Newcastle Arts Festival: Thanks

What better way to mark the anniversary of Seamus Heaney's passing, that to be immersed in poetry? Thank you to Geraldine McDonald, Michelle McShane and the committee of Newcastle Arts Festival for the opportunity to go down yesterday and hold workshops, readings and a slam, all well received and great craic throughout.

Many thanks to each of the brave folk that was game and entered the slam; thanks also to our afternoon readers David Braziel, Ray Givans, Paul Jeffcutt, Geraldine O'Kane and Ross Thompson also, and to the helpful staff at the Newcastle Centre and O'Hare's Bar for letting us take over part of their respective buildings for part of the day. Special thanks to our guest slam judge, Maria McManus, for coming down and helping select our slam winner.

Third place went to Deirdre McKibbon (who brought her own mic stand in the form of her very helpful husband!). Our runner-up was David Braziel, who read superbly, but was just pipped to the post by our slam winner Geraldine O'Kane, who greatly impressed Maria with the reading of her  Weekend Poem in the final round. Congratulations to all of them for their efforts.