Galway based writer, Dani Gill has been appointed as the new artistic director for the Ennis Book Club Festival.

She will succeed Paul Perry in the role who brought to an end his four year tenure following the conclusion of the 2020 festival.

Formerly the Director of Cúirt International Festival of Literature from 2010 to 2016, Dani is currently the national audience development officer for Words Ireland. Her first collection of poems was published by Salmon Poetry in 2017 and she has recently completed a novel.

A member of the advisory panel for the Galway European Capital of Culture 2020 bid book, Ms Gill also writes reviews and features for The Irish Times. She is currently designing a literary tourism model for the west of Ireland in partnership with the Western Development Commission that will include site specific work and installations in 2021.

Of her latest role, Dani said, “I am delighted to take up the Artistic Director role at Ennis, with the hard-working and energetic team who have made this festival a great success. I’m looking forward to connecting with readers and book lovers nationwide as we assemble our programme for next year”.

Chairperson of the EBCF Committee, Cora Gunter noted Dani’s “wealth of experience in programming literary festivals. She is also very interested in exploring events that appeal to all readers but especially with book club groups who are our key audience”.

Organisers have acknowledged that running the 2021 Festival may pose challenges and believed the appointment of an artistic director serves as “an act of optimism”.

Work on the programme of the fifteenth Ennis Book Club Festival which is provisionally fixed to take place for the first weekend of March in 2021 is to begin in the next few weeks.