As the long hot summer ends it signals the start of Dun Laoghaire’s Mountains to Sea Book Festival. This event has become one of the highlights of the Irish Book world. I remember when it started off with just a handful of writers talking under gazebos and the trees in The People’s Park in Dun Laoghaire with everyone praying that it wouldn’t rain. The festival has grown and grown and has become one of the busiest and best book Festivals in Ireland. This year’s line- up includes authors Margaret Atwood, Seamus Heaney, Blake Morrison and Colum McCann.
From Screen writing, children’s books, workshops, to poetry and memoir there is something to suit everyone. I love it as Dun Laoghaire gets packed as writers and readers come together and everyone enjoys hanging out in the cafés, bars and restaurants scattered around the harbour and town. The Festival runs from 3rd Sept to 8th September 2013 and you can find more details here.
Mad About Books launch
Had a wonderful night along with lots of lovely authors, illustrators, publishers and booksellers as we celebrated the launch of Dubray Books Guide to Children’s Books which was compiled and edited by busy author and children’s book expert Sarah Webb. Gemma and Kevin Barry and Susan Walsh of Dubray Books welcomed the huge crowd to The Lost Society in Dublin’s Powerscourt Centre. There was lots of wine and nibbles and fun and chat about the world of children’s books.
Mad about Books is the perfect way to discover a book to suit children of all ages and has over 400 book reviews and lots of author interviews….it is a highly recommended guide for anyone who wants to know a little more about kids books and what to read or buy.
Celebrating The Rose Garden
Lovely to celebrate the launch of The Rose Garden and the special re-issue of The Magdalen with my husband James at a special lunch in Dublin’s Cliff Town House restaurant on St Stephen’s Green. My lovely editor Linda Evans from Transworld flew over from London to mark the occasion and Eoin McHugh and Brian Langan from Transworld Ireland along with Simon Hess and Helen Gleed O’ Connor from Gill Hess made up the merry crew as we enjoyed champagne, great food and lots of lively book chat.
Busy book signing as The Rose Garden has just been published
I’ve been busy book signing and going around all the lovely bookshops meeting lots of amazing booksellers. They do such a great job bringing books and readers together!
Here I am with Sheena and Carolyn from Easons in O’Connell Street.
Kevin Barry wins Impac Book prize
Great to be at the very stylish Impac Dinner last night in Dublin’s Mansion House to see Irish writer Kevin Barry scoop the biggest book prize of them all and win this year’s 2103 International Impac Dublin Literary Award for his novel ‘City of Bohane’.
A truly original writer, Kevin praised the libraries of his childhood in Limerick where ‘as a pasty faced kid’ he hung out with lots of books! There were massive cheers all around as he was presented with the huge one hundred thousand euro award. A deserving winner he reminded us all of the importance of libraries and books not only for readers but also as a place for writers to begin to write…
Marita Conlon-McKenna 