MOVE beyond any fear that Limerick Literary Festival is for the high-brow and fusty. This year’s show gets on the road on Thursday February 25 with four dramatic days of events, some free, several child-friendly, some musical, and with celebrated authors.
Tim Pat Coogan, Louis de Bernieres, Pauline Bewick, Theo Dorgan, Donal Ryan are in the mix, along with Bill Whelan, RTE Contempo Quartet and composer/ harpist Anne-Marie O’Farrell for The Kaleidosope Night of cabaret on Thursday 25 at Belltable, 8pm.
This is rock’nroll and the Festival’s theme is ‘Rebellion’.
Journalist and WW1 authority Kevin Myers is invited to officiate at the launch in Limerick City Gallery of Art at 6pm on Friday 26, with soprano Claudio Boyle to sing. This ‘As Music and Splendour’ recital will see her accompanied by Mairead Hurley on piano.
The competitive edge is to reward a debut novel or short story collection by an Irish female writer with The Kate O’Brien Prize.
2016 brings another challenge, a Desert Island head-to-head between Donal Ryan and new Irish writer Sara Baume. Each will present their five essential books for reading, at 11am on Sunday 27 in Lime Tree Theatre.
Thirty two years a-going, this former Kate O’Brien Weekend is unfunded by The Arts Council for the first time but there’s no shortage of highlights, nor dip in spirit.
“We received a substantial grant from City of Culture and are using some of that to cover this year,” the committee’s Marie Hackett says practically. “We have great events going on and would love to have more free for more people, but regretfully, we have to charge to pay for our prominent guests”.
Read all about it on the vibrant facebook page and on www.limerickliteraryfestival.com. Booking is through www.limetreetheatre.ie for all venues, and tickets are on the door.
The organisers are delighted with the spread of venues throughout the city for 2016: City Library at Granary for schools on Thursday 25 with novelist Judy Curtain, then LCGA at Pery Square for readings and discussion on Saturday 27.
Finally, artist Pauline Bewick will be interviewed by critic and writer Niall McMonagle for the Kate O’Brien lecture on Sunday 28, 12noon at Lime Tree Theatre. She published her autobiography ‘80: a Memoir’ a year ago.
Special mention from the Festival to McMonagle, to LCGA and to No. 1 Pery Square for their support.-
