£15,000 award for Derry writer Susan McKay

Award-winning Derry journalist and writer, Susan McKay has been presented with a major individual award worth £15,000, from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery funding, the highest honour bestowed by the body responsible for the development of the arts in the region.
By Peter Hutcheon
Published 29th Nov 2019, 10:38 BST
Derry writer Susan McKayDerry writer Susan McKay
Derry writer Susan McKay

The recipients of the prestigious awards, given in recognition of the contribution each of the artists has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, includes, writer, Susan McKay, poet, Moyra Donaldson, composer, Deirdre Gribbin and musician/composer, Neil Martin. The awards, funded through National Lottery, make it possible for these artists to produce a substantial, ambitious project that will make a significant contribution to the development of their artistic careers.

Each of the artists will now use the award to develop a series of new works.

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McKay will use the MIA award to write a new book about borders provisionally called, Outside in the Navy Dark, taken from a poem by Leontia Flynn.

Writer and poet, Moyra Donaldson, from Newtownards, County Down, will use the MIA award towards research and development of a new poetry collection, based on a theme of ‘mothers and daughters’, with publisher, Doire press.

Composer, Deirdre Gribbin, from Belfast, will use the MIA award to complete two strands of work, Dark Matter Hunting and Kindersang: Outsider Child.

Related topics:DerryNational Lottery