Poets Meet Painters 2026

Poetry in Conversation with Visual Art

Organised by Mill Cove Gallery, Poets Meet Painters brings poets into direct creative dialogue with painters and visual artists. Participating poets will respond to a curated selection of artworks created especially for the project.

• Inspiring artworks available: February 2026

• Poems: Original, previously unpublished poems in English

• Length: Maximum 30 lines

• Style: Any poetic form

• Eligibility: Open to poets of all ages, genders, and nationalities

Selected poems will be published in the Poets Meet Painters 2026 Anthology, with public readings and awards presented during the Kenmare Arts Festival 2026 at the Carnegie Arts Centre.

Further submission details will be announced once the artworks are released.

Kenmare Connected

Stories Rooted in Place

Kenmare Connected in collaboration with the Kenmare Chronicle invites writers to explore Kenmare in the past, present, or future, through short stories, personal reflections, or imaginative narratives.

• Word count: Up to 2,000 words

• Theme: Any topic connected to Kenmare

• Images: Relevant photographs or visual material welcome

• Deadline: Provisionally end of May 2026

This project celebrates community, memory, and imagination, capturing the evolving spirit of Kenmare and its people. Selected works will be published in the Kenmare Connected Anthology, which will be launched during the Festival.

Short Story Competition 2026

Open Call – Open Voices

The Kenmare Arts Festival Short Story Competition 2026 is open to everyone, welcoming submissions from emerging and established writers alike.

• Word count: 500–2,000 words

• Theme: Open

• Selection: 20 stories will be chosen for publication

The resulting Short Story Competition Anthology will be launched at the Festival, alongside readings by selected writers.

A prize fund is planned for this competition and will be announced once sponsorship is confirmed.

Out of the Quiet: Queer Lives in Irish Writing

An Anthology of Short Stories & Poetry

Out of the Quiet is a landmark literary project celebrating older Irish gay men, whose lives, histories, and creative voices have often been overlooked.

The anthology will feature short fiction and poetry grounded in lived experience, exploring themes such as:

Memory, identity, resilience, sexuality, ageing, displacement, community, loss, joy, and belonging.

Submission Terms & Key Dates

• Submissions open: 9 February 2026

• Deadline: 30 May 2026

• Shortlist announced: June 2026

• Anthology launch & public readings: August 2026

• Venue: Carnegie Arts Centre, as part of Kenmare Arts Festival

This powerful collection will be published in print and celebrated with a dedicated Festival reading event.

Publication, Prizes & Festival Launches

All four projects will result in printed anthologies, launched publicly during Kenmare Arts Festival 2026, with readings, discussions, and awards events taking place at the Carnegie Arts Centre.

A prize fund will be awarded across the literary events, with full details to be announced following confirmation of sponsorship.