Micheal O’Siadhail – Poetry Reading with Q&A October 8, 2026

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Join us for a special afternoon poetry reading and Q&A with acclaimed Irish poet Micheal O’Siadhail, who will read from and discuss his latest collection The Essential Poems. O’Siadhail will be joined in conversation by Parneshia Jones, Director for Northwestern University Press.

Books will be available for purchase and O’Siadhail will sign them following the program. Light snacks and refreshments will also be available.

With an illustrious literary career that has spanned over fifty years, renowned poet Micheal O’Siadhail has cemented his place on the international stage. From his debut collection, The Leap Year (1978), to his latest collection, Desire (2023), O’Siadhail captures evolving struggles with love, faith, and humanity. Here, spanning the entirety of his outstanding career, is the essence of his masterful body of work.

The Essential Poems voyages through traditional and innovative poetic forms, investigating love and passion, joy and loss, world-shaping events and personal experiences. O’Siadhail sounds the depths of meaning and evokes wonder, surprise, anguish, and delight. A lyrical meditation on the relationships between humanity and nature, despair and faith, and the richness of courage in the acts of healing completes what proves to be this unforgettable and necessary collection of the inimitable Irish poet.