LOOSE LEAVES

Legacy of Bisto shortlisted author Not surprisingly, the late Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery was this week shortlisted for the 18th Bisto Book of the Year Awards, writes Caroline Walsh .

Lectures on the art of translation

Italian writer Dacia Maraini, English poet Michael Horovitz and Irish academic and writer Declan Kiberd will be among participants at a conference on literary translation in Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, which is open to the public. Organised by Roma Tre University as part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, it's in the European Commission Representation office at 43 Molesworth Street in Dublin. Topics featuring in lectures and workshops include The 'Irish' Translation of Beckett's 'Godot' and Translating Sebastian Barry. Admission is free. Details from http://ec.europa. eu/ireland/events/ index_en.htm.

A poetry weekend in Kavanagh country

Monaghan-born poet, novelist and short-story writer Mary O'Donnell is director of the annual poetry weekend (April 25th to 27th) at the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, Inniskeen, Co Monaghan. The weekend course is for beginners and people who've written some poetry. Participants will work towards producing drafts of two new poems. They'll also read and discuss contemporary poetry, examining various methods and techniques. O'Donnell has published three poetry collections, among them Spiderwoman's Third Avenue Rhapsody and Unlegendary Heroes. Details from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre on 042-9378560, e-mail infoatpkc@eircom.net, www.patrickkavanaghcountry.com.

Inspired by a course with which she was involved at the National College of Ireland, Maeve Binchy's tips for budding writers, The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club, will be published by Orion in May. The format is 20 letters by Binchy (above), offering advice, tips and a witty take on the life of a writer - as well as contributions from writers, publishers and editors. Be it thriller, comedy or journalism, or offerings for radio or stage, the book will offer advice on how to get started, and what editors are looking for. "The most important thing to realise is that everyone is capable of telling a story. It doesn't matter where we were born or how we grew up," says Binchy.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times