LITERARY lovers have descended on Ennistymon for the fourteenth annual Ennistymon Booktown Festival.
A poetry reading commencing proceedings on Friday evening in the Salmon Bookshop Louis de Bernieres, Anne Fitzgerald, Stephen Powers, Jean Kavanagh, Rachel Coventry and Dairena Ni Chinneide all discussing their work.
Satuday’s events began at 2pm in Salmon Bookshop. Karen Fitzgibbon will read from her new novel ‘Never Look Back’ and Lucy O’Callaghan will read from her new novel ‘Obsession’.
Later that evening at 7pm, there will be the launch of Salmon Poetry’s edition of ‘Imagining Alexandria: Poems in Memory of Constantinos Cavafis’ by Louis de Bernieres. Louis is a British novelist, poet, playwright and musician best known for his international bestseller ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’. He has published numerous novels, short stories, and poetry collections; often blending historical settings with richly drawn characters and philosophical depth.
Also at 7pm in Banner Books, Joe Queally will reflect on the Songs and Stories of North Clare. An evening of old tunes and tall tales gathered from the people and places of North Clare.
On Sunday, poet, painter and multimedia artist, Jo Slade the author of seven collections of poetry will launch ‘Once’ in Salmon Bookshop at 12pm.
DJ, Katie Cogan will play sounds and recorded spoken word poems as well as interact with the live poets from 1pm. Her stunning DJ presentation ‘A passage underlined’ tracing Salmon’s move to Main Street was a highlight of Arts Night at Salmon. This is followed by a poetry reading at 2pm with Daniel Tobin, Christine Casson, Grace Wells, and Stephen Powers.
Every summer since 2012 booklovers have been travelling to North Clare drawn by the prospect of a town packed with all things books. Every available space will again be taken over by booksellers from across Ireland bringing books to suit everyone from the general reader in search of a bargain, to the avid collector in search of that rarity to complete their collection.
Previous participants that are returning this year include Joe Collins of Rare Books Dublin, Temple Bar Bookshop, specialist dealer for Limerick and Clare Joe O’Brien, Red Books from Wexford, Doolin Dinghy Books, Maurice Regan from Kilkenny, Tallstories, James McBarron and Jim Cooney Rare Books. Ennistymon’s permanent bookshops, Salmon and Banner books will also be open throughout the festival.
A new addition this year is Nerd-Up from Wexford bringing a large selection of manga, comics and graphic novels. In addition to the shops in the Court House Gallery, Teach Ceoil and Byrnes Restaurant, there will be a number of pop-up shops along the Main Street.
