Archive 2015

We are delighted to be based in the newly-dubbed Nottingham City of Literature – recognised as such by UNESCO (joining such literary hotspots as Dublin). We contributed a guest blog (27 Nov 2014). NISG run regular events on literature, including poetry, prose, drama and storytelling, working with partners such as Nottingham Patrick’s Day Festival and Five Leaves Bookshop, and we look forward to more collaborations in the future.

As part of St Patrick’s Day festival, we told traditional Irish stories in schools: St Mary’s (Hyson Green), Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Bulwell), and St Philip Neri (Mansfield).
The theme story this year was Caoilte and the animals and birds. Artist Julie Turner worked with children in three Nottingham schools, making costumes and props to use in the parade on 17th March. The festival was a great success. See the photos on facebook.

We were delighted to pay two visits in February and March to do storytelling for the children of St Anthony’s (Solihull).

On Wed 18th March, Graham Caveney gave a really interesting talk on Shane McGowan at Five Leaves Bookshop. Graham drew on his own expertise as a biographer and music journalist, and his Irish-in-Britain heritage, to discuss McGowan’s public image and the important, but mostly unacknowledged, contribution made by second-generation-Irish musicians to so-called Brit Pop, citing Oasis, The Smiths and Dexy’s Midnight Runners, as well as The Pogues.

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BOB ROBINSON, Artist
Following the success of the BOB ROBINSON EXHIBITION at the Surface Gallery, Moss Book Publications produced BOB ROBINSON PAINTINGS, a twenty-seven page booklet with 14 colour reproductions, introductory and critical notes, and a full list of works included in the recent BOB ROBINSON EXHIBITION. The launch took place in the Cafe Bar of Nottingham Contemporary at 6pm on Tuesday 10th March.

See more of Bob’s art on his website  http://www.bobrobinsonart.com/
Bob was originally from Co Tyrone, and sadly passed away in 2016.
Nottingham Irish Studies Group provided some financial support for the publication of this book, and for Bob Robinson’s two-part exhibition of paintings and sculpture.

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Deirdre O’Byrne gave a brief introduction to the film, Brooklyn, based on Colm Tóibín’s novel, at Broadway Cinema (November)