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.

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.

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

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

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!

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  

Waking up in Beaumaris  Some days I wake
and wonder where
I’ve washed up. 

The tide’s gone out,
yachts lie where they fell,
tilted awkwardly on props. 

Motor boat engines
clench black fists in air, stranded
by a breeze withholding forecasts. 

On the sand-bar
shadows search for pickings,
fill their bags, move on. Closer to shore clockwork
oyster-catchers bob, then take to air
as a radio pips noon. 

A black-backed gull
pulls at something
long-tailed. A car kerb-crawls
for a spot on the sea-front,
fails, resumes the circuit. I watch a man walk his dog, pause,
read the sign he has seen
every day for a lifetime.

Dear all

I’m posting a message from Sharon O’Shea of Tralee Partnership, whose newsletter is looking for story submissions from writers from the new communities. Their deadline is the end of July. Her email address is soshea@partnershiptrali.com.

Hi Nessa and Pamela, I am the Community Development Officer based in Partnership Tra Li, in Tralee town. This year we decided to try support new communities in Tralee by developing a newsletter in three languages- Polish, Russian and French. The first edition- attached- was aimed at introducing new communities to the area and the services available to them. The next edition is aimed at community involvement. We want it to be very interactive and want people in the new communities to submit stories, ideas etc for the next edition. The closing date for the next edition is 31st July, with the newsletter being published in September. I was wondering if you or anyone in your group would like to submit stories etc for the next newsletter? I can send you on copies of the last newsletter if you send me an address to send them to. I would be very interested in hearing from you. If you require any further information please feel free to contact me on 066-718190 or by this email. Regards,Sharon 

Welcome to WWINC , the blog of the Women Writers in Migrant and New Communities Network. We are an Irish-based network of writers interested in forming associations between women writers who have recently come to live in Ireland and those who were born here or have lived here for a long time.

We’d like to issue the following invitation:

 WINCC is a new initiative whose principal aim is to facilitate the creative work of women writers in migrant and new communities in Ireland.

Our aims:

• to provide and circulate information for and between women writers from migrant and new communities;
• to organise seminars, readings and other events devoted to the practice and experience 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.

Who can join:

• This network will primarily be of interest to women writers from migrant and new communities but welcomes affiliation from other women writers and organisations in Irleand.

If you are interested in participating in this initiative or would like further information about WWINC, please contact Nessa O’Mahony (poet) and Pamela Akinjobi (journalist and writer) at wwfinc@gmail.com