The Yeats International Summer School, founded in 1957, is a two week program that runs each year from the end of July through early August. For general information about the summer school, please consult the Yeats Society website. Included below is basic information about the academic schedule.
Once you arrive in Sligo, you will quickly get used to the rhythm of the Summer School. Each weekday morning begins with a lecture at 9:30 a.m. in the Hawks Well Theatre, which is followed by a coffee break and then a second lecture at 11:15 a.m. Every year features a different group of lecturers, but they are always major figures in Irish Studies, often university professors at places like Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Trinity College in Dublin, etc. Most of the lectures will be highly accessible, though some will be more advanced and difficult to follow for non-specialists. If a lecture is over your head, don’t be discouraged. The next one will likely be easier to follow. The basic requirement for our class is that you need to attend a minimum of ten lectures over the two weeks. Be sure to sign in at each lecture you attend, as that will factor into your attendance / participation grade.
Early afternoons will feature a number of events, including plays, poetry readings, exhibits, and side trips to areas in and around Sligo. Attendance is optional, but do your best to take advantage of everything that is going on. These events are usually a lot of fun and will give you even more context for reading Yeats. Please note, some of the side trips will require a small charge that is not included in your program fee.
Late afternoons are reserved for seminars, which run from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Prior to leaving for Ireland, you will sign up for two seminars–one for the first week of the Summer School and one for the second week. The seminars are led by the lecturers and focus on specific Yeats related topics. For our class, you are required to attend each seminar session.
Evenings are generally reserved for poetry readings. The Yeats Summer School consistently draws top poets from around the world, so do your best to attend as many of these readings as possible. The Summer School also designates a social site for evening entertainment, often featuring traditional Irish music and dance.
The program of lectures, seminars, and events usually comes out in late spring. Consult the links below:
2015 Program
2016 Program