Sophie Hayles, CEO of the Crescent Arts Centre, launching this year’s Belfast Book Festival
Presented by the Crescent Arts Centre, highlights of the festival include Annie Macmanus (BBC Radio 1) unveiling her debut novel ‘Mother, Mother’ which is set in Belfast; Ian McElhinney (‘Derry Girls’) and literary biographer Roy Foster exploring the work of Seamus Heaney; Glenn Patterson (‘The Northern Bank Job’) in conversation with author Conor O’Callaghan; Colm Tóibín (‘Brooklyn’), reading from ‘Queer Love: An Anthology of Irish Fiction’ and a special recorded performance from the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, Lemn Sissay.
For up and coming writers and poets, there will be discussions with industry professionals from the worlds of poetry, prose and publishing about how to get your work seen and heard, and the lucky winners of the Mairtín Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story 2021 will also be announced.
Dundalk library s upcoming virtual events
Reporter:
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The library is Dundalk has welcomed book-lovers back through their doors with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
However, the library is continuing their extensive virtual workshops and talks that they started during the lockdowns.
Here are their upcoming online events:
Chair Yoga – Tuesday 18th of May at 12 noon
Join Hazel from Chair Yoga Ireland Making Yoga accessible for all. Chair Yoga is a gentle Yoga practice, where you get all the benefits of Yoga, whilst seated and or using a chair as an aid.
For further information and to book email libraryhelpdesk@louthcoco.ie
In Saturdayâs Irish Times, we publish Dirty Linen: a personal history of Northern Ireland, a revised version of my contribution to The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working-Class Voices, edited by Paul McVeigh, to be published by Unbound in July.
Reviews are Diarmaid Ferriter on The Partition: Ireland Divided, 1885-1925 by Charles Townshend Louise Kennedy on Real Estate by Deborah Levy; Claire Hennessy on the best new YA fiction; Sarah Moss on Snowflake by Louise Nealon; Paschal Donohoe on Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now Ece Temelkuran; Sarah Gilmartin on The Rules of Revelation by Lisa McInerney; Anna Carey on The Beauty of Impossible Things by Rachel Donohue; Paul Gillespie on State and Nation in the United Kingdom: The Fractured Union by Michael Keating; and Houman Barekast on Intimacies by Lucy Caldwell.
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka (Bloomsbury)
The Nobel laureate’s first novel in almost 50 years promises “murder, mayhem and no shortage of drama” in contemporary Nigeria.
The Thursday Murder Club 2 by Richard Osman (Viking)
Last year the
Pointless co-host’s cosy crime debut set in a retirement home broke sales records; here comes the sequel.
Waters of Salvation by Richard Coles (W&N)
A new crime series from everyone’s favourite vicar begins as a proposal to refurbish a village church ends in murder; Canon Daniel Clement must investigate.
Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout (Viking)