…This year it will be Raining Poetry at the UCD Festival. Raining Poetry is an outdoor art installation at UCD, created by the Irish Poetry Reading Archive in collaboration with three of Ireland’s well-known haiku poets, and student winners of the 2019 UCD haiku competition.
Using stencils and water-resistant spray paint we have created hidden haiku poems that will only become visible on rainy days. The biodegradable paint is designed to fade within six to eight weeks but, until then, anyone walking around the campus might be lucky enough to be surprised by a poem.
We’re delighted to present work by Irish-language writer Gabriel Rosenstock, award-winning poet and children’s author, Amanda Bell, and founder of Haiku Ireland, Maeve O’Sullivan. Poems from the recent UCD Haiku Competition, run by Dr Lucy Collins from the UCD School of English, Drama and Film, will also feature work by joint winners Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe and Liz Houchin.
“These ‘rainworks’ are a great way to bring poetry out of the classroom, the library, and the bookshop, making it accessible and visible to everyone,” says Ursula Byrne, head of development at UCD Library, who is working on this installation. “The idea first came to us from Paula Meehan, when she was Ireland Professor of Poetry. We’re excited that UCD is the first in Ireland to bring ‘Raining Poetry’ to its pavements.” …
