DUBLIN WRITERS FESTIVAL PRESS RELEASES

Press Release – April 19, 2010

Dublin Writers Festival has whole world of words in its hands

Dublin Writers Festival | June 1 -6, 2010 | www.dublinwritersfestival.com

International writers Antony Beevor, Hanif Kurieshi, Yann Martel and multi-award winning Ian McEwan will join Irish writers Jennifer Johnston, Joseph O'Connor and Tom Murphy and dozens more at this year's Dublin Writers Festival.

The 6-day literary Festival, now in its 12th year, features over 40 writers who will read from their most recent works and take part in curated conversations about their writing.

This year's Festival, assembled by Programme Director Liam Browne also salutes significant birthdays for two major Irish writers, Tom Murphy and Jennifer Johnston, as well as The Gallery Press, a publisher that over the last forty years has tirelessly promoted and published the best of Irish poetry.

New initiatives in 2010 include a exploration of song writing with Paul Brady and Neil Hannon in performance and conversation with John Kelly and insights into the art of reading well from Anne Enright and Dermot Healy.

Rounding off the jam-packed programme will be discussions on the new feminism, the ‘tricky' second novel, a detailed exploration of Irish language travel literature and a multimedia bilingual event featuring poetry, song and projections.

Dublin Writers Festival is an initiative of Dublin City Council Arts Office, supported by The Arts Council.

Highlights of the 2010 Festival include:

The multi-award-winning author of Atonement, On Chesil Beach and Saturday Ian McEwan -whose new novel, Solar, addresses the issue of climate change - will join the writer and 1960's counter-culture icon Stewart Brand in conversation with Myles Dungan. Brand argues in his latest book, Whole Earth Discipline that ideology is no longer enough and science-led pragmatism is the only viable solution to our global crisis. Expect some cool-headed thinking on the global warming debate. This will be the first time Brand and McEwan have shared the stage together.

An exploration into the power of the word in song writing by respected musician, singer and songwriter Paul Brady and charismatic front man of The Divine Comedy, Neil Hannon; in conversation with and co-curated by John Kelly.

Celebrations of the birthdays of Jennifer Johnston (80), Tom Murphy (75) and The Gallery Press (40).

Exclusive Irish appearances by Antony Beevor (Stalingrad, D-Day), Spanish-born Canadian writer Yann Martel (Life of Pi) and playwright, screenwriter, novelist and filmmaker Hanif Kureishi (The Buddha of Suburbia, My Beautiful Launderette).

Full List of participating writers:

Sarah Bakewell, Antony Beevor, Dermot Bolger, Paul Brady, Stuart Brand, Ciaran Carson, Michael Coady, Michael Cronin, Gerald Dawe, Mícheál de Barra, Alan Desmond, Anne Enright, Peter Fallon, Alan Gillis, Vona Groarke, Neil Hannon, Dermot Healy, Seamus Heaney, Biddy Jenkinson, Jennifer Johnston, Declan Kiberd, Hanif Kureishi, John Lynch, Manchán Magan, Derek Mahon, Yann Martel, Ian McEwan, Medbh McGuckian, Susan McKay, Máighréad Medbh, David Mitchell, John Montague, Tom Murphy, Paul Murray, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin , Liam Ó Muirthile, Joseph O'Connor, Ruth Padel , Frank Reidy, Natasha Walter

The Dublin Writers Festival runs June 1-6 in various venues around Dublin. Booking opens on Monday April 19, 2010.

More information on www.dublinwritersfestival.com

FULL LISTINGS

Tuesday, June 1st

Wednesday, June 2nd

The Riverrun Project / An Tionscadal Riverrun
Dermot Bolger, Biddy Jenkinson, Máighréad Medbh & Liam Ó Muirthile
With music by Seán Óg and images by Margaret Lonergan
Wednesday, June 2nd | 8.00pm | The Sugar Club | €10 / €8
Booking: Project Arts Centre | 01 881 9613/4 | www.projectartscentre.ie

Thursday, June 3rd

Bíonn Adharca Fada ar na Buaibh Thar Lear: An Litríocht Taistil sa Ghaeilge
/ From beyond our shores: Travel Literature in Irish
Manchán Magan, Mícheál de Barra, Frank Reidy & Alan Desmond with Michael Cronin
Thursday, June 3rd | 8.15pm | Project Arts Centre | €10 / €8
Booking: Project Arts Centre | 01 881 9613/4 | www.projectartscentre.ie

Friday, June 4th

Saturday, June 5th

Reading Stories – Anne Enright on Alice Munro
Saturday, June 5th | 11.00am | Dublin Writers Museum | FREE
RSVP: info@dublinwritersfestival.com

Sunday, June 6th

Reading Stories – Dermot Healy on James Joyce and Aidan Higgins
Sunday, June 6th | 12.00am | Dublin Writers Museum | FREE
RSVP: info@dublinwritersfestival.com

The Gallery Press 40th Anniversary Poetry Celebration
Derek Mahon, Ciaran Carson, Vona Groarke, Michael Coady, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, John Montague, Dermot Healy, Medbh McGuckian, Gerald Dawe, Alan Gillis & Peter Fallon. Special Guest: Seamus Heaney. With music by Bill Whelan
Sunday, June 6th | 7.30pm | Abbey Theatre | €20 / €15

