Video of recent reading by WWINI members at UCD

Dear all

A video of the March reading by four members of the WWINI network – Ozotu Rosemary Abu, Cristina Aguilera, Joyce Okpotor and Jane Ovbude – at UCD’s John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies can be viewed on the John Hume Institute website at  http://www.ucd.ie/johnhume/summerprogramme/four_poets.html

It was a marvellous reading and this is a great opportunity to experience it.

And poems by Cristina and Rosemary will feature in the forthcoming issue of fabulous literary magazine The Stinging Fly, which is including a feature of writing by the Diaspora. That’s Stinging Fly, Summer 2009, due out in early July.

Reading by WWINI network members in UCD on 26th March

Dear all

I’m delighted to announce that four members of the WWINI network will be reading as part of the Writing Home series of readings by Writers of the Diaspora at University College Dublin on 26th March. The reading takes place at 1pm in Q014, Quinn Building, UCD and the featured readers are:

Ozutu Rosemary Abu

Cristina Aguilera

Ekaetta-Joyce Okpotor

Jane Ovbude

I hope to see some of you there to support these great women.

All the best

Nessa

Workshop for WWINI Members in Dublin in October

We are glad to announce that writers and performers Bisi Adigun and Eilis Ni Dhuibhne will be giving a workshop for members of the Women Writers in the New Ireland network on Saturday 11th October 2008 at the Irish Writers Centre. Further details are available from Nessa O’Mahony and Pamela Akinjobi by emailing them at wwfinc@gmail.com

 

   

Funding in support of this event provided by the Migration & Citizenship Research Initiative UCD as part of an Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences project on cross-sector and interdisciplinary research in Irish integration policy and practice.

New poem published by WWINI member in prestigious magazine

Dear all

 

Just to let you know about the success of one of our network members. Cristina Aguilera, orginally from Argentina and now living in Tralee, has had a poem, “Come to my wet side …”, published in the latest issue of The Shop, Issue No 27, Summer 2008. The Shop is a very fine magazine and extremely difficult to get into, as I know myself! Cristina has kindly agreed to me reproducing the poem here. 

 

If other network members have any good news to pass on, just let us know!

 

all the best

 

Nessa

 

Come to my wet side …

 

Come to my wet side …

come and know the Lorca, Machado.

Come to my wet side…

That I speak the language of Cervantes

That my body is writing in Spanish

But wants to be loved by you…

My sea skin Irishman.

 

Come to my wet side…

And ride the wild mare of the Pampas

Come to my wet side…

Cross the Atlantic ocean…

And make paths in my body…

Build with your hands,

Build with your lips…

Build with your rustic tender…

Transform my body,

Transform my mood…

Put your seeds in my womb.

 

Come to my wet side….

In my body made of tango

Come to my wet side…

The day that you love me…

And stay with me.

 

Cristina Aguilera

 

Next meeting of network and reading by members

The next meeting of the Women Writers in the New Ireland network will take place between 1.30pm and 4pm on Saturday 8th March at the Irish Writers Centre, 19 Parnell Square.

There will then follow a reading by members of the network to celebrate International Woman’s Day. We hope to include a web broadcast of the reading on the international ezine Her Circle. All are welcome to attend the reading.

Next meeting of network

Dear all

the next meeting of the Women Writers in the New Ireland network will take place on Saturday 8th December, from 1pm to 3.30pm in the Teachers’ Club, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

Activities by Network members

Dear all

Network member Beth Morrissey is giving a course on freelance writing for UCD Adult Education Centre starting in January. It includes hints on how to get writing assignments, which should be of interest to our many members involved in journalism and writing. You can get more detail on the course on the UCD adult ed website at http://www.ucd.ie/adulted

Information about publications by WWINI members

WWINI member Mary Malone has just published her second novel, All You Need Is Love, which will be launched in Eason’s Bookshop, Ballincollig, Co. Cork, on Tuesday 30th October at 6.30pm. All You Need Is Love is published by Dodder Books and you can get more details by visiting Mary’s website at http://www.marymalone.ie

First meeting, new title

The Women Writers in Immigrant and New Communities network had its first meeting in Dublin on Saturday 13th October and decided to change its name. We are now called Women Writers in the New Ireland as we wish to include all women writers living in Ireland, both those who have arrived in the recent past and those who were born here or who have lived here for many years. The idea is to reflect the fact that the Ireland we live in today is “New”; it is very different to the one many of us grew up in … it is multicultural, includes many ethnicities and many different creative approaches. We believe that the women writers from each of the new communities living here have much to contribute to discussion about what writing is and what is important to us as women writers.

