The Cork International Poetry Festival is kicking off today and will continue until Saturday night. It’s great to see so many Irish-language poets included on the programme – Caitríona Ní Chléirchín & Simon Ó Faoláin will read together in the City Library on Grand Parade on Friday at 4pm. Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill will read with David Harsent on Friday night at 10pm at Cork Arts Theatre. And I was chuffed to get the call-up to read alongside Leanne O’Sullivan on Saturday afternoon at 4pm at Cork Arts Theatre. This event is instead of a public interview with Marie Howe, whose book Magdalene I enjoyed reading late last year. So while it’s a pity we won’t get to hear from Marie Howe, I’m looking forward to sharing a stage with Leanne for the first time, a poet whose work I have admired since her first collection, Waiting for my Clothes.