Howl: New Irish Writing

top of page

Broadcasts

Broadcasts

Broadcasts

Cover, Legion, Eleanor Hooker.jpg

"There are chapbooks, and there are chapbooks. And then there is Legion by Eleanor Hooker.

Letterset by hand, crafted in the old style, these 8 poems sing of honeybees and intone the "trembling water of the lake". Eleanor's work is evocative as always, teeming with the profusion of nature and its gifts and the people who interact with these, in good ways and bad. Echoes of Yeats's "bee-loud glade" come to mind, not just because of the theme but for the texture of the language too.

But Eleanor's words focus on the feminine, weaving images like spells cast over the page, words to harness the energy of the natural world that most of us don't understand but that lead the poet "to wheedle with words".

The honeybee with all its associations - productivity, sweet honey, its sting, the drone reproducing only to die - is a charming metaphor for the many dichotomies of life as well as the greed that abounds in society, where the bee-elect is "trapped in the syrup of its own success".

A beautiful artefact made by Hans van Eijk of Bonnefant Press, Maastricht, Holland, with frontispiece by Jeanie Tomanek."

Anamaría Crowe Serrano - poet and author

"There are chapbooks, and there are chapbooks. And then there is Legion by Eleanor Hooker.

Letterset by hand, crafted in the old style, these 8 poems sing of honeybees and intone the "trembling water of the lake". Eleanor's work is evocative as always, teeming with the profusion of nature and its gifts and the people who interact with these, in good ways and bad. Echoes of Yeats's "bee-loud glade" come to mind, not just because of the theme but for the texture of the language too.

But Eleanor's words focus on the feminine, weaving images like spells cast over the page, words to harness the energy of the natural world that most of us don't understand but that lead the poet "to wheedle with words".

The honeybee with all its associations - productivity, sweet honey, its sting, the drone reproducing only to die - is a charming metaphor for the many dichotomies of life as well as the greed that abounds in society, where the bee-elect is "trapped in the syrup of its own success".

A beautiful artefact made by Hans van Eijk of Bonnefant Press, Maastricht, Holland, with frontispiece by Jeanie Tomanek."

Anamaría Crowe Serrano - poet and author

Music Art

Music Art

Search

Eleanor Hooker
Apr 11, 2024
1 min read

A lovely evening at Waterstones in Cork for the launch of HOWL New Irish Writing - thanks so much to editors Róisín Leggett Bohan, Lauren O’Donovan and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh.

Lauren said there were 2000 submissions for Howl 23, so it’s tremendous to be one of the 56 writers in this issue.

It was a joy to read alongside (in reading order tonight) Martina Dalton, Paddy Bushe, Aoife Bhreatnach, Colm Scully, Eibhlín Uí Iarlaithe, Shauna Lee Lynch, Eoin Cahill, Grace Magee, Catríona Lane, Daniel Wade, Elizabeth Gibson, Eibhlís Carmine and Conor Montague

“HOWL is an annual print publication showcasing the creative wail in Irish writing from around the world” Read More

Recent Posts

Circling the Square

Circling the Square is a wonderful festival, established in memory of Thurles born poet, Dennis O’Driscoll. It was an absolute joy and honour to read alongside poets Mark Roper, Grace Wilentz, Jane Cl

The Lady from the Sea

Saw the last night of Simon Stone’s adaptation of Ibsen’s ‘The Lady from the Sea’ at the Bridge Theatre in London. Alicia Vikander and Andrew Lincoln were outstanding in the lead roles. Gracie Oddie-J

Weather on the Peninsula

Winifred McNulty’s beautiful new poetry chapbook ‘Weather on the Peninsula’ (Wild Lane Press) is out in the world. It was launched at the Allingham Festival. Win is a gifted poet, it was a joy and a h

bottom of page