4,000 Keys: Unlocking Linda McKenna's Poetic Journey
In the 10th episode of the Irish Stew Podcast's Lost in Belfast series, host Martin Nutty sits down with poet Linda McKenna. Together, they discuss poetry, history, and forgotten voices of Irish history.
Linda's path to poetry began almost by accident, but her talent was apparent, confirmed when she received the prestigious 2018 Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing. Recording from the Observatory room at Belfast's Grand Central Hotel, Linda opens up about her unique approach to poetry, drawing inspiration from historical archives and fragmentary records to illuminate the often-overlooked stories of women throughout history.
During this compelling discussion, Linda reads excerpts from her acclaimed collection Four Thousand Keys and offers insights into her upcoming work, which seeks to recover and amplify voices from Ireland's 1798 rebellion. Her poetry serves as both historical excavation and artistic expression, breathing life into stories that might otherwise remain buried in dusty archives.
Join Martin and Linda for a conversation that connects past and present, exploring how poetry can serve as a bridge between forgotten histories and contemporary understanding.
Links
- Linda McKenna page at Doire Press
Books
Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 20; Total Episode Count: 123
00:00 - Introduction
03:28 - Poem: Cartography
05:10 - Poetic Beginnings
07:27 - Rural Dublin Origins
09:08 - Victorian Studies
10:03 - The Museum Life
12:41 - Moving to the North
15:00 - Poetic Influences
17:05 - Elizabeth Dunham and her Keys
22:15 - Poem: Fifty Miles
23:07 - Looking to Future Work: 1798
27:10 - Belfast Crucible of 1798
31:49 - Poem: Lineage
35:02 - Martin Recaps
36:18 - Credits
Linda McKenna
Author/Poet
LINDA MCKENNA was brought up in Kinsealy in North County Dublin and educated at Malahide Community School, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Leicester. She has lived in Downpatrick for over 20 years. Her debut collection of poetry, 'In the Museum of Misremembered Things,' was published by Doire Press in 2020. The title poem won the An Post/Irish Book Awards/Listowel Writers Week Irish Poem of the Year in 2020. She won the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing in 2018 and the Red Line Festival Award. Her second collection, 'Four Thousand Keys', was also published by Doire Press in 2024. The book explores voices all but lost to history, except to those curious, like the poet, to examine dusty archives and capture once again the beating pulse of the forgotten
