LIGHTS ON THE HORIZON

A collection of poems, prose and photography, 

in aid of frontline staff.

Supported by author, Louise O’Neill and actor, Jeremy Irons.

‘Lights on the Horizon’ is a remarkable collaboration of writers north and south of the Irish border in aid of HSE and NHS Northern Ireland frontline workers.

The poetry, prose and photography from all corners of the island of Ireland provide a literary time capsule, capturing a nation’s hopes, fears, actions and inactions, as it battles the biggest pandemic in living memory. Spearheaded by Northern Irish writer and playwright Andrew William Tinney, ‘Lights on the Horizon’ has been featured in local press, and has received support from author Louise O’Neill and actor Jeremy Irons.

The lockdown in March 2020 was a tough time for so many of us, and Ireland was no different. The shock of life as we’d known it, changing, overnight. The quiet streets, the shuttered businesses, the closed schools, restaurants and pubs. The uncertainty of it all. One of the moments many of us will remember as an eye-opener to how serious this global pandemic was becoming, was when St. Patrick’s Day parades were cancelled; and not just in Ireland, but worldwide. Only hospitals and essential services remained open, and so many of us wanted to do something meaningful, to show our support for those on the frontline who were risking their lives every day during the time of COVID-19. There is only so much clapping a person can do, and the likelihood of any frontline worker hearing us, standing on our doorsteps in various parts of the country, was relatively low.

Playwright and writer, Andrew W. Tinney, based in Co. Antrim, thought just that, and came up with the idea of a book, written on the island of Ireland, which would raise money for healthcare workers, while lifting the spirits of those involved, and those who purchased it.  ‘Lights on the Horizon’ was born. A call for submissions for poetry and prose was cast, bringing many writers north and south of the border out of their lockdown inertia, and compelling them to write. This was something hopeful, something concrete that they could do to support frontline workers. All proceeds of the book, published in May 2020, went to frontline staff in the HSE and NHS Northern Ireland.

Lockdown also made me reignite one of my other passions: writing. And ‘Lights on the Horizon’ is the reason why. I squeaked in my submission just before the deadline, I crossed all fingers and toes that it would be accepted. And playwright and writer, Andrew W. Tinney, whose brainchild this was, contacted me a few days later to tell me my fictional diary entry had made it into Lights on the Horizon.

Andrew W. Tinney’s brainchild had sparked something, and it was a beautiful, almost accidental, way of bringing together writers across the island of Ireland, and showcasing their tales of heroes and hope. Holding that first copy of the book in their hands was a proud moment for each contributor. And when Jeremy Irons took the time to write a few lines in support of our collection, we pinched ourselves and were so grateful for of his belief in our project. 

And that’s when this book became something more. 

What if we took the writing, and added photographs from around the island of Ireland? What if we made each story and poem come alive on the page, with quotes and beautiful design? What if we did a premium coffee table edition of heroes and hope that people would want to display in their homes? And what if publishing professionals, who equally felt that they wanted to do more, got involved, to give their time and help make this become a reality?

This book is the answer to those questions. 

Thank you for reading our story, and for your support of this beautiful collection which is a snapshot of a time on the island of Ireland when many of us needed exactly this: a Light on the Horizon.

(Niamh Cooper: eThentique Ltd)

“What do a paramedic, chocolate, and Louise O’Neill have in common? Not much, you might think. So then, why did six almost-strangers, including a mother-and-son duo, two crazy book club friends, and two almost twin-colleagues with identical names, and coffee-habits, get together on a sunny Sunday morning in West Cork?

IT’S ALL ABOUT LIGHTS”

“Author and playwright Andrew William Tinney had the idea for Lights On The Horizon. He brought all these authors north and south of the Irish border together in the first place. And with his blessing, we were going to take it to the next stage. He agreed. And so, phone calls were made, and one by one, publishing professionals far and wide were assembled who gave their time, and expertise, so generously, and absolutely free of charge.”

“I worked with the most amazing Editorial Director, Tess Tattersall, who lives and breathes words, and who fitted in meticulously fine-tuning Lights On The Horizon early in the morning, late at night, and in between all her other projects. Our Graphic Design Director, Ailbhe Hooper, immediately understood the vision and ‘got’ what the book should look like. Despite being in the late stages of pregnancy, she created mood boards and sifted through fonts, and quickly, the bones of the design was born. Text was formatted and photographs dropped in, and she did her magic to make our book shape up.”

“And then, there were those who turned up on that bright and almost summery Sunday morning; a perfect setting for an impromptu photo shoot, only brought to life the Friday before. Because, you see, we needed pictures.”

We wanted this book to be authentic. The stock image sites are all well and good, but it’s hard to find a picture of an elderly woman and an Irish ambulance, or a young boy who sees an angelic vision of a paramedic. The amazing Teresa McShane did a far better job at standing in for those roles, as did the extremely talented David Dodog, who had accompanied his Mum, the incredible Anna Dodog @Wild Dream Photography on this photo shoot, and was happy to roll with everything we threw at him that day.