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Leading literary critic in the frame
Pictured at the portrait unveiling are, L-R: Artist Jeffrey Morgan, Professor Edna Longley and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson
A new portrait of leading Irish literary critic Professor Edna Longley, by acclaimed Antrim-based artist Jeffrey Morgan, has been unveiled at Queen’s.
Throughout a long teaching and research career spent almost entirely at Queen’s, Professor Longley has had a huge and enabling influence on the literary culture of Northern Ireland. Her critical works include Poetry in the Wars, Louis MacNeice: A Study, The Living Stream: Literature and Revisionism in Ireland, Poetry and Posterity (2000), and she is the editor of Edward Thomas: The Annotated Collected Poems (2008).
She was also a moving force behind the establishment of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s, and her contribution continues to this day. As Chair of the Centre’s Board, she continues to contribute to the support and encouragement of poetry and poets.
Speaking at the unveiling, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson said: “The unveiling of this excellent portrait by Jeffrey Morgan will ensure that Edna’s image will have pride of place in Queen’s, whose reputation she has done so much to enhance.”
Funding for the impressive artwork was raised through the efforts of the School of English and Queen’s Gender Initiative.
Related links:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/
http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/QueensGenderInitiative/
