As of September 2024, Mary has taken on this position.

About Mary:
On returning from S.W. France to live in Northern Ireland, a retired teacher of twenty-six
years, Mary Farrell joined her first Creative Writing Group in Flowerfield Arts Centre in
Northern Ireland in 2017. While her first Creative Writing Group as Facilitator, Words Inc in
Coleraine, was begun in 2022 for The NI Library Authority,  since 2023 she has co-ordinated
a second weekly Writing Group called Sanderlings in her home town of Portstewart. A
regular facilitator for Portglenone Writers, she now also co-ordinates each week by Zoom a
fourth All-Ireland Writing Group called Write So! , which was originally formed by AsIam, an
Irish Charity for Autistic Adults.   
 
Previously a member of CIEP, The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, UK, she is
now in her third year as a member of the Judging Panel for the Weekly Competition run by
the Reedsy Online Publishing Company. Since January 2024, Mary is also a Professional
Member of the Irish Writers Society, based in Dublin.
 
Her published work includes a trilogy of general Collections, It’s like Walking
a Tightrope, 2021, Out of the Chrysalis, 2022 and A Phoenix Still Rising in
2023. Springboards: a Creative Writing Manual for Beginners through to Facilitators was
published in October 2022. The three books in The Circle Trilogy, The Kingdom, Maybury
and New Asgarth were published in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Editor of three Anthologies, Irish
Hares and Seahorses, 2022, Spun Yarns and Woven Words, 2023, and Sea Spray and
Woodland Glades, 2024, her books have all been published by Impspired Press. 

She organises two Performance Events each year in her local area: Flash Fiction Portrush
each Spring, and Soundwaves, an Impspired event which is now an annual part of the Swell
Festival each October, both taking place in Portrush on the North Coast of Ireland. Details of
both can be found on her website at http://www.maryfarrell.com.
 
Having read her own work on BBC radio, she was a guest on the Time of Our Lives show, also
on BBC Radio Ulster, in 2019. A regular performer on stage at Tenx9 events, she has
performed at various Open Mic Sessions in Northern Ireland. Her short story, A Tale of a
Barn won the Lurig Drama Club Competition in 2020.  Recorded by the actor Ciaran Hinds on
November 26th, 2020, it can be found at http://www.thenineglens.com. She has had various
pieces of Prose and Poetry published in Magazines and Anthologies, both locally and
internationally. 

You can contact Mary directly at her website http://www.maryfarrellwriting.com , by email
maryfarrell85@hotmail.com , or through her Facebook page.

Books Published:

The Circle Trilogy

These heart-warming, atmospheric stories have a
folklore quality that taps into an ancient Irish tradition of
oral storytelling. A set of interlinked tales, they carry the
charm and appeal of a bygone age, of an otherworldly
place, and conjure up a universe that is both ancient and
familiar to us in which the characters of The Kingdom
wind their way in and out of each other’s lives.

– Bernie McGill, Author of The Butterfly Cabinet, 2014, Sleepwalkers, 2014, The Watch House, 2017, This train is for…, 2022.

The themes and characters in these carefully
crafted tales are instantly recognisable. Maybury’s
inhabitants collide, connect and conspire in this
glorious exploration of life, love and loss. Utterly
enchanting, these relationships remind us of the
value of community, inspiring curiosity, awareness
and ultimately – hope.
Cathy Carson, writer, poet and performer for
theatre, television and radio, shortlisted in 2022
for the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken
Performer.

The twenty interwoven stories of New Asgarth are set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where the remains of humanity dwell in domed cities, where society struggles to adjust. And yet even in those darkest times, Mary Farrell shows us that hope, love, and a sense of community can blossom. With a profound insight into what makes us human, she re-frames post-apocalyptic conventions by focusing less on inherent dangers and violence and more on the fragile sparks of human connection which have the capacity to change our lives. Her engaging and accessible style, unique and powerful insight into the human condition, and the overarching theme of community inspire us to try and find common ground in our own progressively divided society ‘- Dr Sveto Manev, speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, and co-founder of Ulster University’s annual journal of creative writing, The Paperclip.

