They Tried to Bury Us: Poetry Workshop with Stephen James Smith

'They Tried To Bury Us' is a collection of original songs that gives voice to the silenced: the endangered curlew; Lí Ban of Lough Neagh; lost words of our native tongue; the Rostrevor oak; those seeking refuge on our shores and the Palestinian poets whose words embody defiance and inspire generations. It is an album that rises from the earth against oppression and insists that love and hope will never be buried.

I wanted to organise a series of creative community events that people could really connect with the themes of the album through - from nature to poetry to zine making - and am delighted to have wonderful artists and friends join me on this journey through this series of community workshops (and swims!) around the country.

This poetry workshop will inspire you to connect with themes of the album such as nature, folklore, activism and hope. I'm delighted Stephen is involved as we have collaborated many times before and I'm a huge admirer of his work and of him as a person! 

About the workshop: 

This poetry workshop is for anyone who would like to work on their poetry, or who would like to begin their writing journey. You will explore the songs and the themes of Clare's new album, use prompts from the lyrics, and also be introduced to other writers that inspire Clare and Stephen - from Palestinian poets, Rafeef Ziadeh and Mohammed el-Kurd, to Elif Shafak and Wendell Berry and more!

About Stephen James Smith:

Stephen James Smith, born in Dublin, is an Irish poet, writer, performer, playwright, and educator based in Wexford. With close to 1,000 gigs worldwide over the past 20 years, at venues like Glastonbury, the Radio City Music Hall, New York, the Nuyorican Poetry Café, the Centre Culturel Irlandais (Paris), and the Barbican and Palladium (London), Stephen has demonstrated a commanding presence on the stage. Stephen has been dubbed “Dublin’s unofficial poet laureate." His creations have been extensively published, translated into eight languages, and have received numerous awards and nominations.