Official Website of Children's Fiction Writer & Poet
Eilish Fisher
Writing
Eilish's poetry has been published in Crannog Literary Magazine, Three Drops From a Cauldron, The Ogham Stone and Cailleach literary journals and in the anthology Writing Home; The ‘New Irish’ Poets, published by Dedalus Press. In summer 2020 she won second place in the Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry Competition and was also awarded a place on the Words Ireland Mentoring Programme for young adult and children’s literature with Carnegie Medal winner and verse novelist Sarah Crossan.
Her first (unpublished) children’s novel was shortlisted for the Mslexia Children’s Novel Award in 2018. She received a master’s degree in early medieval Irish history and literature and a doctorate in medieval English literature from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.
In 2021, Eilish was awarded a Round One Literary Bursary from The Arts Council in Ireland.
Her debut middle grade novel Fia and The Last Snow Deer will be published in September by Puffin Books, UK.
Eilish is represented by Joanna Moult at Skylark Literary agency. She lives in County Wicklow.
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Three Drops
From
A Cauldron
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Poetry in Form: An Introduction to Form Poetry, How to Begin and How it Can Help Poetry and Prose Writing
"I cannot recommend Eilish's workshops highly enough. She had obvious talent, great insight and is so encouraging to her students."
- Mary DeCourcy
Myth, Legend and Fairytale: Old Tales to Inspire the New
"Eilish’s writing workshops are nourishment for the creative soul. She brings her extensive knowledge of mythology, music and animals to help participants explore and express new ideas. She creates a gentle, encouraging environment, a safe and challenging space for both experienced and novice writers. I would recommend her workshops to all writers."
- Zandra Carrington
Writing Animals: The Many Layers of Animal Writing, Getting Started
“I am part of the Avoca Scribblers group – and as such have been very lucky to have been at a number of sessions that Eilish has led. Her guidance of the group is marvellous and pulls great writing out of everyone who is there. She also was instrumental in showing me that I could write poetry; something I thought was impossible. “
-Denise Collins
Sound and Music in Writing: Their Use As Writing Tools
"Eilish Fisher facilitates workshops that not only inspire, educate and intrigue, but she delivers them with such passion and authority, one cannot help but learn. Eilish allows you to open, without fear, to the power of the pen, unleashing hitherto unrecognised imagination within, while passing on the depths of her wisdom and understanding of what the creative writing process is all about. I cannot recommend her highly enough."
-Lusi Elliot
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Almost as much as I love writing, I love helping other writers, especially young writers, find new ways of creating and seeing their work. There are few things more exciting than the buzz of an idea breakthrough, or simply experiencing new perspectives and ideas within your own writing. Having taught literature at university level, I discovered how critical literary analysis not only increased appreciation for writing but also opened the doors for the personal creative process. When I facilitate a writing group I introduce thematic strands to help push people beyond the comfortable confines of prompt writing. Instead we may use myth and legend, music, sound, poetic form, or even animals, as a starting place for stories and poetry to take shape.
WORKSHOPS
Workshops Available
BIO
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I grew up in a 200 year old haunted farmhouse in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and moved to Ireland in 1998. My first poem, “An Ode To Unicorns” was written with full illustrations when I was five and proudly hung on the kitchen cupboard for the following fifteen years.
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I began writing increasingly diverse poetry as a young teenager and in 1996, won a place at the esteemed Breadloaf Young Writer’s Conference in Middlebury Vermont. That same year I bought my first car, a rusty Chevrolet pickup, with the proceeds of the Johnson State College Young Writer’s Award.
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When I was nineteen I came to Maynooth University to immerse myself in ancient Irish myth and history. I was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in English, History and Medieval Irish Studies, a Master’s degree in Early Medieval Irish History and Literature and a Doctorate in Medieval English Literature from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. I was also a member of The Avoca Writers' Group.
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After over twenty-five years in Ireland, I consider myself both a Vermont and Wicklow writer. When I moved to the Wicklow Mountains, it was only a matter of time before local legends and tales of the otherworld began to creep out from the craggy hillsides, flowing and shapeshifting into my stories and poetry
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I live in Co Wicklow with my young son and partner, dog Axel, cat Smudge, and Shadow; a giant, wolfy critter who might be a dog, but is probably something else entirely.
© Sandra Boyd Photography