All English teachers in Ireland should read the response of the Irish National Organisation for Teachers of English to the recent draft curriculum specification for Leaving Certificate English.
Read MoreThe seventh edition of The Occasional, for paid subscribers of The Fortnightly: Andrew O’Hagan, Natalia Ginzburg and more.
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence: real literacy is a short book by Paul Matthews and Jason Gulya that is blessedly free from nonsensical hype, and gives some practical and sensible suggestions for classroom teachers.
Read MoreThe last Fortnightly this term features Lara Pawson’s memorable Spent Light, Leaving Certificate English reform, Tony Judt and more.
Read MoreLara Pawson’s unclassifiable Spent Light is uncomfortable, funny and constantly disconcerting.
Read MoreInitial thoughts on the Draft Curriculum Specification for Leaving Certificate English (February 2025).
Read MoreThe Irish Times has produced a list of the 100 best books of fiction by Irish writers so far this century, and I contributed to it.
Read MoreIn Fortnightly 184, a focus on Irish fiction in recent times.
Read MoreDavid Marcus: Editing Ireland, edited by Paul Delaney and Deirdre Madden, is a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man, who at one point greatly encouraged my own writing.
Read MoreFortnightly 183 is out. Rest in Peace, Jennifer Johnston.
Read MoreEmma Smith’s introduction to the Macbeth volume in The New Oxford Shakespeare series is excellent.
Read MoreThoughts on the first Advice Paper on Education in Ireland, from the AI Advisory Council, February 2025.
Read MoreA personal history of libraries (a post from January 2024 - expanded, modified and updated).
Read MoreA talk through a presentation on teaching Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These.
Read MoreLots of book recommendations in The Occasional 6, for paid subscribers of The Fortnightly.
Read MoreFortnightly 182 starts with Harriet Walter on Shakespeare’s women, and the usual eclectic mixture follows.
Read MoreHarriet Walter’s She Speaks! What Shakespeare’s women might have said is an entertaining and insightful account of many of the plays’ female roles.
Read MoreThe fourth English Meet for English teachers in the Dublin area will be on the evening of Thursday 8th May 2025.
Read MoreThoughts on Neil Postman’s wise and prescient 1992 book Technopoly.
Read MoreFortnightly 181 is out: memoir, humour, teaching, slowness and more.
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