Seamus Heaney Memorial Lecture with Seán Hewitt | Queen's University Belfast

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The Seamus Heaney Memorial Lecture series, inaugurated in 2014, commemorates the first anniversary of the esteemed poet's passing on August 30, 2013. This year, the lecture will delve into the profound moments of connection found in Heaney's poetry. From the closeness of strangers to the delicate sensitivity of touch, the lecture will explore how words can come to life in a tangible way. Additionally, it will argue that the body is a primary instrument of reading and investigate the sensory demands that lyric poetry places upon us. The upcoming lecture will be delivered by Seán Hewitt, a renowned author and Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin's Oscar Wilde Centre. Hewitt has received critical acclaim for his poetry collections, including the Laurel Prize-winning "Tongues of Fire" and "Rapture's Road." His memoir, "All Down Darkness Wide," earned him the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Hewitt's collaboration with artist Luke Edward Hall, "300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World," was published in 2023, and his debut novel, "Open, Heaven," is set to be released in 2025. This prestigious lecture series is organized by the Keough-Naughton Institute at the University of Notre Dame in collaboration with Queen's University Belfast, where the event will take place. The Seamus Heaney Memorial Lecture series serves as a tribute to Heaney's impactful contributions to Irish and global literature.