This landmark anthology brings together four decades of writing, art and cultural debate from the Lyric’s historic literary journal.

First published in 1957 by Lyric co-founder Mary O’Malley, Threshold ran until 1990 and became an important platform for new writing and literary debate in Northern Ireland. Its contributors included some of the most significant writers and artists of the period, including Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian, Derek Mahon, Anne Devlin, Gerald Dawe and Seamus Deane. John Hewitt served as poetry editor for more than 15 issues, helping to establish the periodical as an influential outlet for new writing and cultural debate.

Designed by Crown creative and printed by W.G Baird, this new 380-page anniversary anthology, bound in Linen to pay tribute to Belfast’s industrial heritage, brings together writing from across all 39 editions of Threshold, spanning poetry, fiction, essays, art criticism, theatre writing and short stories. It offers a wide-ranging portrait of the journal and the writers, artists and thinkers who shaped its pages.

Alongside the literary material, the anthology draws on the Lyric’s cultural and artistic archive bringing together letters, photographs, pamphlets, programmes, and advertisements, including material that has never previously been seen publicly. Among these are correspondence from a young Liam Neeson in 1975, an aspiring actor seeking opportunities, as well as material relating to Seamus Heaney, who submitted some of his earliest poems to the journal, including the first published record of The Tollund Man.

The anthology is complemented by new contributions from poet Medbh McGuckian, Dr Mark Phelan of Queen’s University Belfast, Dr Barry Houlihan of the University of Galway, Conor O’Malley, Jimmy Fay and Patsy McCartan.

Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer of the Lyric Theatre and Co-editor said:

“It has been a labour of love for the Lyric team to work on a commemorative edition of Threshold. Over its thirty-four years, Threshold published a wealth of writing that engaged with theatre, aesthetics, ethics, and politics. It also gave new young writers a home to publish for the first time and offered a broad, welcoming voice for any artist wishing to engage in debate. We are pleased to launch this beautiful edition, which we conceived as a production with a prologue, interlude, and ex-machina, packed with archival material and stunning artwork. This is a treasure trove, and we hope you love it as much as we do.”

Patsy McCartan, Heritage Manager at the Lyric Theatre commented:

“As heritage manager and co-editor, I’m honoured to have been a part of this fascinating, collaborative project. Weaving together the threads of the Lyric’s 75-year literary and artistic legacy, this new anthology is a unique tapestry of the voices, stories and perspectives that shaped the cultural landscape of this island.”

Following a recent showcase in New York as part of its launch tour, the new Threshold anthology makes its official launch at the Lyric Theatre in October bringing the story of one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive literary and cultural journals back to the place where it began.

In addition, to mark the Lyric’s special 75th anniversary, 75 copies of the anthology will be released as a special limited edition. Each copy comes in a bespoke slipcase featuring the theatre’s original harp motif and includes a signed limited-edition print by artist Neil Shawcross MBE, who also contributed to Threshold in its original run and continues to paint and exhibit today.

Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist at University of Galway writes:

“The legacy of this work, in the form of the journal, the work it produced, the literary voices it enabled to be heard, and accessible once more through these pages and through the archive of Threshold, so that it can be shared and enjoyed by generations to come, is a potent and remarkable achievement.”

Bringing together more than thirty years of writing, art and cultural history, this new anthology offers a rare opportunity to revisit Threshold and the important role it played in Northern Ireland’s literary and cultural life, while opening up the Lyric’s archive to a new generation of readers.