It was great to be invited to lead a very special tour of ‘Coming Home – Art and The Great Hunger Exhibition at Dublin Castle, as this very special art collection has such a connection with my own writing and books. I love art and sculpture so it was exciting and something very different for me to be given the opportunity to select my favourite pieces which relate to ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ and ‘Wildflower Girl’. A wonderful group joined me for this very special art tour.

Later I talked to a larger group about ‘The World of ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ using some of the wonderful images from this exhibition, which is part of the Art collection from Quinnipiac University’s Great Hunger Museum in America which is on display here until the end of June, before moving to the Uillinn West Cork Art’s Centre in Skibbereen.

I also got along to help to launch ‘The Hunger Times- A short children’s film about the Great Irish Famine which was commissioned by Quinnipiac’s Great Hunger Museum.   It was great to meet the cast and crew and director. The first viewers of this time travel Famine adventure were kids from Marlborough Central School.

It was such a busy few days as I was part of a panel for a brilliant ‘Bold Girls –Brave and Bold’ event about inspirational women who changed history with Anna Carey, Siobhan Parkinson and Dr  Norah Patten  held at Smock Alley Theatre.

The  International Literature Festival Dublin certainly had a huge varied and interesting programme for all ages and it was an absolute pleasure as a writer to be involved.