Contemporary Writers Series Returns October 6

August 25, 2022
Marina Carr

Buffalo, NY – The Canisius University Contemporary Writers Series will present its 18th annual Hassett Reading on Thursday, October 6 featuring Irish playwright Marina Carr. The event takes place at 7:00 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center; doors open at 6:30 p.m.  A question-and-answer session and reception will follow the reading.  

Considered one of Ireland’s most prominent playwrights, Carr is the author of “The Cordelia Dream,” “Phaedra Backwards,” “On Raftery's Hill,” “Portia Coughlan,” “By the Bog of Cats,” “The Mai” and “Girl On An Altar.”  Her work has earned Carr multiple awards and recognitions including The Irish Times Playwright Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Award, the E.M. Forster Prize, the Macaulay Fellowship, The Hennessy Award and the Windham-Campbell Prize.  

Carr is an associate professor of creative writing at Dublin City University.  She previously was a writer-in-residence at the Abbey Theatre and taught at Trinity College Dublin, Princeton University and Villanova University.  

Carr holds degrees in English and philosophy from University College Dublin, which also conferred an honorary doctorate of literature degree upon her in 2011.  

Founded with a grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation and continued through the Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professorship Program, the Contemporary Writers Series is generously supported today by the Hassett, Scoma and Lowery Endowments and with the cooperation of The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Just Buffalo Literary Center, the Center for Urban Education and Talking Leaves Books. 

For more information or to watch a livestream of the event, contact Mick Cochrane, professor of English and coordinator of the Contemporary Writers Series, at 716.888.2662 or @email.  

One of 27 Jesuit universities in the nation, Canisius is the premier private university in Western New York. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.