July 14^th – 21^st 2017 Bantry, West Cork.

Colm Tóibín, Anne Enright, Mike McCormack, Sara Baume and Alissa Nutting are just some of the guests announced for the renowned West Cork Literary Festival, which runs in venues all over Bantry, West Cork, from July 14^th to 21^st. Poetry is again well represented with the new Ireland Chair of Poetry 2016-2019, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Paula Meehan, former Ireland Chair of Poetry (2013-2016), and former editor of Poetry Ireland Vona Groarke.

 

Dame Marina Warner will read from her short stories inspired by fairy tales, legends and mythology. Cork author Billy O’Callaghan, recently a Costa Short Story runner-up for The Boatman, will read from his first novel The Dead House, due to be published later this year and Dermot Bolger will read from his latest novel The Lonely Sea and Sky. Visiting from the UK, Ian McGuire and Jon McGregor, both long listed for the Booker Prize, will join us for the festival; as will Sarah Perry, whose novel The Essex Serpent is the Waterstones Book of the Year 2016. Brendan Barrington, editor at Penguin Ireland, and of the Dublin Review, will be attending the festival as Editor in Residence.

 

Since the Festival’s inception in the late 1990s workshops have been at its heart, encouraging both novice and experienced writers. Alissa Nutting, Dean Bakopoulos, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Vona Groarke, Lara Marlowe, Dave Lordan, John Spillane, and Phoebe Smith are amongst those facilitating workshops. From Writing a Novel to Investigative Reporting Techniques, Playwriting to Poetry, there is a workshop to suit every aspiring, or established writer, looking to spend time in beautiful Bantry honing their craft.

 

2017 will see a plethora of new novels being published: Carol Drinkwater returns to Bantry this year to read from The Lost Girl and Lisa McInerney will read from The Blood Miracles.

 

The Children’s Festival remains as popular as ever with events this year featuring Jan Carson, PJ Lynch, Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature, The Book Clinic, and many more special events.

 

 

The West Cork Literary Festival runs from July 14^th to 21^st and is generously supported by The Arts Council, Cork County Library and Arts Service and Fáilte Ireland. Booking on www.westcorkliteraryfestival.ie, Telephone: 027 52788/9 LoCall: 1850 788 789.