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info@the-spi.com
2007 EVENTS
APRIL
SPI SPEAKER MEETING
in association with the RIA
Tuesday, 1 May at 6.30pm
Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street
Faith O'Grady, literary agent with the Lisa Richards Agency, will
speak about her career, her work within Irish publishing and the
role of the literary agent in the modern book industry.
Guests are invited to gather at 6.30pm for a wine reception, followed
by the talk at 7pm. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.
All are welcome: members pay no entry fee; non-members pay ¤5.
(Non-members can join on the night if they wish, for the annual
fee of ¤25).
Parking is available in Schoolhouse Lane car park (behind the Mansion
House) or in the Molesworth car park, or on-street parking on South
Frederick Street.
For further information, please contact Rachel Pierce, SPI Secretary,
at rachel@verba.ie
MAY
Film Club
JUNE
Bloomsday Book Quiz
JULY
2nd Issue of ISPI
Literary Pub crawl
SEPTEMBER
Theatre Trip – Dublin Fringe Festival
End of Summer Party
OCTOBER
Film Club
3rd Issue of ISPI
NOVEMBER
2nd speaker meeting
DECEMBER
Christmas Party
Click
here to view the latest SPI Newsletter - I SPI, Issue
5
(Online Version 1.6MB)
Click
here to view the latest SPI Newsletter - I SPI, Issue
4
(Online Version 2MB)
(Print
Version 8MB)
Click here
to view I SPI, Issue 3
(2.5MB)
Click
here to view I SPI, Issue 2
(online version 1MB)
Click
here to view I SPI, Issue 2
(print version 3.5MB)
Click here to
view I SPI, Issue 1
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PAST EVENTS
JANUARY 2007
Film Club
Papermaking Course – Jan 27/28
FEBRUARY
Bookbinding Course – Feb 18
MARCH
SPI Goes West – NUI Galway Visit
1st Issue of ISPI
2006 EVENTS
12 DECEMBER - SPI CHRISTMAS PARTY
SPI had its Christmas Party in the Tower Bar and Café of
Keatings in Mary Street (www.jmk.ie/towerbar.html).
There was food, booze, dj and a SPI cake. Click here to see some
photos of the event, Christmas Party 2006.
25 JULY - SPI TABLE QUIZ
The Society of Publishers in Ireland hosted a table quiz in aid
of Irish Cancer Society Action Breast Cancer on Wednesday 12th July
at 6.30pm in the Odeon Bar (Upstairs). We raised much-need funds
with a quiz to challenge even the most serious bibliophiles!
7 JUNE - SPI FILM CLUB
The SPI Film Club met on Wednesday, June 7, to see David Jacobson's
new film, "Down in the Valley". Starring the excellent
Ed Norton, this was a not-to-be-missed offering from one of America's
most interesting directors. Set in the present-day San Fernando
Valley, the project revolves around a delusional man who believes
he's a cowboy and the relationship that he starts with a rebellious
young woman. Find out more on www.downinthevalleyfilm.com/main.htm
25 APRIL - SPI FILM CLUB
The first SPI Film Club of 2006 took place on Tuesday, the 25th
April in the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar. The film was The
Squid and The Whale, directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Jeff
Bridges and Laura Linney. Find out more on www.squidandthewhalemovie.com
2005 EVENTS
14 DECEMBER - CHRISTMAS DRINKS
SPI exercised the usual restraint and decorum in Ron Blacks on Dawson
Street from 6pm on Wednesday 14 December.
16 NOVEMBER - SPEAKER MEETING
SPI met for a glass of wine and an entertaining talk by one of Ireland’s
most successful – and most ambitious – publishers. EDWIN
HIGEL told the story of NEW ISLAND BOOKS (www.newisalnd.ie),
of breaking into and working within the Irish publishing industry
and of combining the efficiency of the Irish with the flair and
imagination of the Germans!
13 OCTOBER - FILM CLUB
SPI went to the IFI, Temple Bar, Dublin on Thursday 13 October 2005
to see A History of Violence Directed by David Cronenberg. (A pair
of cartoonishly good-looking normals (Viggo Mortensen and Maria
Bello), living with their CGI-perfect children in a Disneyland-idyllic
small town, are irrationally terrorised by a series of criminals,
most impressively Ed Harris's mutilated gangster.) The show was
tense and atmospheric: A History of Violence is a hyper-real version
of an early-'50s B-movie nightmare - albeit one where the narrative
delicately blurs dream and reality, the performances slyly merge
acting with role-playing, the location feels like a set, and blood
always splatters from lovingly contrived prosthetic injuries. A
History of Violence is deeply involving, although with its Hitchcockian
'wrong man' theme and continual implication of the viewer, it's
as coolly distanced as its title would suggest. Cronenberg's tone
is too disconcertingly dry to be ironic and too scary to register
as absurd. In a way, it's a successful version of Michael Haneke's
audience-bashing Funny Games.