General Collections

‘A deceptively innocent collection with an anti-
patriarchal undercurrent. Writing which lures you into
conspiracy, yet leaves you smiling.’- Sue Divin , Author of
Guard Your Heart (Macmillan 2021)
‘…poems and stories rich with passion, invention and a
wry dark humour, Mary Farrell explores the joys and the
disappointments of life…’ – Kathleen McCracken,
Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Ulster
University, and author of seven Collections of poetry.

‘An elegant collection of poems and prose. The variety of
genres and techniques can be adapted by Facilitators
everywhere to use as stimuli in their own Creative Writing
classes’ – Maureen Dunseath, Facilitator of the Foyle u3a
Creative Writing Group
‘The stories are inventive, interconnected, and always
surprising. As readers, we get to walk in the shoes of her
characters, to listen in on their thoughts’ – Dr Frank Sewell,
Writer and Translator, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and
Irish Literature in English at Ulster University, Northern Ireland.
Senior Lecturer, Ulster University

‘Stories and poems, such as these Collections of Mary Farrell, provide an invaluable resource for storytelling groups and a useful aid for promoting thinking, discussion and writing. Ranging from the familiar and the heart-rending to the imaginative and the fantastical, they demonstrate a wide variety of writing techniques, including personal experience, shared writing and a very effective quirky use of hyphenated adjectives. Each piece lends itself well not only to being read aloud but gives encouragement to those with a story to share. The “connectivity of humanity” runs through this book’ – Christine Turner, Freelance Educator teaching about diversity and inclusion, Storyteller with the Causeway Yarnspinners in Northern Ireland.

A Creative Writing Manual

‘Springboards by Mary Farrell is a useful text for beginning writers, those with writer’s block, writers in need of a push, and creative writing facilitators. The road-tested and roadworthy prompts provided in this manual are carefully selected from the author’s own experience of supervising and attending writing workshops’ – Dr Frank Sewell, Writer and Translator, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing and Irish Literature in English at Ulster University, Northern Ireland.
‘Here is a wonderful source, brimming with ideas for individuals, groups and facilitators. Anyone searching for a new approach or wishing to try out new techniques will find inspiration in this cornucopia of prompts and exercises.’ -Kate Murphy, Amherst Writers and Artists Trained Facilitator, Co-Ordinator of Portrush Writers Group

‘The word ‘Anthology’ comes from the Greek word anthología meaning a “gathering of flowers”. There are beautiful blooms to be found in this volume, powerful prose rooted in the earth, characters some sweet-smelling some thorny, sinuous shapes of concrete poetry, stanzas of verse which twine and curl like ivy. Tended and pruned collectively by the Group
members, seeds from fertile minds were woven into garlands of varied size, length and format. Distinctive as the Irish Hares of the title, each of the contributors offers a selection in their own unique voice. Birthed in Irish soil, like Seahorses, these voices have also been nourished and invigorated by the fresh winds and flow of the Atlantic tides.’

‘Welcome to Spun Yarns and Woven Words, the second anthology from North Coast Writers. Together, we have woven truth and tall tales to produce an anthology we hope you will enjoy. Strands of connection and contrast thread their way through these poems and short stories. There are fragrant roses, bluebells and chamomile lawns, ice creams and ice skates, wry rural tales and travelogues. Some pieces will make you smile, others make you weep. A few will make you laugh out loud. You will find wit and whimsy, tales of love and loss, pieces that roll along at a cracking pace and poignant moments over which you will linger.’

Welcome Readers to this third and last of these Anthologies. A
wide array of topics is covered. Once more the familiar – surf and
turf, birds and bees, family and friends, the sharing of life
experiences and places visited. However, in this Anthology we find
prose and poems inspired by the works of well-known writers as
well as pieces which have evolved from reactions to visual images.
We follow intricate dialogues and the outlines of dramatically
formatted shapes. All of these demonstrate the continuing courage
of these Writers from the North Coast of Ireland to challenge
themselves and try new styles and techniques.