Sarah Byrne is the WCLF writer in residence beginning in December 2021. Her residency will take place over the winter months and will be followed by a showing at the 2022 WCLF.

Stranger Samples is a new constellatory artwork by Sarah Byrne which incorporates text, sound and perfume. This work will reflect on deprivation, connection, and gifting in both confined and open spaces. Sarah will work with women in prison using the motif of the sample with materials donated by leading Irish female designers and makers. In the second phase of the project, she will create audio-olfactory collages with Romanian violinist, Olga Berar and French perfumer, Lucille Lefrang. As part of her residency at WCLF, Sarah will offer writing workshops to women in West Cork communities. Stranger Samples will be showcased at the West Cork Literary Festival 2022. This project is also supported by The Adrian Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation.

View the latest interviews and essays below.