Play It Forward Sara Chudzik, Helen Hutchinson, Emer Lyons, Roxana Manouchehri, Aoife Martin, Sadhbh Moriarty, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan and Nellie Warren
Play It Forward Fellowships, delivered by Skein Press and supported by The Rowan Trust, nurture and amplify the talents of writers whose voices and stories have traditionally been underrepresented in Irish literature and publishing. Join us as this year’s fellows – Sara Chudzik, Helen Hutchinson, Emer Lyons, Roxana Manouchehri, Aoife Martin, Sadhbh Moriarty, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan and Nellie Warren – read a selection of their work in a special showcase. Micheal Barron, Executive Director of The Rowan Trust, will officiate the event.
Funded by The Rowan Trust and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth/An Roinn Leanaí and supported by Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
Sara Chudzik was born in Poland and moved to Limerick when she was 12 years old. She is an NUIG graduate and currently lives and works in Dublin. In her writing, she explores themes of difference, female sexuality and being a migrant. Language — what it means to learn it, as well as know and understand it — is a thematic and stylistic focus in her work.
Helen Hutchinson is a poet from the first generation of Travellers who grew up in Irelandfollowing the government’s policy of forced settlement. Her poetry voices her pride in the rich heritage of Traveller identity, language and culture and has been featured in the Nenagh Guardian, Travellers’ Voice, RTE Poetry Programme, Poetry Review Ireland and elsewhere.
Emer Lyons is a lesbian writer and performer from West Cork living in Galway. She spent the last decade living in New Zealand where she graduated with a creative/critical PhD in lesbian poetry and shame from the University of Otago. She is one of the 2024 recipients of a Dedalus Press mentorship with poet Leeanne Quinn. Her critical and creative work has been published worldwide.
Roxana Manouchehri is an Iranian/Irish visual artist, curator and translator based in Dublin. She has received an MFA in fine art from the Tehran University of Art. She teaches art in universities and museums worldwide and has exhibited her work internationally. Roxana is the winner of a diversity award from Solstice Art Center and Arts Council Ireland,2021. She is a member of ArtNomads collective and founder of Transnational Arts Ireland. She translated Non-Dubliners by Jinoos Taghizadeh from Persian to English and Why the moon travels by Oein DeBhairduin from English to Persian. Roxana is working on her first book.
Aoife Martin is an IT professional and writer. She is passionate about books and co-runs an online book club. Her articles have appeared in theJournal.ie, the Irish Times, Image Magazine, Irish Tatler, and several other publications. She currently sits on the board of TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) and enjoys writing, going to the cinema and swimming in her spare time.
Sadhbh Moriarty is a writer and theatre maker from Kerry expatriated in Cork. Her writing reflects the nuances of Irish life and is often tinged with elements of magical realism. She is a recipient of the Eamonn Keane Full Length Play Award and her work has been published by Mslexia, Bloomers and Époque Press. She is currently working on her debut novel under the mentorship of Jan Carson.
Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan is a Dublin-based writer, performer and cultural consultant from India, who has also lived in North America, Sweden, Turkey, and the UK. Her work has been published by Dedalus Press, Lifeboat Press, Little Island, Poetry Ireland, Banshee, and Stinging Fly amongst others. Chandrika was selected to participate in the Irish Writers Centre’s XBorders programme in 2018 and 2020, Poetry Ireland’s Introductions in 2021, and Science Gallery Dublin’s Rapid Residency in 2021. She has been featured in a number of podcasts, with work aired on NPR and RTÉ radio. She also regularly performs at literary events in Ireland and is also a book reviewer for Children’s Books Ireland’s Inis magazine. Since 2022, Chandrika has been the recipient of multiple Arts Council of Ireland Awards, one of which supported her being the 2023 Writer in Residence for the Institute of Physics. Chandrika has been selected as a 2024 Goethe-Institut Studio Quantum Artist in Residence.
Nellie Warren is writer, artist and filmmaker living in Dublin. She has been writing since she was six years old (a very serious six year old) and drawing since before she can remember. She has won awards for her short animated films, and is currently studying English and Creative Writing in UCD. Most of all she loves to write character-driven fiction, ranging from middle grade fantasy to satirical horror.