Luke Morgan and Seamus Ruttledge

Luke Morgan is the recipient of the Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award 2025, an award given by the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, to an Irish poet. “Blood Atlas”, his eagerly awaited third collection from Arlen House, is new in 2025 and was completed with the assistance of a bursary from The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon. As well as poetry, Luke is also part of an award-winning Irish filmmaker duo, “Morgan Brothers”, with his brother, the composer Jake Morgan. He lives and works in Galway.

Séamus Ruttledge, a singer and songwriter from North Mayo, has released four albums: ‘New Boots New Shoes (2000)’, ‘Songs to Have With Your Tea (2011)’, ‘Elementary Chaos (2013)’, and ‘Strange (2021)’. His latest poetry collection, Jackdaws Chant The Blues, is a striking revelation.

Ruttledge’s keen observations of life, people and places capture mood and emotion with subtlety and precision. Like a musician using silence between notes, his poems create space for reflection, drawing readers closer to themselves and the world around them. This collection invites us to think deeply while offering comfort within life’s ever-changing kaleidoscope.