Oireachtas Literary Competitions announced as An tOireachtas and TG4 seek Bestseller as Gaeilge

Are you the Ken Bruen of Irish-Language writing? Could you be the next Maeve Binchy? Or, do you have talent that would rival that of Máirtín Ó Cadhain? If so, An tOireachtas and TG4 want to hear from you!

 

An tOireachtas, in conjunction with TG4, today (Tuesday, 13 March 2018) announced a new addition to the Oireachtas Literary Competitions list of prizes – Overall Prose of the Year – sponsored by TG4. This prize of €3,000 will be awarded to any work, amongst the prose and novel competition winners, that has the potential to be developed for television. This prize is a great opportunity for Irish writers and it is hoped that prizewinners in this category may provide the basis for potential new programmes on TG4 in the future.

 

“We are delighted that the latest development in our ongoing working relationship with TG4 focuses on new Irish-language literature”, saidLiam Ó MaolaodhaNational Director of An tOireachtas. “As we proceed with a new and fresh approach to our literary competitions, we hope that this lucrative new prize will inspire more Irish-language writing in 2018.”

 

“Composers and writers are extremely important in every culture and the Irish are no exception,” said Alan EsslemontArdstiúrthóir TG4. “Irish people love writing and sharing stories and TG4 is delighted to be part of encouraging this tradition with this literary competition.”

 

The aim for the Oireachtas Literary Competitions is to promote Irish literature and new Irish-language works as well as encouraging young people to start writing. During 2017, the literary competitions were revised and restructured. From 2018 onwards, the Oireachtas will solely focus on unpublished works.

 

This year’s programme comprises of twenty one (21) competitions – thirteen (13) for adult writers and eight (8) for young writers. There are a wide range of genres on this year’s syllabus including: novel, short story, fiction, prose, poetry, drama and more.

 

Entries can be made online at www.antoireachtas.ie or can be sent by post to: Comórtais Liteartha an Oireachtais, 6 Sráid Fhearchair, Baile Átha Cliath 2.  Closing date for entries is 1 July 2018.

 

 

Notes 

  1. An tOireachtas is a lead organization in the Irish Language sector charged with ‘Organising & Promoting Events as Gaeilge & Establishing Irish Language Networks’
  2. Oireachtas Literary Competitions were established in 1897 and provide a platform for Irish language writing today. Some of the greatest Irish writers of the last century are past winners, Pádraig Mac Piarais, Máirtín Ó Cadhain and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.
  3. All up to date information regarding our events is available online at www.antoireachtas.ie.

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