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THE SPIRAL FROM DERRY BOY TO DERRY GIRLS

Queen’s is a remarkable incubator for writing talent.

The names alone would fill a book: Bernard McLaverty, Sinead Morrissey, Stewart Parker, Edna Longley, Glenn Patterson, Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian, Ciaran Carson….the list goes on and on.

But at its heart is Seamus Heaney and the creative energy of the Seamus Heaney Centre, encouraging and inspiring new generations.

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Professor Glenn Patterson

Professor Glenn Patterson

An author, novelist, screenwriter and playwright, Professor Glenn Patterson is Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's, an international centre of creative and research excellence in the field of literature.


Featured in the Podcast

Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)

Queen’s Graduate and Lecturer

Seamus Heaney was one of the 20th century’s most influential and highly regarded poets, playwrights and translators.  He was the author of over 20 volumes of poetry and criticism and edited several widely used anthologies. His first volume of work Death of a Naturalist (1966) is recognised as one of the principal contributors to poetry during his lifetime. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995.

The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s is a focal point for creativity in Ireland and is recognised as an international centre of creative and research excellence in the field of literature.

Edna Longley
Professor Edna Longley

Queen’s Professor

A key figure behind the creation of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s, Professor Edna Longley is one of the most influential critics writing on modern Irish and British poetry. Her trailblazing views on gender, feminism and censorship have contributed to her lasting impact on the literary landscape of Northern Ireland.