Poet Ross Hattaway representing Ireland in Lithuania

national | arts and media | press release Monday January 21, 2008 11:54 by Sarah Lundberg - The Seven Towers Agency sarah at seventowers dot ie 0872283351

Irish Poet Ross Hattaway has been invited by the Lithuanian Writers Union to read at the famous Lithuanian Poetry Spring Festival this year.

Irish Poet Ross Hattaway has been invited by the Lithuanian Writers Union to read at the famous Lithuanian Poetry Spring Festival this year.

The Poetry Spring Festival has been running since 1965. It involves readings by Lithuanian and international poets and draws attendees from all over the world. Readings take place in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius and in other towns around Lithuania. Previous readers at the festival have included Fiona Sampson (UK), Stewart Conn (Scotland), Christopher Merrill (USA), Julie Kane (USA) and Banya Natsuishi (Japan). It is a huge festival on the international poetry calendar and we are honoured that Ross has been chosen to represent Ireland.

Ross Hattaway was born in was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1962 and has been living in Dublin, Ireland since 1990, where he is married with four children. Ross currently works for the HSE and has worked as a civil servant, telecoms technician, bar manager, EFL teacher and in the areas of juvenile justice and of construction. He has published poetry in periodicals and collections including Writings (Wellington), Life Beyond the Louvres (Northern Territory Anthology) and Poetry Australia. His readings include Poetry Ireland Introductory Series, Anna Livia FM, Between the Lines (Belfast), Seven Towers’ Reading Series, Christmas in Dublin 2008, Samhlaiocht Easter Festival 2007 (he will also be reading there in 2008), Greystones Arts Festival, Killarney Summerfest, Cashel Arts Festival.
Ross’ first collection, The Gentle Art of Rotting was published in 2006 by Seven Towers and has been described by the Irish Independent as “an exciting new collection of poetry. Some of the poems in the collection were written when living in New Zealand and Australia and reflect the dichotomy of the New Zealand high country where starkness and beauty, economy and expression, machismo and inner sensitivity exist in a symbiotic, yet sometimes uneasy, relationship. The poems however, also translate very much into the Irish experience with the paradoxical starkness and depth of the landscape here that inspires poetry, as well as the unavoidable relationship with water that is experienced by all island dwellers. Ross’ poems also reflect his view of the human condition and include what he calls ‘apology’ poems in lieu of the usual love poems!
His arresting poems are moving and humorous and can be read again and again with each reading revealing an even greater depth.
Seven Towers and Ross are both proud and excited to be involved in the internationally renowned and important Poetry Spring Festival, and are proud to be bring Ross’ poetry and the Irish Poetry tradition to Lithuania.

Ross’ next reading will be in Bowes of Fleet St at 7.30 on Wednesday 30th January. Ross will also be reading in Chapters of Parnell St, Dublin 1 at 1.15 on Wednesday 6th February, and in Ruebens of Tralee at the Samhlaiocht Easter Festival in March.

Details of other readings in Ireland will be available on www.seventowers.ie