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Amy Abdullah Barry is a poet and short story writer. Originally from Malaysia and living in Athlone since 2003. She is widely published including Cyphers, Southword, The Trumpet, Poetry Jukebox, Paris Lit Up, and RTÉ, among others. She was featured in Breaking Ground Ireland and selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series 2022.

Her writing explores contemporary issues, love, family, nature, death, notable figures, politics, and places of interest. Her poetry has been translated into Italian, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, Azerbaijani, Albanian, and Persian, reflecting its international reach.

Amy is a professional member of the Irish Writers Centre and an Honorary Member of the Neruda Cultural Association in Taranto, Italy. She founded Global Writers, an online writing group connecting writers across borders. A travel lover, she  previously worked in the Media, Hotel & Energy industries. She has performed her work in Ireland and internationally, including appearing as Guest Poet at the Morecambe Poetry Festival (UK) in September 2024, where she opened for headliner Lemn Sissay. She regularly organises poetry events in Athlone, Roscommon, and Dublin.

A recipient of several bursaries and awards supporting the development of her work, Amy published her debut poetry collection, Flirting with Tigers, with The Dedalus Press in April 2023, and received critical attention in publications such as Poetry Ireland Review, The Irish Times, Irish Examiner, Senior Times Magazine, The Galway Review, A New Ulster, Amazon, and the Roscommon Herald.

Reviewing the collection in The High Window, Patrick Lodge noted that Barry is keenly aware of being “here, in the Irish countryside,” skilfully drawing on contrast by juxtaposing the familiar and the exotic, and that this assured debut promises more to come.

 https://www.dedaluspress.com/product/flirting-with-tigers/