The Hanna Greally International Literary Awards take place in conjunction with SiarScéal Festival, in Roscommon every year since its inception in 2007. This year’s 10th anniversary festival takes place over two days: Friday and Saturday, 20-21 October at Roscommon County Library in Roscommon Town, from 10am to 4.30pm on each day.
Winners in this year’s Hanna Greally International Literary Awards will be announced and prizes presented as part of the formal proceedings that follow the Official Launch. There will be much anticipation and excitement surrounding the announcement of the Overall Winner, who will take away the prize of seeing his or her book published professionally and formally launched at the following year’s SiarScéal Festival (dates to be announced). The estimated value of this prize, which is sponsored by The Manuscript Publisher, is put at €2000.
In addition to the Overall Prize, there is also a First Prize – a cash prize of €700 – with trophy prizes for Highly Commended entries in the various categories of poetry, prose/short stories. The Ger Hanily Memorial Cup will be awarded to the best local entry received.
Day One of the festival, is entirely devoted to the Student Awards presentation, including a Student of the Year Trophy. This event is sponsored by Allied Irish Bank. The following day, Saturday 21 October, will see the presentation of awards in the other categories, including Overall and First Prize winners.
Previous festivals have been lively gatherings, with readings, prize ceremonies, open mike sessions that are open to everyone – an opportunity to showcase one’s literary talents to a public audience! This year’s festival promises to continue in much the same vein. Mary Melvin Geoghegan, who is the adjudicator of this year’s awards, will be the guest speaker. She herself is an award-winning poet. To date, four volumes of her poetry have been published, the most recent being, Say It Like a Paragraph (2012).
Entries are now being accepted for the 2017 Hanna Greally International Literary Awards. They may consist of poetry and/or prose compositions, previously unpublished, on the theme of Beneath Western Skies. The closing date for entries is 5pm on Tuesday, 10 October. Full details of how to enter (including how the facility to enter online), terms and conditions, rules of entry are available from SiarScéal.
