Trinity Literary Society

Hey folks!
I thought I would fill you all in on the recent goings on of our lovely Literary Society, before the flurry of exam stress swallows us all whole for a short period.

So, Monday last (the 23rd) saw the launch of our very own Gerald Dawe’s Selected Poems in the Douglas Hyde Gallery. There was a great turn out, which meant that Monday also saw some of our very own committee members running frantically down Grafton Street in search of extra cups (I thought this might entertain you, if, like me, you have a somewhat cruel sense of humour).Many distinguished figures read a selection of Dawe’s poetry, and I guess it is really quite important to mention that the provost was not only in attendance, but also gave an enthusiastic speech. So all in all a great evening. Photographs can be found here.

But enough of the past, let’s focus on the future! Hidden among the ickyness (totally a word, guys) of the impending exams, there is one flickering beacon of light. A bird? A plane? No, it’s Billy Collins! Don’t ask me why he is in the sky. But yes, this Monday the 30th brings the much anticipated arrival of Billy Collins, former American Poet Laureate to the Long Room Hub at 6pm! Deadly buzz altogether. I heard he is really funny. Rumour has it that he is kind of famous. He also had a son named Icarus who shared his love of the sky, but let’s not get into that.

That’s all for this week. On behalf of all your hard working committee members, I genuinely wish you the very best of luck with your exams, and strongly recommend allowing an hour with Billy Collins to break the stress of study. See you there!

Hannah Cunningham, your assistant P.R.O (but you can call me asspro)

Hello!

So we have ourselves a new year coming up and a new committee which, of course, has a new PR team.

You should really be quite worried if we’re being honest.

I don’t do Arts for God’s sake, let alone English, I’d be surprised if this blog is even comprehensible. In order to have me educated somewhat over the coming year we’re going to be asking you readers to get more involved with the blog. We’re going to be asking you questions, getting comments from you and occasionally getting in guest writers, now isn’t that exciting?

That was a picture of some books that I put in for no reason, no idea what I’m at really. Another thing I’ll be doing is, because I’m terrible at writing, making the blogs a lot shorter so you won’t have to endure them for as long. This means that they’ll also be more frequent though, so there’ll be even more opportunities to slag me off about them, which will be great fun for all involved (well nearly everyone *weeps*).

That’s all for now, we’ll be keeping you updated on our two events that are coming up over the next few weeks with our local Gerald Dawe and the slightly less local Poet Laureate Billy Collins! Have a look at our new committee page here if you get bored too, it’s awful. If you get even more bored make sure to leave a comment, tell us what you want for next year, it’s your society!

Till next time.

Hello and goodbye Litfolk as this is the last website post from this committee of the Literary Society!

We’d all like to thank our members for their involvement, patience and enthusiasm over the year. Your contributions have not gone unappreciated and we hope you all have enjoyed it at least as much as we have!

The only thing left to do is to pass the Watch to a new committee, which could include you. The final event of this committee is our Annual General Meeting which will include the election of a new committee and will be followed by the final Speakeasy of the year! The AGM will take place from 8pm at James Toner’s Pub on Baggot Street, this Thursday 22nd of March.

The positions are open to any fully paid member of the society and we positively encourage new blood!

The elections will be for the 7 Ordinary Committee Members and the 5 Officers; Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Public Relations Officer, Librarian.

Here is an outline of what the positions entail:

1. The Role of Committee Members

   1. All committee members shall:

      1. Be answerable to committee.

      2. Attend all committee meetings.

      3. Attend all society events when possible.

      4. Attend all training provided by the CSC or other bodies when deemed appropriate.

      5. Help officers in the execution of their duties.

      6. Have a responsibility to promote the society in the college.

      7. Have a responsibility for the general upkeep of the society room.

      8. Volunteer for library hours when appropriate.

b. In addition to all the duties and responsibilities of a committee member, those named below shall fufill the listed duties.

1. The Chairperson shall:

i. Oversee the general running of the society.

ii. Chair all committee meetings including any EGMs or AGMs.

iii.Cast the deciding vote in all hung votes with the exception of fiscal issues in which the treasurer shall retain the right of veto.

iv. Represent the society in all dealings with the college.

v. Run all sub committees set up by the committee unless delegated to another member of the committee.

vi. Conduct a review of the society each year with members of the committee each semester.

vii.Prepare a handbook to be passed on to their successor.

2.The Secretary shall:

i. Be responsible for all correspondence of the Society.

ii. Take and record the minutes of all meetings of the Society and of the Committee.

iii. Promptly send out minutes from all meetings to relevant parties within 48 hours of the meeting ending.

iv. Provide the secretary of the CSC with a written record of the Society’s activities during his/her term of office not later than the date set by the CSC for submission of this report.

v. Inform the CSC promptly of any changes to the constitution of the society.

vi. Keep a record of membership that is up-to-date.

vii.Send out the weekly email outlining the society’s weekly events.

viii.Prepare a handbook for their successor.

