{"id":695,"date":"2018-09-06T14:32:15","date_gmt":"2018-09-06T13:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/?p=695"},"modified":"2019-02-04T13:49:22","modified_gmt":"2019-02-04T13:49:22","slug":"a-literary-treasure-the-belfast-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/a-literary-treasure-the-belfast-group\/","title":{"rendered":"A Literary Treasure \u2013 “The Belfast Group”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

About the Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philip Hobsbaum (1932-2005) was a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts at Queen\u2019s University Belfast between 1962 and 1966. It was during this period that he\u00a0established a creative writing group known as the \u201cBelfast Group\u201d. The group met once per week at Hobsbaum\u2019s house in Fitzwilliam street, where they would\u00a0each critique a writer\u2019s work before moving towards an open discussion.<\/a>[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
Philip Hobsbaum attending Association of University Teachers Rally, April 1997. Image Courtesy of Josie Glausiusz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Professor Hobsbaum presented the Belfast Creative Writing Group Manuscripts to Queen\u2019s, where they are held in Special Collections under the reference MS1\/204; see here<\/a> for a complete listing.<\/p>\n

This includes 10 of Philip\u2019s own poems such as \u2018Derry City\u2019, and \u2018In Retreat\u2019. A play prepared by Philip\u2019s former wife, Hannah, When Rebecca Comes<\/em>, is also enclosed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Collection \u2013 Heaney, Longley and MacLaverty\u2019s Contributions<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Seamus Heaney at the University College Dublin, February 11, 2009.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This collection is made up of the works of 29 different authors. Although comprised primarily of poetry, the manuscripts\u00a0also contain plays, short stories, prose\u00a0pieces, and book chapters\u2013 including pieces from high profile contributors such as Seamus Heaney. The manuscripts hold 49 poems by Heaney. \u2018Death of a Naturalist\u2019 chronicles the collection of \u201cFrogspawn\u201d from a festering \u201cflax-dam\u201d, and \u2018Boy Driving His Father to Confession\u2019 explores a strained father-son relationship.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
MS1\/204\/13. ‘At a Potato Digging’ by Seamus Heaney.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u2018At a Potato Digging\u2019 is a 4-part poem which draws<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0contrasts between a potato harvest conducted with a<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u201cmechanical digger\u201d, a more natural potato harvest<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(\u201ca clean birth\u201d), and finally, a blighted potato harvest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
Michael Longley at the Corrymeela Peace Center. Andrew Hill, July 2012. Please see here<\/a> for licence info.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further high profile contributions come from Belfast born poet Michael Longley CBE. The collection contains 27 poems prepared by\u00a0Longley, including \u2018Leaving Inishmore\u2019, which details a boat journey into the Atlantic with \u201cthe harbor wall of Inishmore astern\u201d. Also held is a 3 part poem entitled \u2018Persephone\u2019, as well as \u2018Elegy for Fats Waller\u2019\u2013 celebrating the famous jazz pianist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
MS1\/204\/18. Jim Scroggy by Bernard MacLaverty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The manuscripts hold a short story by Bernard MacLaverty entitled \u2018Jim Scroggy\u2019. This piece follows the aging owner of an overgrown farm to confession, later exploring the death of his child Oliver. 2 further short stories entitled \u2018The Choice\u2019 and \u2018Wiglaf the Viking\u2019 are in the collection as well as a play by Bernard, The Interview<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Midwinter Break<\/em>, published in August 2017, is available for consultation in Special Collections. See our catalogue<\/a> for further details.<\/p>\n

Other Contributions \u2013 Tone of the Collection<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

This collection provides a keen insight into Northern Irish writing during this period, which was often characterised by a dark sense of humour. James Simmons’ \u2018Drinker\u2019s Blues\u2019 exemplifies this. The protagonist in this poem suffers from alcoholism, yet faces continuous failures from the barman to take the condition seriously (MS1\/204\/25). Similar issues are explored in the \u2018Last Bus\u2019 by Michael Brophy. This poem outlines a conversation between two \u201chalf drunk\u201d men on a bus filled with the \u201csmell of smoke and drink\u201d, amid the sound of \u201cbeer cans rattle\u201d (MS1\/204\/7).<\/p>\n

Joan Watton\u2019s poetry similarly utilised comedy while addressing serious issues. \u2018A Lone, Middle-Aged, Unmarried Woman Relates\u2019 explores a lonely aging process, and \u2018Aunt Alice\u2019 details the transformation of young girl with \u201cwild eyes\u201d into a \u201cporcelain spinster\u201d (MS1\/204\/30).<\/p>\n

\"\"
MS1\/204\/30. 3 typescripts of poetry by Joan Watton including ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Aunt Alice’.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Consulting the Collection<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

A rich resource for anyone with an interest in literature, the “Belfast Group” manuscripts are available to view in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. Please see here<\/a> for further information about visiting Special Collections.<\/p>\n

The published works of many of its members are also available for consultation and may be found in our catalogue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For those interested in the work of Seamus Heaney, Special Collections also holds a collection of manuscripts (MS20)<\/a>, which relate to Heaney\u2019s translation of Beowulf<\/em>. The collection also houses an assortment of poems, correspondence, personal notebooks, and other writings by Heaney.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> For more information about the group including interviews with its members, see ‘The Belfast Group: A Symposium’ in The Honest Uslterman, <\/em>No 53 (November\/December 1976). This is available for consultation in Special Collections. See our catalogue<\/a> for further details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About the Group Philip Hobsbaum (1932-2005) was a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts at Queen\u2019s University Belfast between 1962<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[46,23,47,14,45],"class_list":["post-695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manuscript-collections","tag-creative-writing","tag-irish-studies","tag-literature","tag-manuscript-collections","tag-poetry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2018\/09\/BCWG-Manuscripts.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8s7J-bd","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":89,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1035,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions\/1035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}