Between distance and arrival, between a screen and a stage, a quiet miracle unfolded—2025, when I joined the Cúirt Festival online, and 2026, when I finally stood there in person.
I am endlessly grateful—to poetry, and to the magic of words that carried me here and made me part of something truly extraordinary.❤️
@cuirtfestival
This is the first time I hold the original hard copy of a book that features seven of my poems.
The book traveled all the way from Australia and took a long time to reach me.
Now, it’s reaching the hands of countless readers.
I’m deeply grateful for this moment; it felt necessary to document it.
Stay tuned for the next one—it will be my very own :)
Thank you—this is a tremendous honor! 🙏🏻🤍
@lark_riv@marktredinnick
This song never fails to fill me with longing for my family, for everything I left behind in Gaza.
It sings of leaving places behind, of walking on with heavy hearts,
of laughter abandoned in the streets,
and of every corner whispering memories that cling to us,
reminding us of what we cannot touch again…
In the last few days away from Instagram, everything felt more real to me- the sky, the sea, the silence between moments, all of it. I realized how much beauty exists when nothing is demanding your attention all the time, and how necessary it is sometimes to step away from everything. Maybe solitude isn’t something to fear after all; maybe, every once in a while, it’s exactly what we need.💛
In our 2025 New Writing Showcase we shared an audio recording of a poem by Fatena Abu Mostafa, who at the time was in Gaza. In the recording, Fatena said that she hoped one day to be with us in Galway to share her poetry. On August 28th, she was successfully evacuated from Gaza and we’re delighted to welcome her to Cúirt this year, to talk with Vincent Woods about her journey to Ireland, and to share her poetry with us in person 📖
🗓 Saturday, 25 April 2026 ⌚5:30pm 🎟€5/8
đź“Ś Galway Arts Centre - Nuns Island Theatre
đź”— Tickets at Cuirt.ie - Link in bio
CĂşirt International Festival of Literature is presented by Galway Arts Centre
On the evening of April 25th, 2026 đź’›
I’ll be carrying a handful of poems with me to Cúirt Festival—words I’ve been holding onto, waiting for the right room, the right silence, the right ears.
At Nuns Island Theatre, they’ll finally find their voice.
🗓️ 25th of April
🕰️ 5:30 PM
đź“Ť Nuns Island Theatre, Galway
I was going to remind you to book tickets, but unfortunately it’s already sold out :(
See you there!
I was deeply honored to be invited by Burren College of Art to give my first talk. I shared my practice, my journey with poetry and literature, and reflected on the importance of writing.
For me, it was not simply about reading what I had written, but about sharing it as a story. Storytelling is something very special to me—it is the moment when words begin to breathe and find their way into other hearts. When it comes to writing, it is completely different from speaking what you have written. There is a kind of magic in our voices, in our words, and in our feelings—something whose presence only poetry can bring.
The greater honor, however, was the tutorial session with the students—listening to them, hearing their thoughts, and sharing stories together. I was moved by the depth of their love and kindness, feeling a familiarity that felt like a lifelong bond.❤️
From London.This particular poem of mine means a lot to me; there’s a long story behind it that I’ll share one day. Many thanks.
@harleyweir ❤️
It’s been a while since I shared bits of my days.
I hesitate every time—guilt always lingers,
Lately, I’ve been afraid of losing everything,
so I catch moments like butterflies,
trapping them in photos,
holding onto the light of memories
before they can slip away.
My little fragments from this week.
