Actor, director and singer, Adrian Dunbar, has gifted the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s with ‘Happenstance’, a book of poetry and art created by the painter Brian Ballard, and the founder and former director of the Centre, poet and writer, Ciaran Carson. 

Conceived in 2012, ‘Happenstance’ combines the artistry of Ciaran Carson and Brian Ballard with the traditional craftsmanship of letterpress printing, screen printing and bookbinding. Published in 2013 in a limited edition of just 30 copies, the book reflects the value of the artforms contained within its covers. 

‘Happenstance’ was generously gifted to the Seamus Heaney Centre’s collection by Adrian Dunbar during an event with readings and traditional music. Brian Ballard, Deirdre Carson, and other members of the Carson family were in attendance.  

The book will be displayed in the Centre’s public exhibition area which tells the story of writing at Queen's and the creative outcomes of friendships between poets and artists. 

Speaking about the book Adrian said: “In my eyes, art is about connections between things. By bringing the book Happenstance into being we connected painting and writing with wonderful printing skills. This created a completely new piece of art with its own existence and its own voice.” 

Dr Patricia Malone and Dr Anna Cummins, Collections Managers at the Seamus Heaney Centre commented: “The Collections Team at the Seamus Heaney Centre are thrilled to receive this copy of Happenstance, a piece of work that celebrates the tactility of text and the serendipity of collaborative creation: things that happen, as our former Centre Director Ciaran Carson said, ‘on the hoof, because you happen to be there.’ A welcome addition to our extant holdings, which include Ciaran’s working library and the Seamus Heaney Broadcast Archive, Happenstance is received with gratitude and wonder – and our usual invitation to the public to come see for yourself!” 

Michael O’Neill, Creative Director at Armchair and Rocket who published the book said: “Happenstance is really a celebration of art. The work of both Brian Ballard and Ciaran Carson is a supreme example of how art is a kind of meditation on the deep complexity of life. As Carson himself remarked, “I don’t think that painting or writing is for making simplistic statements. It’s to show you that the world is not simple. It shows you that it’s hard to explain”.” 

For more information about the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s, please visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/seamus-heaney-centre/  

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