Yesterday evening, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios hosted a reading with poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa and novelist Gavin Corbett to celebrate the link between literature and art. The evening marked the conclusion of the gallery’s annual Writing Commission initiative, which seeks to support and promote writings about art. Now in its fourth year, the initiative sees the gallery commission writers to create pieces directly inspired by their various exhibitions.
The small, intimate studio was packed to full capacity. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, with complimentary wine and crisps served at the door. Susan Tomaselli, the founder and editor of Gorse, a literary journal, marshalled the event, introducing each of the writers in turn and probing them with questions in between their readings. “In an age of distraction”, Tomaselli remarked, “it is difficult for writing to maintain our attention”. Maintain our attention it did, however, as both Ní Ghríofa and Corbett held the audience spellbound from the start.
Corbett, who has previously acted as a Writer Fellow in Trinity, was first up, delivering an excerpt from the novel he is currently working on. This work centres around a pregnant Irish woman in her 30s as she wanders through London, consumed by an obsession with forgotten news stories, especially those concerning religion. Corbett’s writing style is witty and captivating while also quite experimental. In addition to his three published novels, Corbett has also released a collection of photographs entitled The Giving Light. It consists of photos taken in Dublin, London, New York and Zurich – among other locations – and sees Corbett employ the use of found text, including old religious pamphlets and vinyl sleeves.
Ní Ghríofa followed with a reading of three of her poems. Much of Ní Ghríofa’s writing focuses on women and their relationship with the female body, as she strongly believes that “Irish women carry their stories in their bodies”. Ní Ghríofa spoke about Irish women in literature and how she feels this is a relatively modern phenomenon, pointing out that for most of history women’s stories were learned by heart and recited orally. She also highlighted society’s collective obsession with phones and the way that this can destroy real, human connections. Ní Ghríofa’s poems are notable in that some parts are in Irish and others in English. While English is Ní Ghríofa’s first language, she has a great appreciation for Irish, so much so that she didn’t publish poems in English until very recently. Her upcoming poetry collection, Lies, will contain a decade of her Irish poems in translation. She also has an upcoming book called 9 Silences, which is a collaborative effort with Irish visual artist, Alice Maher.
Speaking to The University Times after the event, the Director of Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Cliodhna Shaffrey, was passionate about both writers’ talent: “What’s very special is to bring the two writers together … you see one amazing poet there with a full sense of language, and another writer with incredible wit and timing.” Speaking specifically about Ní Ghríofa, Shaffrey said “I love the way Doireann talks about the relationship between the body and writing … it’s very special”.
The evening was a resounding success, demonstrating as it did the vital artistic bond shared by literature and art, and all that can be achieved when the two are allowed to cross over. One thing is for sure, both Corbett and Ní Ghríofa are writers of immense literary talent and are definitely worth watching out for.