So here are our aims as stated at our first meeting:

OUR AIMS

• to provide and circulate information for and between women writers in Ireland and within the migrant and new communities

• to organize seminars, workshops, readings and other events devoted to the practice and experience of women writers

• to share facts and ideas, develop skills, build collaborations, and create action plans to amplify the voices of women writers from migrant and new communities

• to provide a forum and opportunity for dialogue between members of this network and other women writers in Ireland

• to produce publications of writings to give a better understanding and recognition of women writer’s working and living conditions 

WHO CAN JOIN

• Women writers in Ireland

• Women writers from other women writer’s organizations and new communities

• Women aspiring to be writers from

Every woman is welcome, regardless of age, gender, class, race, ethnicity or religion

Want a conversation with other women writers?

CONTACT

Email: wwfinc@gmail.com

Nessa O’Mahony – 0879309670 nessaomahony@iol.ie 

Pamela Toyin Akinjobi – 0874179640 pamelatoyin@yahoo.com 

Anne Mulhall: anne.mulhall@ucd.ie, Alice Feldman: alice.feldman@ucd.ie

WWINI 

BRIDGING GAPS BETWEEN WOMEN WRITERS IN IRELAND!

Publications of interest by immigrant women writers

Her Story

PROLOGUECameroon – Though the weather that particular day was steaming hot, Emma’s body shook with cold in her prison room.  She was pregnant from a brutal rape by a policeman and, even though she was just in her third month, she felt all the signs of labour.   Zimbabwe – Violet went from house to house with her one week old baby strapped on her back begging people to buy the second hand clothes she sold.  At the end of each day, she retired to a dilapidated building she shared with tramps and destitute. Congo – Lydia heard a loud thud.  She removed her shoes and tiptoed to the window from where the sound came.  Her body froze with shock at what she saw.  Her friend’s hands were tied to the back of a chair.  She had been stripped naked and there were whip marks all over her body. 

Nigeria – Carefully shielded behind a pole, Nina watched Onome go through the gruesome ordeal of female circumcision.  An ear splitting scream seized the air as the grip of five hefty men bit hard into Onome’s skin forcefully pinning her body to the ground.   Zambia – You could feel the presence of poverty staring you in the face.  Though the house looked simple and neat, everything else spelt poverty.  The extent of this poverty fired Chileshe’s determination to equip herself and her siblings with good education, the most potent weapon against poverty.  Sierra Leone – The disaster on the television was unbelievable.  Burnt wood, chips of metal, broken glasses as well as burnt bodies filtered the streets.  The sight was terrifying and nauseating.  By the time the news was over IyeJillo’s eyes were swollen shut with tears.    Rwanda – The journey to the camp lasted three gruesome hours.  Women cried as they were dragged out of the van.  Dead bodies were also dragged out of the van.  Mary sat down on the floor in a corner and watched as other frightened faces joined her.   South Africa – As students protested openly in a massive peaceful demonstration, policemen shot at them in cold blood.  There was chaos as Mora and many others ran for their lives.  Suddenly, she heard a bang, followed by another, and then, another.  Then she felt a weight pull her down.  Kenya – A loud bang echoed in the distance waking the whole neighbourhood.  Joyce got up startled.  It was 3am.  Someone screamed for help.   A few seconds later the air was filled with smoke and in the twinkle of an eye the house was engulfed in fire. Nigeria – The bulldozer moved into action raising its dreadful jaw.  Moji wailed as her shop was being demolished.  It was her only source of income, her last hope and all she depended on.  She watched her life investment reduced to rubbles. 

Her story -  Migration stories of African women in Ireland – written by Pamela Toyin Akinjobi

For a lot of women who seek refuge in other countries, it is often a personal and emotional struggle.  Their stories and circumstances are different but they are all linked by one thing – leaving their countries, homes and often their families because of fear of persecution   From Cameroon to Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, come these touching true-life experiences.  Her story is available at the African women’s network. Akidwa, 9c Lower Abbey street.  Dublin Central Mission, Dublin 1. 01-8148582