It’s Show(case) Time!

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Freedom to Write Showcase in the beautiful Georgian Society Assembly House in Dublin — and what an evening it was!

It was such an honour to be part of the Freedom to Write Project 2025

The day began with a workshop led by the award-winning poet Siobhán Campbell, whose insights and advice were pure gemstones.

Later that evening, we gathered in the Knight of Glin Room — a room once frequented by Daniel O’Connell himself — where each of the writers and poets from the Freedom to Write Project 2025 shared their work. I was honoured to read a flash piece titled Bestie?, which explores school bullying and the social pressures placed upon children.

It was a fabulous, if bittersweet, evening, marking the end of our time on the project. I’m deeply grateful to PEN na hÉireann and the John Hewitt Society for their support, and to every facilitator and workshop leader whose insight and generosity have shaped this journey.

A huge thank-you also to the entire Freedom to Write team — especially our incredible coordinator Niamh McNally, who made the whole experience so special.

I have been so blessed to have been able to share my time with such an incredible group of writers, and have taken so much from our time together. I have no doubt we will be hearing so much from all of them in the coming months and years!