BOOKING INFORMATION

National Concert Hall
(Ian McEwan & Stewart Brand Event Only)
Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2
Tel. + 353 (0) 1 417 0000
(Open Mon–Sat 10am–6pm)
Web. www.nch.ie

Project Arts Centre
(includes bookings for The Sugar Club, Liberty Hall, Dublin City Gallery – The Hugh Lane)
39 East Essex Street, Dublin 2
Tel. + 353 (0) 1 881 9613/4
(Open Mon–Sat 11am–7pm)
Web. www.projectartscentre.ie

Abbey Theatre
(Abbey Theatre events only)
26 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1
Tel. + 353 (0) 1 878 7222
(Open Mon–Sat 10.30am–7pm)
Web. www.abbeytheatre.ie http://www.abbeytheatre.ie

For more information on the Festival visit www.dublinwritersfestival.com

Romanian Artist exhibits at The Dublin Writers Festival

A collection of photographs by the highly acclaimed Romanian artist, Mihaela Marin, will be exhibited at Project Arts Centre during this year’s Dublin Writers Festival. Entitled Dorian Gray it features images from a performance of the Oscar Wilde classic at the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest.

Mihaela Marin has vividly captured the magical world of theatre in this exhibition, which has already been seen in New York, Berlin, Venice, Paris and Bruxelles.

The exhibition, Dorian Gray, has been made possible through the kind assistance of Ambassador Iulian Buga and The Embassy of Romania.

Word up: Dublin Writers Festival books star line-up in annual show of word power

Dublin Writers Festival | June 2 – 7, 2009 | www.dublinwritersfestival.com

Notes on a Scandal author Zoë Heller, BBC presenter and New Yorker critic Simon Schama, Orange Prize winner Anne Michaels, Booker nominee, IMPAC winner and author of just–released Brooklyn Colm Tóibín and the popular TV journalist Melvyn Bragg are among the 25 writers appearing in Dublin in this year’s Dublin Writers Festival.

Now in its 11th year, the annual literary festival welcomes to Dublin acclaimed authors from around the world to read from their most recent works and take part in curated conversations about their books, writing and – this year’s theme – the ‘power of the word’.

Programme Director Liam Browne has invited a diverse range of authors, poets, fiction writers, factual writers, memoirists and social commentators to the six-day festival; their works covering a wide range of subjects including Victorian crime detection, immigration, murder, homecoming, losing children, ghost stories, America and coming of age.

Highlights of the 2009 Festival are:

A special live appearance by Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney who will be rounding off his 70th birthday celebrations – and the 80th birthday of publishing house Faber and Faber - by reading a personal selection of his poetry in the National Concert Hall.

Exclusive Irish visit by writer and broadcaster Simon Schama CBE who will be talking about his newest book based on his BBC series, The American Future, A History.

First-time visits to the Festival by Tipping the Velvet author Sarah Waters, and Fugitive Pieces author and Orange Prize winner, Canadian Anne Michaels.

Readings from first-time Irish novelists: music journalist Peter Murphy, former Investment banker Aifric Campbell and war correspondent Ed O’Loughlin.

A focus on crime writing and the murder mystery novel with readings from Suspicions of Mr Whicher author Kate Summerscale and one of the world’s best selling crime writers Val McDermid.

A traditional Irish music performance to the poetry of Dermot Bolger - The Frost is All Over; poetry with Paula Meehan and Leanne O’Sullivan and an exploration of the term ‘women’s writing’ with readings and discussion from writers Claire Kilroy, Julia O’Faolain and Christine Dwyer Hickey.

Also in the six-day festival will be readings from: Irish literary phenomenon Brendan Kennelly; humorist and Guardian critic Joe Queenan; genre-defying Geoff Dyer; My Left Foot co-writer Shane Connaughton; former lawyer MJ Hyland; Snow Geese author and relative of Ralph and Joseph, William Fiennes; Booker prize nominee and IMPAC award winner Colm Tóibín; and scriptwriter Steve Toltz.

Some interesting facts about this year’s Festival:

25 Writers are appearing in the Dublin Writers Festival 2009
A total of 233 books have been published by the writers with some 8,000 pages making up the books featured in this year’s Festival
1 author is a Nobel prize winner for Literature; 8 are Booker prize nominees
9 of the writers are or were journalists
6 have had books made into films; 1 of which was nominated for 4 Oscars
Writers come from as far afield as Canada, Australia and America as well as closer to home in England and Ireland

Full List of writers appearing at the Festival (in alphabetical order):

Melvyn Bragg, Aifric Campbell, Shane Connaughton, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Geoff Dyer, William Fiennes, Seamus Heaney, Zoë Heller, MJ Hyland, Brendan Kennelly, Claire Kilroy, Julia O’Faolain, Ed O’Loughlin, Leanne O’Sullivan, Val McDermid, Anne Michaels, Paula Meehan, Peter Murphy, Joe Queenan, Simon Schama, Kate Summerscale, Colm Tóibín, Steve Toltz, Sarah Waters

Full Programme Listings

How to book tickets

NATIONAL CONCERT HALL
Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 | T: 01 417 0000 | www.nch.ie

PROJECT ARTS CENTRE (and booking for Liberty Hall)
39 East Essex Street, Dublin 2 | T: 01 881 9613/4 | www.projectartscentre.ie

ABBEY THEATRE
26 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1 | T: 01 878 7222 | www.abbeytheatre.ie

For more information on the Festival www.dublinwritersfestival.com

Dublin Writers Festival 2010 - 1st to 6th June

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