellen Davis, Pete O'Neill and Deepa Mardolkar.
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Blog updated 16th Aug 2019:
Poets Abroad reading June 2018 hosted by Frances Browner at the Hot Spot, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
[From L to R] Roisín Browne, Karin Molde, Leslie Thomas, Bernadette Gallagher, Iseult Healy, Frances Browner, Bobbie Sparrow, Shelley Tracey, Dick Edelstein.
Poets Abroad reading June 2019 hosted by Julie Gilligan at The Blue Boar, Maldon, Essex, UK.
[From L to R] Jo Burns, Nick Allen, Bernadette Gallagher, Julie Gilligan, Frances Browner, Shelley Tracey, Adrian Green [emcee], Deepa Mardolkar, Denis Ahern [special guest].
Poets Abroad reading September 2019 hosted by Leslie Thomas at the Afton Historical Museum, Minnesota, US. [From L to R] Frances Browner, Leslie Thomas, Bernadette Gallagher, Thomas R Smith, Kay Lee Penton & Barbara DeCoursey Roy
