The Word in February 2026, with Vincent Woods in conversation with Dr. Keith Hopper

The Word in February 2026, with Vincent Woods in conversation with Dr. Keith Hopper. Vincent Woods, writer and broadcaster, was born in Leitrim and lives in Dublin. His plays include ‘At the Black Pig’s Dyke’ and ‘A Cry from Heaven’ and poetry collections are ‘The Colour of Language’ and ‘Lives and Miracles’ and ‘Borderlines’ (with Henry Glassie). With Eva Bourke he co-edited ‘Fermata: Writings Inspired by Music’, and with Australian poet Colleen Burke co-edited ‘The Turning Wave: Poems and Songs of Irish Australia’. Plays for radio include ‘The Gospels of Aughamore’, ‘Broken Moon’ and ‘Last Supper at the Imperial Hotel’. His work with music and musicians includes the stage shows ‘The Leitrim Equation’, ‘Open Room’ and ‘Portal’. He has written several song lyrics and the libretto for Gavin Bryars’ composition ‘Wittgenstein Fragments’ which was commissioned by Louth Contemporary Music Society. Vincent is director of the Iron Mountain Literature Festival in Leitrim. Vincent presented the landmark series ‘the County Measure’ on RTE Radio 1; co-directed the film ‘Bealach an Fhéir Ghortaigh/Hunger’s Way’ with Edwina Guckian and wrote a short drama and epilogue for the dance and music performance ‘The Devil’s in the Dancehall’. He is a member of Aosdána. Dr. Keith Hopper teaches on the Writing & Literature Programme at ATU Sligo. He is the author of Flann O’Brien: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Post-modernist (revised edition, 2009), and has edited twenty books on Irish literature and film. His most recent book is A Door Opening: Sligo and the Legacies of Partition (2023), which he co-edited on behalf of Sligo County Libraries. He is a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement. Mohammad Syfkhan is a Kurdish/Syrian Singer and Bouzouki player who creates a thrilling mix of electrified Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish traditional songs, covers and originals. Since moving to Ireland, he has released his debut album ‘I am Kurdish’, collaborated with several Irish musicians and played all over the country, opening for Lankum at the Cork Opera House to a rapturous reception. Mohammad Syfkhan’s own brand of ecstatic music takes elements from Middle Eastern and North African music to create an atmosphere of joy, love and happiness. Audience Q&A Open Mic moderated by Liam Mulligan The Word is a collaborative event between Sligo Central Library and the BA in Writing & Literature course at Sligo ATU.