Category Archives: Commentary

Victoria Amelina 1986-2023

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Lia Mills

Victoria Amelina, much-loved friend and valued colleague in the PEN family, active member of PEN Ukraine and friend to many PEN Centres, was a gifted Ukrainian writer and a war crimes researcher for Truth Hounds. She was killed by an … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Ukraine, Uncategorized, Victoria Amelina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eavan Boland

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Lia Mills

It’s a real shock to learn that Eavan Boland has died. Hers was the kind of presence that seemed outside of time, even though definitely not Outside History. She has had a profound effect on so many of us in … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

DAPHNE CARUANA GALIZIA: London Vigil

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Lia Mills

One year ago today, Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist who exposed corruption and criticized the Maltese political establishment, was assassinated. She had received several death threats; fires had been set near her home; her dog had been killed. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Freedom of Speech | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

An egg is not a bird. A seed is not a tree.

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Lia Mills

This blog was originally posted in 2013.  As we get closer to the referendum I am increasingly worried about the misinformation and distortion of facts I hear on the radio as reputable programmes try to present both sides of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Choice, Commentary, Irish Solutions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Artists’ Campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Lia Mills

Today felt like a turning point – or maybe that moment when you realise the turn started a long time (32 years?) ago. By the time you see it, it’s following its own unstoppable momentum.  Enda Kenny take note. This morning, the Artists’ Campaign … Continue reading →

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On Censorship, Iranian Film & Saudi Blogging

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Lia Mills

(A version of this piece was broadcast on Arena on 18th Feb):  http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=9%3A20731200%3A1526%3A18%2D02%2D2015%3A Recently I saw an Iranian film by Mohammad Rasoulof: Manuscripts Don’t Burn. It tells a creepy, absorbing story about censorship and corruption impinging on the lives of dissident writers in … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction or Prose Poem?

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Lia Mills

This is what’s exercising my sluggish, rain-soaked brain at the minute: what is the difference between flash fiction and a prose poem? Narrative, you might suggest – as Nessa O’Mahony did, very helpfully, when I posted the question on Twitter … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Fiction, On Writing, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“Our silence is not ours to keep”: Nirbhaya, the play.

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Lia Mills

Sometimes I sleepwalk into things. I knew that the play Nirbhaya was based on the real rape of a real young woman in Delhi in December 2012 and its aftermath, but I didn’t know that the stories told and enacted in … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Rape, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Israel & Gaza: stop. Please stop.

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Lia Mills

Every now and again I come upon a situation that compels me to silence, being so crucial and sensitive it demands that the right words be spoken in the right way to the right people. Because I don’t know what or who … Continue reading →

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The Irish and Northern Irish Feminist Judgments Project

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Lia Mills

If anyone noticed an uncharacteristic silence: I’ve been away.  Here’s something I found in my inbox when I got back (sent by Therese Caherty of the Feminist Open Forum). The information originated from Mairead Enright (U Kent), the project co-ordinator. It’s an … Continue reading →

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