Clon writer among guests of Cork books fest

CORK Lord Mayor Cllr Chris O’Leary will officially open the 12th edition of the Cork World Book Fest at Cork City Library on Tuesday April 19th. 

The five-day festival features international poets and writers, as well as emerging and established Irish writers like Clonakilty’s award-winning author Louise O’Neill.  

This year Ed Vulliamy, Andrey Mashinyan, Bejan Matur, Liz Lochhead, Louis de Paor, Kevin Barry, Maram al-Masri, Rod Nordland, Deaglán de Breadún, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, William Wall and Mary Morrissy are among the line-up.

 ‘Revolution and writing about revolution are the central strands for the year that’s in it,’ said Cork City librarian Liam Ronayne, chair of Cork World Book Fest. ‘Our opening event, The Poets Rising: World Voices responds to the fact that four of the seven signatories of our Proclamation were poets. We are delighted to welcome to Cork writers from Istanbul, Palestinian Scotland and Euzkadi – the Basque country.’ 

On Friday night Deaglán de Breadún will discuss his new book Power Play: the Rise of Modern Sinn Féin with TV3’s political editor Ursula Halligan. Thursday evening Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and Kabul bureau chief for The  New York Times, Rod Nordland, and Syrian poet Maram al-Masri, put a human face on the ongoing debate about women’s rights in the Muslim world.

 ‘Every year we showcase new books,’ says Triskel Christchurch literature programmer Ann Luttrell, also programmer on the fest. ‘This year we launch new short story collections by well-known Cork writers William Wall and Mary Morrissy as well as introducing new talent Rob Doyle.’ 

Kevin Barry will read his Cork story from the first volume of this new arts anthology of stories, essays, reportage, photography and visuals, which ask the reader ‘How do you do what it is that you do?’

There is a feast of activity for younger readers with a whole day dedicated to teen events on Wednesday April 20th when Louise O’Neill launches St Angela’s Transition Year Books Friday afternoon and there are several free events for younger children at Cork City Library throughout the week.

Cobh’s finest Maeve Higgins will bring her unique brand of comedy to the festival on Saturday 23rd and discuss her book Away from home and Loving It. Sort of.’ 

A Charlotte Bronte event will celebrate her 200th birthday on Friday night, and Nuala Ní Chonchúir delves into her book Miss Emily on Wednesday evening – a novel that tells the life story of poet Emily Dickenson through the voice of her family’s Irish maid.