Thursday, October 08, 2015

Kildare Readers Festival starts today

Kildare Readers’ Festival 2015, which starts today and runs until 18 October, is organised by Kildare County Library and Arts Service.

Since its inception in 2010, festival audiences have continued to grow and this year presents an entertaining schedule as equally exciting as in previous years.

On Thursday 15 October presentations include ' ThingsThat Go Bump in the Night' and 'Why We Love Them', with highly acclaimed gothic novel author and critic, Kim Newman and Maura McHugh. Also, Historian-In-Residence James Durney will interview Tomi Reichental, survivor of Belsen Concentration Camp.

Writer-In-Residence, Eoin McNamee (in partnership with Maynooth University) and special guest Patrick McCabe feature on Friday 16 October.

Saturday 17 October starts off with the regular favourite: 'Ten Books You Should Read', which this year features John Lonergan and Nell McCafferty. 'Wild Hibernia' with Peter Murphy and guests Mike McCormack and Louise O'Neill, will discuss the current rise of exciting literature that is somewhat different than the norm. On Saturday night there's a tribute to WB Yeats, 'A Life and Death Less Ordinary', with Kildare author Mary O'Donnell facilitating a magical evening of chat and readings.

The most popular Sunday morning sessions continue on 18 October with special guests Joseph O'Connor, Nuala O'Connor and festival stalwart Dermot Bolger.

Also, keep an eye out for the fabulous schedule of fringe events, which include a Dennis O'Driscoll tribute, 'Honouring Voices: Adapting Hanna Greally’s Bird Nest Soup for stage', 'Alternative Routes to Publishing', 'Ceol Binn na Filíochta' and the annual Artists Notebook Exhibition.

There will be a festival bookshop throughout the weekend, hosted by festival partners International Educational Services (IES).

So keep checking in with the official website and Facebook page for updates.

All events are free of charge. Bookings are essential through the Box Office at Riverbank on 045 448327 or online at www.riverbank.ie. *Please note there is a €1 charge for each online booking.