Reading and Conversation with Nithy Kasa, 6:30 PM

Join Torch Literary Arts, in partnership with Texas State University, Culture Ireland, Consulate General of Ireland - Austin, and the Carver Museum, for Writing Across the Diaspora featuring Irish poets Nithy Kasa and FELISPEAKS!

October 11 (doors at 6:30): Reading and Conversation with Nithy Kasa and FELISPEAKS at the Carver Museum. Opening welcome by Amanda Johnston, founder/ED of Torch Literary Arts, and Robert Hull, Consul General of Ireland in Austin. Light bites will be served. 

October 12 (1 pm to 4 pm): Each visiting writer will lead a one-hour creative writing workshop at the Carver Museum. Click here for details and to register.

Nithy Kasa is a Congolese-Irish poet whose work is featured on the Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation website, the University of Galway’s archive, the Special Collections of University College Dublin, Poetry Ireand Review and others. She is among the ten poets selected for Poetry as Commemoration for the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 programme by UCD supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. She’s the recipient of I bhFad i gCéin international residencies for Cave Canem by Poetry Ireland, The Arts Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs. She received the Poetry Ireland Commission 2020 and was shortlisted for The Eavan Boland Emerging Poet Award 2021. Her debut collection of poetry, Palm Wine Tapper and The Boy at Jericho, Doire Press 2022, was selected by the Art Council of Ireland for the ‘read mór’ for Culture Night Ireland 2022, was listed among the top poetry books of 2022 by the Irish Times, and was shortlisted for the Pigott Poetry Prize 2023. Nithy is also a facilitator registered with the Irish Writers entre. https://www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poets/nithy-kasa

FELISPEAKS is a Nigerian-Irish Poet, Performer, Playwright from Co. Longford; currently based in Dublin City. FELISPEAKS has been nominated ‘Best Performer’ by Dublin Fringe Festival September 2018 and went on to win ‘Best Performer’ in 2022. As well as being a Member of the Poetry Ireland Board of Directors appointed June 2020, Felicia is a member of the Poetry Collective, WeAreGriot. FELISPEAKS is an Artist-in-Residence with Axis Ballymun and Visual Carlow, in addition to being an Associate Artist with THISISPOPBABY. FELISPEAKS’ poem: ‘For Our Mothers’ is in the English Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Curriculum for examination year 2023 and 2025, as is their poem “Rainbow Blood” for 2025. In 2020, FELISPEAKS was commissioned a new piece for RTÉ’s The Big Picture on the theme of ‘the New Normal’ - this poem, entitled Still captured the minds of the nation and has been performed to audiences all over the country. Of late, FELISPEAKS has been commissioned by the Irish Repertory Theatre and Fishamble: The New Play Company for the Transatlantic Commission for Black Irish Artists. FELISPEAKS ended 2021 as an Irish Tatler Woman of the Year with a win in the catalyst Category - which recognizes a woman who has affected change in Irish society in a pivotal way. FELISPEAKS became an ambassador for Laya Health Care’s Beats TV and Media Campaign. In 2022, FELISPEAKS performed “ALIVE” in accompaniment with Tolü Makay’s “AYE” with Music Generation Ireland choir and the RTE Concert Orchestra live from Lough Boora, hosted by RTE ONE for Culture Night. Most recently, FELISPEAKS performed in THISISPOPBABY’s production of “WAKE” for the Dublin Fringe Festival and performed in “It’s Cool in the Shade” by Kwaku Fortune in Project Arts Centre as a part of Dublin Theatre Festival. FELISPEAKS recently collaborated with Crosscare in The Big Tree Project as a poetry and creative workshop Officer. FELISPEAKS is currently enjoying creating poetry and performance pieces that lways promise to introduce their audience to the journey of emotion in every story. Honored to share their thought processes about life’s experiences and their passions on stage; FELISPEAKS hopes to inspire thought, excitement and perspective. FELISPEAKS has released their single “TOUGH MEAT” and is eagerly awaiting the release of the companying EP - that they’ve been working on with Purgatory Studios, they are so excited to show you a new side to themselves, poetry and music like never before! https://www.felispeaks.com/

Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by emerging and experienced writers alike. Programs include the Torch Wildfire Reading Series, creative writing and professional development workshops, retreats, and special events.

This program is made possible by Texas State University, the Carver Museum, the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division, the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Poetry Foundation, Culture Ireland, the Consulate General of Ireland - Austin, and the National Endowment for the Arts.