3. The Treasurer shall:

i.Be responsible for all finances of the Society, and have final say on all matters of expenditure of the funds of the Society remaining conscious of the consensus of the Committee of the Society.

ii. Be responsible for the collection of annual subscriptions from society members.

Iii.Be responsible for maintaining the society accounts.

iv. Have the duty of conducting routine communication with the CSC on financial matters including the provision of estimates of expenditure.

v. Prepare the grant application for submission to the CSC promptly each year.

vi. Prepare a bi-annual report on the society’s finances for presentation to the committee.

vii.Prepare a handbook for their successor.

4. The P.R.O. shall:

i. Be responsible for all facets of the society’s promotion.

ii. Maintain the society’s website and social media accounts.

iii. Organise and oversee the design, printing and distribution of all the society’s printed materials including but not limited to posters, membership cards and leaflets.

iv. Prepare a handbook for their successor.

5. The Librarian shall:

i.Be responsible for maintaining the library.

ii. Be responsible for the cataloguing of the library.

iii. Keep an accurate record of all items on loan to society members.

iv. Be responsible for the collection and return of all items on loan to members.

v. Research and recommend items to be added to the library.

vi. Prepare a handbook for their successor.

c. No member of committee may profit financially from their involvement in the society.

d. Election to committee shall constitute an agreement on the part of the elected to execute their duties to the highest degree of proficiency while upholding the integrity of the Society.

And so, for the last time, that’s all from us!

Yours Forever,

The LitSoc Committee ’11/’12

Hello Literati!

Had an insight during the week. A truly inspiring glimpse into what life really has to offer us. As of now I’m going to take it as my mantra, repeating it to all whom I meet. Attempting to jam it into their head so it never, ever, gets out, and so they will spread it further. That insight is this my friends.

We don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time.

I look forward to reminding you of this in the future.

Literary Society Auction and Film Screening (Fried Green Tomatoes)

Musuem Building Rm. 4
Wednesday 18:00 – 21:00

So, we’ve got some mighty fancy pants writers coming in soon, and we really want to be able to show them a good time, so they’ll tell their fancy pants writer friends that we’re nice and that they should come visit. To this end we are having a lovely auction to raise some funds! Got any old tat lying around the house you want rid of? Bring it to us, you’ll free up some space and get the joy of having some spectacular guests come over the next few weeks too, to be announced at the event. Further, some of our committee members have even offered themselves up for auction! No, not in that way. We’re talking sewing, baking, proofreading, copy editing or, if we’re being honest, anything you’ll give us money for! But seriously, still not that. Well maybe that, we all have our price.

Afterwards we’ll be showing the classic Fried Green Tomatoes for you all to enjoy with us. Check out the facebook page here and tell your friends! Auction Facebook Event

That’s bye for now, remember to do some reading guys!

The Litsoc slaves

Hello, LitFolk!

In honour of both International Women’s Day and our collaboration this week with Q Soc, here is a totally offensive and incongruous picture of Superman.

EVENTS

Melvin Burgess

Swift Theatre

7pm, Monday March 4th

This week in the Literary Society we are hosting Melvin Burgess, the author of Junk, in the Swift Theatre on Monday at 7pm. Yes, we are dizzy with happiness about it, too.

This is a fantastic opportunity to meet the man behind the novels, hear him read from his work and discuss the genesis of his hard hitting work which has been given the Carnegie Medal for one of the top ten most influential children’s literature novels of the last 70 years.

‘A Queer Kind of Fiction’ A Queer Fiction Discussion with Jarlath Gregory

With Q Soc!

Room 4050B in the Arts Block

8pm, Friday 8th March

A Queer Kind Of Fiction will be a discussion group including Jarlath Gregory, the acclaimed writer of Snapshots and G.A.A.Y: One Hundred Ways to Love a Beautiful Loser. An opportunity to examine both classic examples of queer literature and the landscape of Irish queer fiction today.

That’s all for this week,

Yours Collectively,

The LitSoc Mass

Well this is it folks, the end of  the Trinity Literary Festival 2012!

It has been a fantastic festival and we’re very grateful for everyone who has gotten involved! For all our volunteers, all those who attended events and everyone who generally made this week so enjoyable, thank you!

BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET.

Today is one of the biggest yet culminating with the launch of our very own publication The Attic and the big-gala-closing reception bash!

13:00 – 14:00 OLD SCHOOL; THE MOST AWFUL EARLY WRITINGS OF THE BEST WRITERS @ LITSOC ROOM HOUSE 6 (refreshments provided)

A light-hearted reading of some of the most lurid, disgusting, badly written and purple prose from the early days of those who would later be the greatest writers in the English language.

16:00 – 17:00 LITERARY LETTER READING @ LITSOC ROOM HOUSE 6 (refreshments provided)

A reading of correspondence between famous literary figures on their work, life and how they were generally better writers than each other.

