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The Seamus Heaney Centre

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  • Home
  • About
    • The Centre
    • The Blackbird
    • The Heaney Community
    • Literary Belfast
  • Our People
    • The SHC Fellows
    • Ciaran Carson & Publishing Fellows
    • Fulbright Scholars
    • Children's Writing Fellow
    • Visiting International Poetry Fellows
    • Ireland Chair of Poetry
  • Study
    • The Poetry Summer School
    • Student Showcases and Opportunities
    • Future Screens
    • Writing Groups
    • New Students...
    • SHC X Fighting Words
  • First Collection Poetry Prize
    • Poetry Prize 2021
    • Poetry Prize 2020
    • Poetry Prize 2022
  • Resources
    • The SHC Podcast
    • SHC Publications
    • Criticism & Ideas on Writing
    • Films & Virtual Events
    • Writers' Interviews
    • Tiny Masterclasses
  • News
  • Events
    • SHC Presents...
    • Ekphrasis: Writing & Art
    • The Book Club Series
    • Conferences
    • International Poets' Series
    • Masterclasses
    • SHC at the Festivals
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In This Section
  • The SHC Fellows
  • Ciaran Carson & Publishing Fellows
  • Fulbright Scholars
  • Children's Writing Fellow
  • Visiting International Poetry Fellows
  • Ireland Chair of Poetry

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  • Seamus Heaney Centre
  • Our People

Our People

Our people make us the preeminent centre for Creative Writing in all its forms on the island of Ireland as well as a globally recognised and celebrated venue for literary events and research.

Meet the Director

Professor Glenn Patterson has been the Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's since 2017. Glenn has written four works of non-fiction including Backstop Land (2019) and The Last Irish Question (2021), and ten novels, most recently Where Are We Now? (2020). With Colin Carberrry, he co-wrote the film Good Vibrations, for which the pair were nominated for Outstanding Debut at the 2014 BAFTA Film awards. He has written plays for Radio 3 and Radio 4, and with composer Neil Martin, he wrote Long Story Short: The Belfast Opera in 2016. 


Glenn Patterson
Director

Rachel Brown
Centre Coordinator

Fran Brearton
Professor
Garrett Carr
Senior Lecturer
Ciaran Carson
Emeritus Professor
Aislinn Clarke
Lecturer
Leontia Flynn
Reader
Sam Thompson
Lecturer
Nick Laird
Professor

Tim Loane 
Lecturer

Edna Longley
Emeritus Professor
James McAleavey
Lecturer
Gail McConnell
Senior Lecturer
Ian Sansom 
Professor
Stephen Sexton 
Lecturer 
Michael West 
Lecturer 

Scholars, Alumni, Fellows

Scholars

Meet our current Fulbright Scholars

Alumni

See what our alumni have achieved

SHC Fellows 2021 Announcement
Fellows

See how our fellows contribute to the life of the centre

Sheila McWade
The Bookfinders Chair (and Table) in Creative Writing

After 34 years, Bookfinders recently closed its doors. To honour its legacy, we wanted to provide a space for writers in the way that Mary Denvir and Bookfinders Cafe did for decades. Purchasing the iconic yellow table and red chair, we have established the Bookfinders Chair (and Table) in Creative Writing, to be awarded to a graduate of the Centre. The first was awarded to Caitlin Newby, this year we are delighted to welcome Sheila McWade to take her seat in the Bookfinders Chair.

Hear more from Sheila in her Writers' Rooms interview here... 


Our Advisory Board

Catherine Heaney (Seamus Heaney Estate)

Cathy Brown (Seamus Heaney HomePlace)

Professor Gerald Dawe (Fellow Emeritus, Trinity College Dublin)

Professor Edna Longley (Professor Emeritus, Queen's University Belfast)

Emily DeDakis (Fighting Words Belfast)

Peter Spratt (Anderson Spratt Group)

Professor Kurt Taroff (School of AEL, Queen’s University Belfast)

Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas (Queen’s University Belfast)

Our People
  • The SHC Fellows
  • Ciaran Carson & Publishing Fellows
  • Fulbright Scholars
  • Children's Writing Fellow
  • Visiting International Poetry Fellows
  • Ireland Chair of Poetry

Contact Details

The Seamus Heaney Centre
School of Arts, English and Languages
Queen’s University
46-48 University Road,
Belfast BT7 1NJ
shc@qub.ac.uk
+44 (0)28 9097 1077

Rachel Brown, Centre Coordinator
r.brown@qub.ac.uk 

Bebe Ashley, Clerical Officer
b.ashley@qub.ac.uk

SHC Assistants

Rose Winter, Marketing and Projects Assistant

Suzi Bloom, Project Assistant 

Dara McWade, Project Assistant

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Contact Us

Seamus Heaney Centre
University Road, Belfast
BT7 1NN

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Phone: 028 9097 1077
Email: shc@qub.ac.uk 

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