Abhainn Connolly is an award-winning poet, short story writer, and author of creative nonfiction and literary fiction. They split their time between the Pacific Northwest of the US and Dublin, Ireland. They have been featured in esteemed publications such as Oxford Poetry, Poetry Ireland Review, Lucky Jefferson, and HAD. Abhainn's debut poetry collection, DEADNAME, was released in 2023 by Write Bloody UK.
They are the recipient of several grants and awards, including the Emerging Artist Bursary from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the Agility Award from the Irish Arts Council, and the Waterford Poetry Prize in 2024. Their short story, Blue Juice, was longlisted for the 2024 Edinburgh Short Story Prize and was published in their anthology, Outcast.
In the early aughts, Abhainn got their start in poetry as a representative at the Individual World Poetry Slam, Women of the World Poetry Slam, and was a member of the historic Denver Mercury Café Slam Team at the US National Poetry Slam. They have toured the USA, performing in renowned venues across San Francisco, Portland, and New York City.
Abhainn’s writing explores the fluidity of identity, the complexities of names and language and place, and the liberating power of queer love, self-discovery, and community.
Let's be friends!
And let's face it, I'm a much more trustworthy recipient of your email address than a lot of folks you know.