21 SEPTEMBER - MEET AN AUTHOR
WE HAVE POSTPONED THIS TO LATER IN THE
YEAR
The SPI book club has changed form. Instead of meeting to discuss
one book, SPI are meeting authors to discuss their works and lives
as writers. The next Meet-an-Author night was to take place on Wednesday
September 21.
The author Karen Gillece was to meet SPI members to discuss her
work, her ideas and how she came from being a trained lawyer to
a published novelist with books like "Seven Nights in Zaragoza"
and "Longshore Drift", published by Hodder Headline. There
was tonnes of interest in this night but so many people were called
away, stuck in stockrooms or off on holidays that they asked us
to reschedule for a night when they could make it. We hummed and
hawed and finally agreed. All attendees at the later date will have
to buy us, especially Karen, a pint for being so cool about things.
New night TBA.
SPI and SYP ON THE TOWN
The committee of the SYP (Society of Young Publishers) are coming
to Dublin. SPI is taking them out for a night on the town in Café
en Seine on Dawson Street on Saturday, October 1. There will be
drinks and food laid on and everyone is welcome to attend. We will
also be celebrating our second birthday that night, so come along
and help us blow out the candles!
September
28 - SPI AT THE FRINGE
SPI went to see 'The Miserable Failure of
Bernard Comiskey', written by Fintan O'Higgins, in the International
Bar on Wednesday, September 28 as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival.
It was a great night. The play was marvellous – hilarious and
thought-provoking – with excellent performances by the actors
Jon David Yu and Romy Tennant. Visit HERE
for a review. It’s on until Saturday and SPI recommends that
you go!
June 16 BLOOMSDAY LIMERICK
COMPETITION
Yes. SPI was going to hold a Limerick competition in honour of one
of Ireland's most renowned and respected literary giants, James
Joyce, but we ran out of time and now it’s upon us. However,
we’ve decided not to cancel, but to postpone this competition
until next year. We plan to open the competition early in March
to give aspiring and established poets the time they will surely
need hone their skills and fashion the perfect ode to JJ.
May 18 SPI BOOK
CLUB ... with Special Guest!
SPI hosted another Special Guest book club
upstairs in Nearys on May 18. Christine Dwyer Hickey, author of
Tatty, discussed her novel with the members of the SPI book club,
answering questions and giving an insight into her creative process.
It was a fascinating discussion and if you haven’t read Tatty
get, get yourself to a book shop and get a copy – it’s
brilliant.
April 27 SPI SPEAKER MEETING
SPI was delighted to host the first 2005 discussion forum on April
27 in the Temple Bar Hotel in Temple Bar. Sean O'Keefe, founder
and Managing Director of the exciting new publishing house the Liberties
Press talked about his experiences setting up an Irish publishing
company. An interesting discussion followed on marketing and possibilities
for small publishers. If you would like to give your feedback on
this discussion, we’d be delighted to hear your comments. You
can send them to spionline@eircom.net
April 14 SPI FILM CLUB
SPI turned out to see the latest Woody Allen film Melinda and Melinda
in the IFI. For reviews of this film click here
film.guardian.co.uk
AN EVENING WITH MARIAN KEYES!
SPI was delighted to host an evening with Marian Keyes, the hugely
popular and successful author of Sushi for Beginners,
Rachel's Holiday, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married and
Watermelon. Marion was interviewed by Michael Smith, the
author, in the Oak Room in the Mansion House on March 23, 2005.
Marian discussed her excellent new book on the publishing industry
The Other Side of the Story and her forthcoming publicatons.
SPI BOOK CLUB
Wednesday, 9 March 2005
Shadow of the Wind, a literary/book lover's thriller by Carlos
Luis Zafron.
THE SPI COMMITTEE GOES WEST. AGAIN!
On 18 February the SPI Committee, accompanied by Jolly Ronan, the
peerless Administrator of CLÉ - Irish Publishers' Association
headed off to Galway again to give a talk to the students of the
Masters Degree in Literature and Publishing hosted by the Department
of English in NUI Galway. This very successful programme is now
in its tenth year and every year a number of Irish publishers are
invited to talk to the students about the Irish publishing world
in general. Click here
for more information on this course.
SPI FILM CLUB
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
La Dolce Vita at the IFI.
The film was showing as part of the IFI's Italian season.
2004 EVENTS
SPI celebrated its
second Christmas in style on Wednesday, 15 December in Ron Blacks
on Dawson Street. Thanks to everyone who joined us to mark the end
of another year in publishing. Looking forward to a great one in
2005!
SPI BOOK CLUB
At the SPI Book Club on Tuesday 22 November 2004 in Nearys bar,
SPI was honoured to have Anne Enright as our special guest. Anne
joined us to discuss two of her books: The Portable Virgin,
a collection of short stories, and Making Babies, Stumbling into
Motherhood, her very latest bestseller. All SPI members were
welcome to come along; there was no fee, the only thing needed was
some spare change to buy a pint!
