GUEST POETRY CURATOR DECEMBER 2015 – JANUARY 2016: Ciaran Hodgers

Meet Ciarán Hodgers, an Irish writer, poet, mentor and producer, who lives and works in the UK. Ciaran will be the Guest Poetry Curator for Poets’ Corner, supporting aspiring poets and poetry for social change.

Ciaran is an experienced professional, who is not new to sharing his skills with others. Ciaran: ‘I’ve been published, exhibited and perform around the UK and Ireland and in Amsterdam for the international innovative arts festival NEW NOW. I’ve won the International Pangaea Poetry Slam and the Fuel Word Cup as well as being a finalist of several slam around the UK including Word War Manchester, The Great Northern Slam and as a team, in UniSlam in 2013. I mentor young writers and artists at Manchester Metropolitan University Cheshire in my post as Community Engagement and Employability.’

Ciaran is looking forward to his new role at Poets’ Corner: ‘I’m delighted to be guest curator for Leaveners, not only as an interesting format for publishing work but for their specificity of theme and responses. Neighbours, to me, is an interesting theme, especially as an emigrant. I’ve explored cultural heritage and notions of home in my work a lot, and I’m intrigued to see what responses we get to challenge my own concepts and interpretations of the theme.’

If you want to know more about Ciaran or his work: ciaranhodgers.weebly.com. Ciaran’s curator-ship will last two months over December 2015 and January 2016. To submit your work for Ciaran’s review,  contact Jorine@leaveners.org