The Western Writers Centre

A happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to all our supporters, readers, visitors, audience. Without your support we would not have lasted these eight years and we intend to keep going with new and different literary projects. The Centre’s had a good year. In spite of written and even published support from eminent writers, artists and politicians throughout the country, the Arts Council continues to avoid the development of the Centre, and their withdrawal of our Programme Grant this time last year remains utterly inexplicable. Without the open-hearted support of writers, the 2009 Festival at Gort would never have taken place. The opposition from Galway City Council’s Arts Office, uncovered in concrete style under the Freedom of Information Act, was unhappily at variance with the City’s desire to be a city known for its culture.

A possible and personal wish-list for 2010

(a)That Galway City Council will look favourably, and progressively, upon finding suitable premises for the Western Writers’ Centre, to accommodate an office, commemorative writers’ museum and reading space.

(b)That the Arts Council will begin to recognise that the Western Writers’ Centre is necessary to the development of a a literary culture in the West region. A writers’ centre is neither an arts’ centre nor an arts’ officer, and a writers’ centre has as much right as any Dublin-based Arts Council-subsidised literature body to disseminate information and news on literary business.

(c)That we continue to enjoy the support of individual sponsors, writers, and organisations with whom we have worked over the years - and a special thanks to the journalists and politicians, local and national, who have taken an interest in our work, supported us and hopefully will continue to support us.

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit!

- Fred Johnston

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Dublin playwright, musician and novelist Eamonn Kelly, resident of Galway city for some years now, has produced a very funny-sad song on YouTube called ‘Christmas on The Moon.’ Bound to spark off memories for some of those who were there, as they say. Nice one, Eamonn! Hear the song at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mabSJbvOfdA

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The portrait painter Reginald Gray, whose portrait from the life of Francis Bacon hands in the National Portrait Gallery in London and whom I know from Paris, has very kindly got in touch and suggested that te Centre might use the image of his painting (1953) of the late poet and story writer, John Jordan, on our site or generally. This is exceedingly kind of him. “I was commissioned by UCD to design the decor and costumes for their production of Yeat’s The Kings Threshold the leading role was give to John,” Reginald explains. More of his work can be seen at www.artmajeur.com/grayportraits Our sincere thanks.

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