A WEST Cork poet and her BFF, a poet from Knocknaheeny, have taken their first foray into the world of publishing.
Lavie Olupona from Clonakilty and Sarah O’Sullivan from the city will be launching a limited edition of their first magazine Bláithí – which is the Irish for little flower – at 5pm on Saturday, February 1st at the Myo Café on Pope’s Quay.
Lavie, a social science student at UCC, and Sarah, an English student, founded Bláithí last November with the intention of giving emerging young artists, writers and photographers, a platform.
Pre-orders for the 12-page magazine – which is priced at €5 and will feature the work of 10 contributors, some of whom are from West Cork – are being taken ahead of the launch via their Instagram page: blaithiofficial.
Although the project is still in its infancy, Lavie told The Southern Star they will be looking for sponsors to help cover the cost of printing with Digital Printing Ireland.
In the meantime, they appreciate the support they have already been given, including prizes for a draw on the launch night – the proceeds of which will be donated to Cork Penny Dinners.
Lavie outlined the origins of the project, saying she and Sarah were grateful to have been featured in numerous literary and print publications, and they wanted to extend that opportunity to other creatives.
Lavie, for example, was featured in her local newspaper, having read her poem Let Our Voices Be Heard in the Dáil in 2022.
Meanwhile as a poet and an activist, Sarah has her own podcast called The Lost Library.
‘We wanted to foster a creative community,’ Lavie said. ‘Our main aim is to feature young writers, or writers from rural areas, so they can have an outlet for their talents.’
