Theo Dorgan Irish poet, writer and teacher Country: Ireland

Biography of Theo Dorgan

Theo Dorgan is an Irish poet, writer, and teacher currently living and working in Dublin with poet and playwright Paula Meehan. Born in Cork, Ireland in 1953, Dorgan attended the North Monastery School, which was founded in Cork in 1811. He completed his Bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy at University College Cork, where he also earned a Master's degree in English. From 1977 to 1979, he taught at the same university and was responsible for literature at the Triskel Arts Centre, also located in Cork.

From 1986 to 1989, Dorgan served as one of the directors of the Cork Film Festival. From 1989 to 2000, he was the head of 'Poetry Ireland,' the national poetry association. In 1999, Dorgan was elected a member of 'Aosdána,' the Irish academy of arts. From 2003 to 2008, he was a member of the Arts Council, 'An Chomhairle Ealaíon.' In 2005, when Cork was designated as the European Capital of Culture, Dorgan was part of the organizing committee.

Dorgan's poetry collections include 'The Ordinary House of Love,' published by Salmon Poetry in Galway in 1991; 'Rosa Mundi' (Salmon Poetry, 1995); and 'Sappho's Daughter,' published by Train Press in Dublin in 1998. He also published selected poems in Italian, 'La Case ai Margini del Mundo,' in 1999, and a Spanish translation of 'Sappho's Daughter' titled 'La Hija de Safo' by Poesía Hiperión in Madrid in 2001.

Dorgan's first two poetry collections, 'The Ordinary House of Love' and 'Rosa Mundi,' quickly went out of print despite strong demand. 'Dedalus Press' reissued both collections in one volume in 2008. His new collection, 'Greek,' was published in 2010, also by 'Dedalus Press.' His prose, a description of a transatlantic sailing journey titled 'Sailing for Home,' was published by Penguin Ireland in 2004 and reissued by 'Dedalus Press' in 2010.

Dorgan was the editor of 'The Great Book of Ireland' along with Gene Lambert in 1991. He also edited 'Revising the Rising' in the same year, 'Irish Poetry Since Kavanagh' published by Four Courts Press in 1996, 'Watching the River Flow' in 1999, 'The Great Book of Gaelic,' published in Edinburgh by Canongate in 2002, and 'The Book of Uncommon Prayer' (Penguin Ireland, 2007).

Dorgan was the former director of 'Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann' and actively participated as a presenter in literary programs on radio and television. His composition 'Jason and The Argonauts' to the music of Howard Goodall was commissioned by the Royal Albert Hall, where it premiered in 2004. Dorgan also wrote the screenplay for the famous television documentary series 'Hidden Treasures,' and his texts are featured in the renowned dance musical 'Riverdance.' His poems have been set to music by various artists, including Alan Stivell, Jimmy Crowley, and Cormac Breathnach.

Dorgan was also the host of 'Poetry Now' on RTÉ Radio 1 and later hosted the book program 'Imprint' on RTÉ's TV. Among Dorgan's awards and honors are the Listowel Prize for Poetry in 1992 and the O'Shaughnessy Prize for Irish Poetry in 2010.