SPI'S FIRST BIRTHDAY BASH
SPI's first birthday party took place on Wednesday, 27 October in
SPY Bar on South William Street. We celebrated with sushi from Aya,
a dj to entertain us and a birthday cake! Lots of members turned
out to help up mark our first anniversary - click here to see photos.
SPI FILM CLUB
21 October 2004, SPI again visited the IFI to see the Swedish film
Oakes.
SPI FILM CLUB
On 16 September 2004, SPI visited the IFI
to see the director's cut of Donnie Darko. Tickets were
¤7.50 per person, but the IFI membership fee was covered
by SPI.
SPI FILM CLUB
The first meeting of the SPI Film Club took place in the private
cinema in Denzille Lane on 25 August 2004. Pathe Distributors generously
sponsored the SPI Film Club to see the private screening of The
Motorcycle Diaries. Thank you to all who attended and we hope
you enjoyed the show. We thought it was wonderful!
The SPI Film Club plans to meet on the third Wednesday/Thursday
of every month in venues to be confirmed in the weeks before each
club meeting.
BLOOMSDAY BONANZA
To celebrate the centenary of Leopold Bloom's famous stroll around
Dublin, SPI threw a "Bloomsnight" Joycean party in Toners
on Lower Baggot Street on Wednesday 16 June. There was a "Bloomsnight"
quiz, with prizes of champagne, wine, sausages, stout, cheese and
copies of the Penguin Classics edition of Ulysses provided
by Penguin Press.
Several brave SPIes even dressed up in Joycean clothes. Fergal Tobin,
of Gill & Macmillan and CLÉ, gallantly hosted our auction
of Emma Byrne's wonderful paintings of quotations inspired by the
novel. Click here for photos
LIVES IN PUBLISHING
On Tuesday 27 April 2004 Michael Gill, Managing Director of Gill
& Macmillan gave a wonderful talk about his distinguished
career in the book trade. Michael Gill has worked in publishing
in London, Paris and New York, and in 1968 became the first MD of
Gill & Macmillan when the family company, MH Gill & Son,
entered an association with Macmillan of London. Michael was also
President of CLÉ - Irish Publishers' Association, from 1974
to 1976 and again from 1992 to 1993. His talk was be followed by
a Q&A session. The event, which took place in Bewley's Café
Theatre, Grafton Street, Dublin, was free to all SPI members; non-members
¤5 at the door.
SPI COMMITTEE GOES WEST!
On Friday 26 March 2004 the SPI Committee gave a talk to the
students of the Masters Degree in Literature and Publishing hosted
by the Department of English in NUI Galway.
SPI GOES TO THE THEATRE!
On Tuesday 9 March 2004, SPI visited the Project
Arts Centre to enjoy Rough Magic's Words of Advice for Young
People by Ioanna Anderson. SPI members who booked their tickets
through us were entitled to a 10% discount (¤18). Here's
a quick note of what the play was about:
"Five years ago, world famous children's writer Harry Golden
went missing from his home in Leitrim. Now, as his remains are finally
discovered, his two troubled daughters meet in their childhood home
to bury their father. Clara is looking for a fight, Nora's uneasy
marriage to Danny is ending, their oldest friend Rob is trying to
keep the peace, while local undertaker Jack has ghosts of his own
to contend with."
We had a great turnout on the night with people hanging around
afterwards to have a drink and discuss the performance. For information
on upcoming SPI theatre trips please email spionline@eircom.net
2003 EVENTS
SPI CHRISTMAS DRINKS
On Wednesday,
December 3, 2003 SPI members enjoyed seasonal drinks in Ron Blacks
on Dawson Street. We celebrated the year of SPI's launch and everyone
was welcome to join us. Click here for photos
of the event.
LIVES IN PUBLISHING
Following our launch in SamSara on 30 September 2003, SPI held
a speaker meeting on Wednesday, 5 November in the Origin Gallery
on Harcourt Street. Noelle Campbell Sharpe, gallery owner, member
of the Arts Council and former publisher, described her experiences
of the publishing industry in Ireland. Steve MacDonogh of Brandon
Press was our main speaker and relived the highs and lows of his
long and distinguished career to provided an insight into regional
publishing. There was complimentary wine before the event, and a
full bar available afterwards in the Champagne and Cigar Bar. It
was a great night and we were delighted to see so many of you there
for the lively discussion afterwards.
SPI LAUNCH
The SPI launch party took place on 30 September 2003 in SamSara
on Dawson Street and was a huge success: over two hundred guests
filled the Mezzanine Bar in order to toast SPI into existence. Dermot
Bolger gave the official launch speech, with Susan Rossney, spokesperson
for SPI, speaking on behalf of the SPI committee. We would like
to thank everyone for turning up and making it such a marvellous
night, and we hope to meet you all again at other SPI events. Please
see our press
release and photographs
from the night.
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