Julie Irigaray
Writer. Teacher. Researcher.
Welcome to my website. As an author who lived in four different countries, I aim to create a better understanding of the world and our place in it — a mission which has cast me in many different roles: writer, teacher and researcher.
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I am a creative writing tutor and I earned a PhD in English Literature from The University of Huddersfield. You can find out about my publications, experience, research, awards, and more on this website.
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What's New
Spring 2025
My flash fiction piece 'Jurançon' will be published in Bangle Magazine in June. I'm particularly excited because it's my first published flash fiction piece, and is part of the brand new book I'm writing which combines wine and memories. Just like the poem 'Assyrtiko', which appeared in the latest issue of The Madrid Review.
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Poetry Ireland Review published my poem 'Eguzkilore' in May.
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The new issue of Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal includes an essay of mine: 'On Arthur Rimbaud’s vision of the Poet as Seer'.
I am very happy to be part of the Dynamo Mentoring Scheme 2025/2026. Dynamo provides free of charge one-to-one mentoring over a period of 18 months with experienced poet mentors and support and guidance from Nine Arches Press. The scheme is targeted at emerging and early-stage poets who live, work or study in the West Midlands, who are from backgrounds which have been underrepresented in poetry publishing and in contemporary poetry in general. More info here.
I am excited to be teaching this online introduction to prose poetry with the European Writers Salon
on 8th June.​
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On 25th May, I will be reading my work at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Birmingham.
Book your ticket here to join me, Gregory Leadbetter and Uttaran Das Gupta for an evening of poetry.
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Finally, I am delighted to have shared with Eleonora Balsano some thoughts on the loss of languages, cultures, and identities; writing in a second language; and how workshopping our work can influence the way we write for the podcast Chosen Tongue. You can find Chosen Tongue on all major podcast platforms.
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Whalers, Witches and Gauchos
My poetry pamphlet Whalers, Witches and Gauchos was published by Nine Pens Press last April.
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Whalers, Witches and Gauchos explores narratives of displacement, the way we navigate between countries and cultures, and how where we come from makes us who we are. Using my Basque ancestors as a point of reference – these same whalers, witches and gauchos who travelled to the other side of the world or were persecuted – I conjure up my memories of living in the Basque Country, France, Ireland, Italy and the UK. This pamphlet depicts what it is to migrate between places and languages seeking homes that can both sustain us and allow us to grow.
