Irish Pages Volume 10 No2 2019 The Belfast Agreement

ln this issue writers and scholars comment on the achievement of the Belfast agreement itself as well as offering their views, feelings and experience of it over the past twenty years, including the present moment. l it has been compiled through a mixture of invitation and public announcement, and most of the contributors are from the North, or Northern-based. a certain number, however, are from outside Northern ireland – whether the republic, great Britain or North america – but these are writers whose work in the past has demonstrated a real interest in, and engagement with, this polity.

Most of the writing is non-fiction, but a small amount of poetry, memoir and fiction directly relevant to the theme may be included. In addition, most of the contributors are writers with some literary or scholarly track-record, evinced by publication history and critical response. there are no politicians included, and only a number of journalists.

l a major consideration has been careful balance: by genre of writer, gender, age, background, outlook, county and so forth. But finally, as always with Irish Pages, “the sole criteria for inclusion in the journal are the distinction of the writing and the integrity of the individual voice.”