Wordsmith Linda collects renowned writing award

Wordsmith Linda collects renowned writing award

21 March 2018

A DOWNPATRICK poet has won this year’s Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing.

Linda McKenna’s poem ‘Overpainted’ gained the accolade in the competition run by the Community Arts Partnership.

Linda, better known to many in her role as Community and Education Manager at Down County Museum, is originally from Co Dublin, but has lived in Down for over 20 years. 

She dabbled in writing as a teenager but only started writing poetry two years ago. The poetry award, presented at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy on Sunday, has therefore come as a pleasant surprise.

“It was very unexpected,” Linda said. “I started just a couple of years ago. I wanted to undertake a creative writing class and went to Queen’s to do a one-day course on a Saturday.

“I always thought I would like to write, but never really did it, and I thought — I’m getting older, I need to start.”

Linda clearly got off to a quick start and soon had poems published in anthologies such as A New Ulster, Lagan Online, The Blue Nib and the Poetry NI FourXFour Poetry Journal.

‘Overpainted’ was inspired by a 16th century painting called ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ by Pieter Bruegel.

Bruegel set the biblical story of Herod’s massacre as a contemporary Flemish atrocity. However, after its creation the painting came into the possession of the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolph II, in Prague.

The slaughtered babies were painted over with details such as bundles, food and animals so that, instead of a massacre, it appeared to be a more general scene of plunder.

“Fifty years later it had been painted over with geese and swans to depict the looting of a village,” said Linda. “It would later be X-rayed.

“I was interested in the idea of how we try to amend things. Things I am interested in from a historical point of view influence me.”

A range of poets inspire Linda, from Kathleen Raine to Sasha Dugdale, but she also gets inspiration closer to home with the local Words for Castle Ward reading group.

“We meet the second Saturday of every month and its a very supportive group in a supportive environment,” Linda explained.

“When you read something out loud you can gauge their reaction and it helps shape what you write.”

She has also taken part in open mic sessions at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast and recently read in Dublin on behalf of the Women’s Aloud group for International Women’s Day.

“Over time I would to be able to have written enough poetry for one of my own publications,” Linda added.

Donwpatrick poet Olive Broderick, who runs the Words for Castle Ward group said she was thrilled by Linda’s success.

“I’m delighted to offer congratulations from all of us at Words for Castle Ward,” she said.

A Community Arts Partnership spokesman said: “Our congratulations to the winner of the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing 2018, Linda McKenna, for her poem ‘Overpainted’ and to the runner up Colin Hassard for his poem ‘A Storm will Come’.

“We’d also like to offer our congratulations to all the shortlisted poets and indeed, to all the poets who were included in this year’s anthology ‘Resonance’ and to all the poets who submitted their work for inclusion.”