For immediate release:
TOPICAL AND DIVERSE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED
FOR FOURTH DUBLIN BOOK FESTIVAL (2-6 MARCH)
‘Five-day festival will explore state of our nation’
DUBLIN, 14 February – The Dublin Book Festival today announced a packed programme that will, between 2nd and 6th March, bring together over 80 of Ireland’s leading authors, poets, journalists and thinkers for five days of readings, debates, interviews and workshops.
Acclaimed authors Dermot Bolger and Anthony Cronin will open the festival at the National Library on Wednesday, 2 March, with a discussion with Eileen Battersby on Dublin’s place in literature.
On World Book Day (Thursday, 3 March) Mark Little, Shane Coleman, Justine McCarthy, Ken Fox and economist Stephen Kinsella will debate what the new government should do to save Ireland’s economy, while Fintan O’Toole, Pat Leahy, Naoise Nunn and Kevin Rafter will debate the need for political reform on Sunday, 6 March.
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy, and historian Diarmaid Ferriter will host a public discussion on the lessons that Ireland can learn from its history on Saturday, 5 March.
A panel of top entrepreneurs, including Dragons’ Den Investor, Bobby Kerr, will offer advice on how to set up a successful business on Friday, 4 March. Personal finance guru Colm Rapple and career coaches Brendan Foley and Jane Downes will also be on hand to dispense advice on how to manage your personal finances and how to get your career back on track.
Those in need of a good laugh can join Paul Howard on Saturday, 5 March, as he unmasks the real man behind his narcissistic anti-hero, Ross O’Carroll-Kelly.
The Dublin Book Festival is known for its lively poetry programme and acclaimed poets such as Peter Sirr, Gerard Smyth, Michael O’Loughlin, Iggy McGovern, Jessie Lendennie, Alan Jude Moore, Máighréad Medbh, Anne Le Marquand Hartigan, Nessa O’Mahony, Maurice Harmon and Patrick Chapman will be participating in a series of readings.
The festival also acts as a platform for new writing talent, and many up-and-coming authors will get a chance to share a platform with established authors, such as Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Kevin Power, Claire Kilroy and Kate Kerrigan.
On Saturday, 5 March, best-selling authors Sarah Webb and Kevin Stevens will discuss the art of writing for young adults, while those interested in writing popular fiction can join authors Sheila O’Flanagan, Sinead Moriarty and Anna McPartlin for a discussion on Sunday, 6 March. Children can look forward to a lively series of free events with some of their favourite writers, including Oisin McGann, Don Conroy, Jean Flitcroft and Gabriel Fitzmaurice.
Niall De Búrca, one of Ireland’s finest traditional storytellers, will be spinning his yarns at Dublin City Hall on Saturday (5 March), while Gillian Perdue will be entertaining young bookworms at the Gutter Bookshop in Cow’s Lane on Saturday.
“The diversity of writing reflected in Dublin Book Festival’s programme reflects why our capital is one of the most exciting literary cities in Europe, and indeed the world,” said Jean Harrington, President of Publishing Ireland.
The festival will center on Dublin City Hall on Dame Street, with events also taking place in a number of satellite venues in the city centre. Entry to Dublin City Hall is FREE, but a small cover charge may apply at certain satellite venues.
Insomnia (an Irish-owned coffee company) will be operating a special Festival Café at City Hall and there will also be a Festival Bookshop offering books from over 100 Irish publishers.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Festival spokesperson Zoe Faulder and Programme Manager Julianne Mooney are available for comment. Selected authors are also available for interview. Contact Gert Ackermann on Tel: 086 176 9287 or email gert.ackermann@gmail.com.
The Dublin Book Festival is organised by Publishing Ireland, the association of Irish book publishers, and is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport; Foras na Gaeilge; Dublin City Libraries and Dublin City Council.
