Culture Night 2017 was such a balmy evening, that Dublin was packed with culture lovers of all ages keen to enjoy the events and to explore some of the great buildings that were open to the public.

I was one of the writers in the big glass shop window of ‘Dubray Books’ on Grafton Street  reading  for the charity ‘Aware’, to  the passing crowds all about. It was a bit strange at first standing there with a microphone that could be heard out on the busy street but we all soon got used to it.

I was delighted to meet one of my all- time favourite American authors Kate Di Camillo, who was also taking part and reading from her new book ‘Raymie Nightingale’.

Saturday was the annual Children’s Book’s Ireland Conference at The Lighthouse Cinema.  It is hard to believe that CBI is celebrating 20 years!!

It was a privilege to listen to the wonderful Lucy Cousins, creator of the much loved Maisie books talk about her work and even see some of her early childhood drawings.

Illustrators Chris Judge and Rob Biddulph chatted about the life of an illustrator as they showed us some of their work, followed by   Anna Carey and Lucy Adlington talking about writing history, and the importance of research and detail. Shane Hegarty , John Boyne and Cecelia Ahearne discussed the difference between writing for adults and children.

However the highlight for me was the wonderful Kate di Camillo, who talked about her childhood and growing up and the importance of learning to look at the world.

A reserved child, she discovered this after a trip in a glass bottom boat, when the old lady sitting beside her touched  her arm when she saw the silver swish of a big fish below them.  The shy, Kate looked down and seeing a turtle, told the stranger.

Oh my…This world.’ the old lady said.

‘Oh my…This world’….. One for all of us to remember…

What a treat to get to listen to much loved children’s author and illustrator Judith Kerr talk about her life and work at this year’s Mountains to Sea Festival in Dun Laoghaire! From her early childhood in Germany to the family’s flight to Switzerland just as Hitler took power, to their move to Paris before the family decided to settle in London. Despite all the moves and changes over those childhood years, all Judith wanted to do was draw and draw. She ended up studying textile design in London.

Her first stories were inspired by her own children and she wrote ‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ for her daughter. Stories about Mog, their family cat, soon followed. The ‘Mog’ stories like ‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ becoming classics, read by generations of children all over the world.’ Her novel, ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’ was inspired by her own childhood during the Second World War.

As she talked with her editor, Ian Craig, we were treated to her wonderful art work. At 93 she is still writing and creating books which include ‘My Henry’ (about her and her late husband) and ‘The Great Granny Gang’. It was wonderful to see that creativity is both timeless and ageless, and Judith certainly inspired all of us in the audience.

It was great to meet up with Joanna Trollope. She talked to a packed audience with great honesty about her life as a writer and theme of her new book ‘City of Friends,’ which explores the working lives of women.

A discussion on Brexit chaired by journalist David Murphy with economics expert David McWilliams, journalist Martina Devlin and historian and lecturer Diarmaid Ferriter certainly provided lively views on what may or may not lie ahead for Ireland in the coming years as Brexit finally is triggered.

This year, as ever, Mountains to Sea provided a rich array of different events for festival goers to enjoy.

Thanks to all those who organised and planned the Festival programme.