Kerry Hardie Readings
‘We Go On, Kerry Hardie’s ninth collection, is an astonishingly well-crafted and striking consideration of the glory of our fractured and increasingly fragile world.’ – Linda McKenna, The High Window
Kerry Hardie's ninth collection We Go On was published in February 2024, following Where Now Begins (2020). We Go On was launched online with Bloodaxe Books on 20 February - scroll down to view the video - and in person at Hodges Figgis in Dublin (with Aoife Lyall) and at The Butler Gallery in Kilkenny.
Kerry Hardie was born in 1951 and grew up in County Down. She now lives in County Kilkenny with her husband, the writer Seán Hardie. Her poems have won many prizes, including the Michael Hartnett Award for Poetry, the National Poetry Prize (Ireland), the Katherine and Patrick Kavanagh Award, the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Award (Australia) and the Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry. Her Selected Poems (2011) was published by Gallery Press in Ireland and by Bloodaxe Books in Britain. Her seventh collection, The Zebra Stood in the Night, was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2014 and shortlisted for the Irish Times–Poetry Now Award, and followed by Where Now Begins, in 2020. Her ninth collection, We Go On, was published by Bloodaxe in 2024. Her books have been published by Bloodaxe in both the UK and Ireland since 2014.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday May 15th, 10pm
Cork International Poetry Festival: Katie Donovan & Kerry Hardie
Cork Arts Theatre, Carroll's Quay, Shandon, Cork, Ireland
Kerry will be reading from We Go On alongside fellow Irish Bloodaxe poet Katie Donovan. Katie Donovan’s sixth collection of poetry, May Swim is published by Bloodaxe Books in May 2024.
Tickets €5 - Book here.
PAST READINGS
Online launch reading by Fleur Adcock, Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall, 20 February 2024
Fleur Adcock, Kerry Hardie and Aoife Lyall celebrated the publication of their new books with an online launch reading on our YouTube channel. All three poets read live and discussed their work with the host, Bloodaxe editor Neil Astley. This free Bloodaxe launch event is now available to watch on this YouTube page: https://youtube.com/live/_dLjHYNGf1Y.
Online launch for Where Now Begins, 17 November 2020
Kerry Hardie launched her eighth collection Where Now Begins at a joint livestreamed reading with fellow Bloodaxe poets David Constantine and W.N. (Bill) Herbert on 17 November 2020, hosted by editor Neil Astley from his home in Northumberland. The readings were followed by discussion and a Q&A with the online audience.
Kerry Hardie reading at the Imagine Arts Festival, Waterford Writers Weekend, Ireland
Kerry Hardie gave a pre-publication reading from Where Now Begins for Waterford Writers Weekend at the Imagine Arts Festival. A film of her reading to an empty auditorium at the Theatre Royal Waterford was released on 22 October 2020 in place of the live event that had been planned. She read seven poems from the book: ‘Bolt the Shutter’, ‘Shopping’, ‘Time Passing’, ‘Civil War Aftermath’, ‘The Inadequacy of Letters of Condolence’, ‘Day Lilies’ and ‘Real Estate’.
Kerry was filmed reading two poems from Where Now Begins for the John Hewitt Society. Click here to view the film. She reads 'Real Estate' and 'Bird Talk'.
An interview with Kerry Hardie features on the Island's Edge website here.
A poem from Where Now Begins features in the November 2020 issue of Standpoint magazine here.
Kerry was interviewed on Peter Sirr and Enda Wylie's Books for Breakfast podcast on Thursday 22 October 2021. She talked about her new collection Where Now Begins and read her poems 'Crow-light' and 'Inishmaan' from the book. She also took on the 'toaster challenge' and spoke about one of her favourite novels - Philip Roth's The Radetzky March. The podcast has been posted here.
Kerry Hardie took part in the London and Dublin premieres of the documentary film The Blue Shroud. Her specially-written poems have been set to music for the film by bassist and composer Barry Guy. This powerful documentary, a homage to Picasso's painting Guernica, is directed by Jonathan C. Creasy.
More on the film, and a trailer for The Blue Shroud featuring Kerry Hardie, here.
A trailer for the London premiere of The Blue Shroud featuring Kerry Hardie, composer Barry Guy and fellow musicians.
The Blue Shroud - Live in London (Trailer) from Dreamsong on Vimeo.
[26 February 2024]
