Obituary: Sam Burnside (1943-2026)
8th April, 2026
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has learned with regret of the death of poet, writer and Verbal Arts Centre founder Sam Burnside (1943-2026), who passed away on Thursday April 2.
Originally from Co Antrim, Dr Burnside was based in Derry~Londonderry for decades. His signal achievement was the founding of the Verbal Arts Centre thirty-four years ago in 1992 as an educational charity to promote literature in all its forms, in particular the spoken word and storytelling. The Centre, based on Derry’s Walls at Bishop Street Within, grew as a testament to his vision and commitment to his adopted city.
In private life, he was a prolific writer, with a deep attachment to the dissenting tradition in Ireland and in particular to the writings of poet John Hewitt. He first came to attention late as a writer when his long poem The Cathedral (1989) won the prestigious Sunday Tribune/Hennessy Literary Award for Poetry, when the poet was in his 40s. His debut volume Walking the Marches (Salmon Poetry) was praised when it appeared in in 1990.
Other accolades included the William Allingham Poetry Prize, the University of Ulster’s McCrea Literary Award for Literature and a Bass Ireland Award. His first novel ‘My Name is Rebecca’ (Hobart 2021), appearing when he was 71, won critical acclaim. The novel follows Rebecca Porter, who on the 25th anniversary of her sister’s murder in a bomb blast in central Belfast, meets her killer who has been freed from jail as a result of the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Burnside was awarded the MBE in 2012 for services to the Arts, served on the board of the Arts Council from 1995 until 2002, retiring from the Verbal Arts Centre in the same year. Many took to social media to express condolences and to reflect on Dr Burnside’s encouragement and support of writers and reading. His work is recorded in many journals and publications of record, as well as in site-specific artwork throughout the city of Derry and environs.
He is predeceased by his wife Stella and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland sends its condolences and respects to his children Sarah, Kate and John and his wider family.
Photo Credit: My Name Is Rebecca: Sam Burnside uses novel to give voice to those who silently endured the Troubles