Photo: Oisín McHugh
WITH €5000 from the Arts Council, Limerick Literary Festival is investing in new venues, diverse performances and the widest sweep in 33 years with respect to audience power.
The theme of ‘City of Bridges’ reflects the widening of the weekend’s catchment of participants.
A press launch at O’Mahony’s Booksellers revealed the packed itinerary, from Morrissey to American laureate Richard Blanco to historian Thomas Packenham. This red carpet roll out will across the city from Thursday February 23 to Sunday 26.
Poet Vivienne McKechnie of the committee talked to Arts page of great expectations. “I think we have a great line up, a good variety and no one will feel excluded. We have writers like Cecilia Ahern and it’s great that she at the popular side of fiction. We are appealing to a wider audience.
“This festival can be seen as academic and just for the few… but people now realise it is not all about being a high brow event. Writer Donal Ryan will interview Cecilia in Lime Tree Theatre, acting as facilitator for the audience “.
Pic: Brian Gavin Press 22
Check out www.limerickliteraryfestival.com for the full platform: novelist Mike McCormack, a tribute to Michel Deon by French honorary consul Marie Hackett, poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa. Composer Bill Whelan and RTE lyric fm’s Liz Nolan will rival each other with five essential Desert Island Discs in a musical thrill.
True to the breaking of borders will be UL’s Prof Eoin Devereaux’s opening number, an illustrated talk with music, on both Oscar Wilde and Morrissey. The venue is Chez le Fab at Arthur’s Quay Park.
On Friday 24, journalist Olivia O’Leary will launch the festival at Limerick City Gallery of Art prior to the 7pm recital, ‘As Music and Splendour’. That morning you can head to The Granary for readings by Donal Ryan himself, and Martin Dyer.
Left, Donal Ryan UL, Carolyn Graham and James Lawlor of Narrative4
Photo: Oisin McHugh
For Saturday, the energy moves to Ormston House with Roisín Meaney and Christopher Lloyd storytelling for children at a free gig.
Marie Hackett and Eimear Redmond summarise the new seekers’ strategy: “We are making the festival more public and family friendly, a variety of venues and appealing to different age groups and interests, with events for the Leaving Certificate and schoolgoing age groups.”
More anon on the Kate O’Brien Award for debut female writers.