18:00 – 20:00 ATTIC LAUNCH AND CLOSING RECEPTION @ GSU COMMON ROOM

The climax of this week of literary goodness, a gala launch of this year’s snazzy edition of our very own LitSoc publication, The Attic! A compilation of painstakingly selected members work, this closing reception will be the perfect full stop on the festival’s figurative opus! Seriously, Refreshments Provided

Happy Dystopia Day! …errr what?

As we enter the second half of our so far glorious Litfest’s week we take a moment to reflect on what has passed. The
joyful childishness of our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (pictures of which can now be seen on the Literary Society Facebook
page here: Literary Society Page), the frank, sincere and basically just downright wonderful Prof, Nicky Grene introducing his memoirs personally
to us and last night, what I have to say was, the best Speakeasy of the year. And we’re only halfway through!

(And don’t call us on that halfway part, we like books, not math!)

13:00 – 14:00 1984 READING AND DISCUSSION @ LITSOC ROOM HOUSE 6 (REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED)

We’re kicking things off today with what is the most well known Dystopian novel, 1984 by George Orwell. There will be refreshments and reading and discussion of the book. Don’t get too comfy however, we will be watching.

17:00 – 19:00 WHAT IS DYSTOPIA? DISCUSSION WITHNORA PELIZZARI @ ROOM 4017 ARTS BLOCK (REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED)

Nora is a PhD student specialising in Dystopia so for once you can be assured that we know what we’re talking about! Here will be discussed Dystopia in a broad spectrum, from novels to the theme itself and how it applies to us today. That’s sadly all we can tell you for the moment, Miniluv is coming for us!

I hope you all are enjoying Litfest as much as we are. Today, Wednesday is our Short Works Day!

FEAST YOU MINDS.

14:00 – 15:00 BLACKOUT POETRY @ LITSOC ROOM HOUSE 6 (refreshments provided)

Blackout poetry involves taking newspaper articles, magazines and other factual writing and blacking out words selectively to create original poetry. Come along and try it out yourself! All poetry produced has a chance of ending up as Members’ Work on the LitSoc Website!

20:00 – 23:30 SPEAKEASY @ JAMES TONER’S PUB, BAGGOT STREET

As a part of Litfest this year, our flagship Open Reading event, Speakeasy returns for our biggest reading yet!
Absolutely EVERYTHING will be read and appreciated: prose, poetry, drama, music or anything else you can think of! As Wednesday is our “Short Works” them day, we’d really love some flash fiction (for an example of what we mean check out the Guardian’s page on it here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2007/nov/09/thestoryasoneliner) — but sure bring anything along.

This is going to be wonderful fun so make sure to drop down and bring a few friends; it’s free, sure! And if you’ve never been to one come down to try something new.

Word.

After the flying start the inaugural day of Litfest has had, what with fabulous fancy dress, cakes and a reminder of our youth with some children’s lit, not to mention the fruits of our delicious creative writing workshop, it looks like we’re going to have a tough time keeping up the standard.

Don’t you worry about that, we have it covered. Look at what’s on for day two!

14:00 – 15:00 International Works Reading @ 4017 (Refreshments provided)

Parlez vous francais? Well if not don’t worry, Frenchsoc are going to be around to deal with any translation issues anyone might have! This event will be going on with a little help from them although that doesn’t in any way mean we’re restricting you in terms of what languages you can bring to the table! German, Spanish, Greek, maybe we’ll even get a bit of Irish from somewhere (perhaps not so international but we won’t mind, we’re cool like that).

18:00 – 19:45 Poetry in Translation @ M21 (Museum Building) 

Heard something that you really liked at the international reading but don’t have the foggiest what it’s about? Want to get a taster of what it would be like to translate great works in order to give them to a larger audience? Well make sure to come to this event, we’re going to be helping you along with our resident linguists and it’ll be a pile of fun too!

20:00 – 21:30 Prof. Nicholas Grene Presents His Memoirs ‘Nothing Quite Like it’ @ Synge Theatre (Arts)

This is a biggie. Professor Nicholas Grene is a renowned academic and acclaimed writer in the School of English. His memoir charts an unlikely and fascinating journey, transplanted from Illinois to rural Co.Wicklow in the 1950′s, through boarding school, life in Belfast and eventually Trinity College. A genuine and eloquent man, the reading from his recently launched memoir will be one of the most fascinating events of the festival. Seriously, this cannot be missed. Check out the facebook event here:

Nicholas Grene Facebook Event

Hi folks,

Today’s the first day of the Lit Fest and here’s what’s planned!

15:00 – 17:00 MAD HATTER TEA PARTY @ ROSE GARDEN (refreshments provided)

A jaunty day event to start off the festival, tea and cakes will be provided as well as a sampling of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and other childrens works to set the scene. As always, everyone is encouraged to bring their own readings and fancy dress is positively expected! Don’t be late, this is a very important date.

18:00 – 20:00 CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP @ 3137 (refreshments provided)

Our regular creative writing workshop will be Food & Drink themed in honour of the day that’s in it, and will be open to anyone who wants to come along and sample! This might be where you get that gem of sage advice on your writing that makes everything finally click, so don’t miss out!