Dennis Lehane interviewed by Jim Carroll at Listowel Writers’ Week
Having threatened to go to Listowel Writers’ Week for years, and considering their generous sponsorship of a Writers’ Retreat I participated in at Cill Rialaig just over a year ago helped me write some of my book, I finally jumped in a car with Susan Lanigan and headed down to the event. See gallery click here
Now I understand why people go back each year – Seamus Hosey, for example, was celebrating his 40th Anniversary at the festival this time around!
With everything very immediately available within the immediate nucleus of the town square (theatre in the old church in the centre, events/hanging out at the Listowel Arms Hotel, etc) it’s got a very snug feel, and the range of events are attended by discerning audiences.
There was so much on, hard to get to everything, but liked the Dennis Lehane interview, the Patrick Cockburn Lecture, and the Irish Writers’ Centre “Mindshift” event on Saturday, about the business of being a writer. On Friday and Saturday night, the New Writers’ Salon, curated by Kerry Co Council’s Writer in Residence, Noel O’Regan was held at Scribes Café. The packed audience enjoyed readings from a line up of emerging writers: Sally Rooney, Michael Naghten Shanks, Hugh Fulham-McQuillan, Roisin Kelly, slam poetry from Stephen Murphy and a lively reading from Susan Lanigan.
For a gallery of photos of the festival, click here
