A WOMAN who suffered two heart attacks before she "stumbled onto a spiritual journey" is to be Belfast Cathedral's first Writer in Residence.
Deirdre Cartmill from Moy in Co Tyrone will begin her new role in the summer.
Ms Cartmill, who has published two poetry collections, will write a series of poems inspired by her time in the cathedral.
During the residency, she will also run a writing workshop and host a post residency reading and Q&A.
Also an award winning screenwriter and playwright, she said she was excited adding that the cathedral provides "the perfect environment for contemplation, reflection and endless inspiration".
"This residency has a very personal meaning for me," she said.
"I had two heart attacks in a week at 43 and my life fell apart. I had to find a new way of living and I stumbled onto a spiritual journey. It turned my received ideas on their head."
She added that during her time in the role she hoped she could "explore the tension I feel between religious labels and my own personal experiences of spirituality".
"I'm sure it will also provoke some thoughts on my upbringing," she said.
"I was brought up Catholic and it will be interesting to explore the similarities and differences between my childhood experiences and the world of this Church of Ireland Cathedral."
