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Desmond Egan Poet

Founder, Artistic Director The Hopkins Literary Festival since 1987.

Desmond Egan, Irish poet,has a wide range of poetry and prose publications as well as translations and books of prose.

His PEACE poem,was translated into hundreds of languages as part of a milennium celebration.

Incontestably the most brilliant of all the writers who have taken workshops in Irish literary festivals, poet Desmond Egan's commitment to his students is legendary and his improvisational skills have power to stun the budding writer ... The Irish Literary Supplement (USA).

Hugh Kenner described poet Desmond Egan's poems: 'I know of nothing quite like them: it makes me think we have moved a generation beyond even the accomplishment of Heaney'.

To date, Desmond Egan has published 23 Collections of Poetry; two of Prose and two Translations of Greek Plays.

Athlone born, Desmond Egan, is a full-time writer living and working near Newbridge in County Kildare.

Desmond Egan's poem, PEACE was adopted as part of a celebration of Peace for the Millennium and was translated into 35 languages. (He may be seen reading this poem on YouTube at an International Poetry Festival in Columbia).

Collections of Egan Poetry in Translation, have appeared in book form in: France (5); Germany (2); Japan; China; Italy (4); Greece; Netherlands; Poland; Luxembourg; Croatia; Spain; Czech Republic (2); Hungary; Russia; Bulgaria - all, in dual-language format.

Irish Poet, Desmond Egan was a founder of The Gerard Manley Hopkins Festival in 1987. Ever since, Egan has been Artistic Director for this Festival.

A feast of poetry,music and fun. All welcome! Check out Gerard Manley Hopkins and Kildare